Collision ((Vaygen, Tobias & Jaroah))

[T-Bone]

"Ahoy, boys," the chief said. "Mind takin' me shift down near th' river agin? We got some guests wot need some good ol' shrew cookin'. An' keep yore eyes peeled furra mouse, will ye? Same size as me. Seems one a' our guests lost 'is friend. There's good lads." Kris and Dor nodded eagerly, saluting their Logalog smartly as they dashed off in the direction from whence Nik and his company had come. "Nice boys," Nik murmured to himself.

Jaroah's brow furrowed briefly. Right, so shrews were definitely not vermin. But weasels were. . .

"Oi, cooky, me gel," he called into the camp. An older shrewwife looked up from a large cauldron and grinned. Nik smiled back. "Do oblige us wid a few bowls a' skilly'n'duff fer our guests, eh, me beauty?" Nik gestured for Dandin and Vaygen to take seats on a couple of fallen logs surrounding the campfire.

Jaroah glanced suspiciously at Vaygan as he seated himself next to the weasel. So, Vaygan was a goodbeast? Or did he just have some sort of deal with the shrews? Whatever it was, Vaygan was evidently an exceptional weasel. . . Was it because of his nose?

"Sorry if I seem, uh, nervous, mates," he apologized, lighting a small pipe. "I ain't quite used t' all this, yet."

Jaroah returned his attention to Nik. It seemed that this was the leader. At the very least, he had some authority, though it was a bit odd that he had been on sentry duty. Perhaps "Logalog" was like second-in-command or something. Hmm. . . It would probably be wise to treat him as the leader over all the Goose'm shrews. . .

~~~~~~~~~

Taking his place in the front log boat, Ban got out his lucky compass, twirling the twine around his finger as he barked out, "Right, ye scurvy river mice, we're headed west. Hope ye said g'bye t' yore gels 'cos we ain't comin' back fer a few days!"

Tobias' heart skipped a beat as the logboat lurched forward. In an instant, he was soaked through. The illusionist took his hat in his teeth and attempted to keep up with the quick pace that the shrews had set. In his mind, Tobias steamed. He wasn't used to, nor did he like, the amount of physical work this whole rowing thing involved, and he was fairly certain the shrew in front of him was intentionally splashing him as they paddled. And to make matters worse, one of them started singing!

"I'm a grand ol' Guosim shrew!
Here's me blade, a fine how'd'ye'do!
I learnt t' paddle afore I could walk!
I learnt this song afore I could talk!

I'm a perilous Guosim fighter!
Show me a vermin, I'll end th' blighter!
I learnt t' fight 'fore learnin' t' read!
I slew a weasel 'fore I got me teeth!"

Apparently, they were supposed to be paddling in rhythm with the song, but the singer kept singing it faster. Tobias thought to inform him, but he couldn't very well say a word lest his hat disappear downstream -- or, given their current velocity, upstream.

But eventually, the paddling stopped, and Tobias was still alive. He stepped out of the boat and more or less watched the other shrews tie it down, presumably so that it would not drift away when they let go. As they scampered about to set up camp, Tobias found something escaping his mouth. It was chuckle. And not the arrogant, contemptuous kind! But he had had a terrible time! . . . Right? And yet Tobias chuckled. He had to admit, that was fun. . . Hm. . . Maybe this whole shrew-thing wasn't so bad. . .

"Not bad, Bryne, mate," Ban congratulated the mouse, clapping him on the back. "We'll make a Guosim out of ye yet!"

Bryne smiled at the friendly shrew. "Hahaha, th-thanks, mate." This time, the stutter wasn't so much a nervous Bryne as it was a very cold Tobias. Bryne shook his head, laughing. "How far'd w-we travel jus' n-now?" For the time being, Tobias completely forgot what he was doing there in the first place.

~~~~~~~~~

"So, Dandin," Nik began. "This fox ye said were chasin' ye . . . Think 'e's still on yore trail?"

Dandin opened his mouth to speak, but--

"Oh yes, back onto the subject of the fox!" he answered as he returned his attention to Nik and Dandin. "Why is the fox chasing you and your brother again?"

He grunted, displeased with Vaygan's. . . Well, Vaygan. Dandin sighed. "Ah tried tae mah food back from him. He threatened mah friend, an' Ah attacked 'im. Tuke mah food an' ran. Ah ken 'e's been chasin' us furra few days noo, b'cos Ah've seen 'im wi' mah own eyes." Half-truths were much easier to tell than lies. It felt truer. Helped him get into character. Everything he had said was true, except that he had been the first to steal from the fox. But he had recently caught glimpses of the fox, or at least he thought he had. And Tobias agreed that they were being followed. But there was so much more to the story. . . Jaroah blinked back a memory of Victiore. No, he had to focus.


((Sorry, Pro. I don't know why Jaroah dislikes Vaygan so much. XD))

[Django]

"Ah tried tae mah food back from him. He threatened mah friend, an' Ah attacked 'im. Tuke mah food an' ran. Ah ken 'e's been chasin' us furra few days noo, b'cos Ah've seen 'im wi' mah own eyes."

Nik nearly choked as he inhaled from his pipe. Coughing the smoke from his lungs, he tried to regain his composure. Great, now he needed to worry about a fox as well as his entire tribe. How had his father done this job so easily?

Clearing his throat, the chieftain replied, "Ah, sorry 'bout that. Still arter ye, eh? Well, yore safe with th' Guosim, mate. . . I should tell Kris t'be on th' lookout furra fox then."

The cook trundled up just then, her wrinkled face stretched into a kindly smile as she offered a bowl of delicious-smelling delicacy to both Dandin and Vaygen. "Hope ye enjoy shrew cookin'!" she said, her voice high and nasally as she handed them a wooden sthingy each. "Onna house, aye? Chief." She curtsied to Nik, who smiled his thanks, and was on her way.

"I'll be back, mates," Nik said, dousing his pipe and gripping his rapier hilt again. "Gonna tell Kris an' Dor t'be watchin' fer yore fox, Dandin. Play nice, Vaygen." He winked, half-serious. With that, he hurried out of the camp to where the two young recruits stood watch on the shore of the river.

-----

Bryne smiled at the friendly shrew. "Hahaha, th-thanks, mate." This time, the stutter wasn't so much a nervous Bryne as it was a very cold Tobias. Bryne shook his head, laughing. "How far'd w-we travel jus' n-now?"

Ban twirled the compass around his paw again, leading the mouse by his shoulder into the camp. "Oh, a good ways," he replied vaguely. "Prob'ly 'bout 'alfway t' Redwall now. We'll stop 'ere t'make camp an', uh," He glanced up at the position of the sun. Hmm, best to start the patrol here. Nik wanted him to be thorough, and he'd already lost a good stretch of the river by getting carried away with the paddling shanty.

"Then we'll git goin' agin tomorrow," the deputy finished. "Don't worry, mate. We'll git ye t'Redwall soon 'nuff." He turned to Day, who was dutifully removing supplies from the boats. "Day, me gel, yore gonna be in charge a' Bryne, 'ere when we go out."

Day didn't seem to like that. She tilted her head indignantly and Ban held up his paws. "Aye, I know ye wanted t'be onna patrol agin," he acknowledged. "But I don't want Bryne all by his lonesome while we're out searchin' fer vermin, eh?" Day sighed through her nostrils. Ban nodded in agreement. "Aye, Missy, but t'will only be fer this stop. Next stop I'll git Night. How 'bout that?"

That seemed to satisfy her, and she nodded, returning to the supplies. Ban grinned, a little sheepishly, at Bryne. "You'll like Day, mate," he assure the mouse, leading him further into camp. "Sweetest thing inna world, she is." Yes, all the sweetness of a mad grizzly bear mother wrapped up in a convenient, shrew-sized package.

-----

Nik returned to the main Guosim camp, slightly calmer now. He still wished he had more active fighters, but he couldn't let a shortage of shrews keep him from performing his responsibilities as Logalog. Still, his nerves were frayed beyond belief right now. At least he could still muster up the patience to deal with his guests.

"Right, sorry, mates," he said, striding back over to the campfire. "Enjoyin' yore skilly'n'duff? Guosim specialty, 'tis." He forced his paw to release his rapier hilt. I'll d*mn well throw it in th' river if I can't even relax a minute!

((D'awww, Jaroah still remembers Vicky!))

[Promatera]

((OOC: Nice use of consistency there T-Bone! Also don't worry about Vaygan. He gets that reaction a lot XD))

"Ah tried tae mah food back from him. He threatened mah friend, an' Ah attacked 'im. Tuke mah food an' ran. Ah ken 'e's been chasin' us furra few days noo, b'cos Ah've seen 'im wi' mah own eyes."

"Ah I see," he replied leaning back on the log. The mouse seemed to be telling the truth to him so there should be no harm in helping him. However, Bon Vaygan never really liked sticking his neck out for other beasts. Hopefully nothing would come of it.

Nik didn't take the news as well and began to choke on his own pipe.

"Ah, sorry 'bout that. Still arter ye, eh? Well, yore safe with th' Guosim, mate. . . I should tell Kris t'be on th' lookout furra fox then."

An old, shrew cook arrived just then with bowls of food for them.

"Hope ye enjoy shrew cookin'!" she said, her voice high and nasally as she handed them a wooden sthingy each.

"Thank you m'lady for the meal," Bon Vaygan replied with a honeyed tongue that only a ham could master.

Nik spoke with her for a moment and after she left Nik announced he needed to check something.

"I'll be back, mates," Nik said, dousing his pipe and gripping his rapier hilt again. "Gonna tell Kris an' Dor t'be watchin' fer yore fox, Dandin. Play nice, Vaygen." He winked, half-serious.

Bon Vaygan got the hint, he learned early on not to cross Nik, he was sore just thinking about it. After Nik left Bon Vaygan helped himself to the skilly n' duff. An awkward bit of silence passed between the mouse and the weasel. Bon Vaygan decided to try and enjoy some conversation with the mouse. Perhaps it would help him feel better about having to help some strangebeast.

"So...Dandin, your name is Dandin right?" he spoke breaking the silence, "do you enjoy theatre?"

That was a stupid question. The mouse probably didn't even know what a theatre was let alone what to do with one.

Just in time to break the awkward tension, Nik returned.

"Right, sorry, mates," he said, striding back over to the campfire. "Enjoyin' yore skilly'n'duff? Guosim specialty, 'tis."

"It is superb! Thank you Nik" Bon Vaygan responded gesturing with a dramatic flair, "I have not seen you touch your food though, are you alright?"

[T-Bone]

((Fair warning: There's a bit of a timeskip at the end, 'cause I'm rushed for time right now. Sorry.))

Dandin winced as Nik coughed. Looked unpleasant. What on earth was so appealing about smoking anyway?

Clearing his throat, the chieftain replied, "Ah, sorry 'bout that. Still arter ye, eh? Well, yore safe with th' Guosim, mate. . ."

Dandin nodded. Jaroah considered this. So, as long as he was with the shrews, and as long as they didn't decide to believe the fox when he inevitably told them that Jaroah was a thief, Jaroah would be totally he. He might even be able to relax a bit for the first time in months. Only problem was his alias. He'd already made one up, and now, he could never be honest with these beasts. But in his defense, Jaroah did think they were vermin at first.

"I should tell Kris t'be on th' lookout furra fox then."

"Hope ye enjoy shrew cookin'!" she said, her voice high and nasally as she handed them a wooden sthingy each.

Dandin eyed his bowl suspiciously. What was this, exactly? Smelled funny.

"Thank you m'lady for the meal," Bon Vaygan replied with a honeyed tongue that only a ham could master.

Dandin remembered himself and nodded his thanks to the cook, but she was already talking to Nik. Oh well. Jaroah wasn't particularly educated in etiquette anyway. Street-thieves didn't exactly have that luxury.

"I'll be back, mates," Nik said, dousing his pipe and gripping his rapier hilt again. "Gonna tell Kris an' Dor t'be watchin' fer yore fox, Dandin. Play nice, Vaygen." He winked, half-serious.

Dandin shrugged and attacked his skilly'n'duff. Turns out, the stuff was pretty good.

~~~~~~~~~

Ban twirled the compass around his paw again, leading the mouse by his shoulder into the camp. "Oh, a good ways," he replied vaguely. "Prob'ly 'bout 'alfway t' Redwall now. We'll stop 'ere t'make camp an', uh," He glanced up at the position of the sun.

Tobias recognized that look on Ban's face. It was the same look Jaroah would get whenever the grifter hadn't quite followed the plan the way he should have. If Tobias was right -- and, of course, he always was -- Ban hadn't followed orders to the letter, which meant that Ban wasn't the leader of the Guosim shrews. Too bad, too. Stealing from one of those would make for some serious bragging rights.

"Then we'll git goin' agin tomorrow," the deputy finished.

Aww, tomorrow?

"Don't worry, mate. We'll git ye t'Redwall soon 'nuff." He turned to Day, who was dutifully removing supplies from the boats. "Day, me gel, yore gonna be in charge a' Bryne, 'ere when we go out."

Day didn't seem to like that. She tilted her head indignantly and Ban held up his paws. "Aye, I know ye wanted t'be onna patrol agin," he acknowledged. "But I don't want Bryne all by his lonesome while we're out searchin' fer vermin, eh?" Day sighed through her nostrils. Ban nodded in agreement. "Aye, Missy, but t'will only be fer this stop. Next stop I'll git Night. How 'bout that?"

That seemed to satisfy her, and she nodded, returning to the supplies.

Well. Not the response Tobias had hoped for. He wasn't that bad. . . right?

~~~~~~~~~

"So...Dandin, your name is Dandin right?" he spoke breaking the silence, "do you enjoy theatre?"

Dandin just looked at him.

~~~~~~~~~

Ban grinned, a little sheepishly, at Bryne.

Tobias didn't like that grin.

"You'll like Day, mate," he assure the mouse, leading him further into camp. "Sweetest thing inna world, she is."

~~~~~~~~~

"Right, sorry, mates," he said, striding back over to the campfire. "Enjoyin' yore skilly'n'duff? Guosim specialty, 'tis."

Dandin opened his mouth to answer heartily, but once again, Vay--

"It is superb! Thank you Nik" Bon Vaygan responded gesturing with a dramatic flair, "I have not seen you touch your food though, are you alright?"

Dandin's brow furrowed. He finished off his skilly'n'duff and crossed his arms. Would it be too much to ask for a pawful of moss with which to plug Vaygan's mouth-hole for a few minutes?

~~~~~~~~~

Bryne found himself staring right at Day, elbow on his knee, chin on his palm. The campfire separated the two, probably for the better. This was awkward. Just. Sitting there. Staring at each other. Bryne suspected she didn't like him. That was okay. He didn't think he liked her either. Maybe smalltalk would help things. But what to talk about? Well, she had an interesting mark on her face. It was either a tattoo, or a trick of the light. . . Whatever. It was smalltalk.

"So. . ." he began. ". . . What's up with yore face?"



((XD My characters are horrible.))

[Django]

"It is superb! Thank you Nik" Bon Vaygan responded gesturing with a dramatic flair, "I have not seen you touch your food though, are you alright?"

Nik had barely noticed the bowl the cook had left for him. "Oh, I--" he opened and closed the paw that had gripped his rapier hilt. "Uh, yeh, m'fine, mate. Jus' a bit, uh, edgy t'day. S'only been two weeks, y'know, since I, uh, became chief an' all." He shook his head with a half smile. "Sorry, boys. Too much on me mind, lately."

He was usually much more collected and calm than this. What was different? Was it the report of the missing mouse and the vengeful fox? Probably. Today he just felt . . . off, somehow. He didn't like feeling this way. He just wasn't used to this, but he needed to be.

"Chief!" Another shrew came jogging up to him, bandages wrapped loosely around her bicep. Her pretty brown eyes sparkled as she smiled confidently up at Nik. The chieftain was pulled from his thoughts at the sight of a familiar face. She gave a polite wave to the two guests. "Doc says I'm reddy t'fight agin. Need me anyplace?"

"Aye, Fllora," Nik nodded. "'Scuse me, Dandin and Vaygen, one moment." He turned to the female and explained the sentry situation. She saluted and darted off to find Kris and Dor in order to relive them. Nik chuckled to himself. "I 'pologize fer all these interruptions, mates," he said, returning his attention to his guests. "We're too short-handed these days. But, Dandin, yore welcome t'stay as long as ye need to while ye wait fer yore friend."

-----

Day leaned back against a boulder, her arms folded and one leg crossed over the other as the firelight danced across her features and the features of the mouse across from her. Her eyes bored holes in him mercilessly. He was the reason she wasn't out scouring the woods for vermin, one of her favorite pastimes. Her boredom was his fault. This wasn't fai--

"So. . ." he began. ". . . What's up with yore face?"

. . . What had he just said? Her ears flattened against her skull as her eyes went wide with an almost embarrassed shock. One of her paws instinctively flew up to touch the bright yellow and orange sun tattoo on her left cheek. It was quickly turning red with her angered blush.

Her narrowed eyes and annoyed snort seemed to give off the message, 'What, never seen a tattoo before?' Bryne was absolutely right. Day didn't like him one bit.

-----

Nik stood over his opponent, a self-satisfied grin spread wide across his snout as the younger shrew nursed a bloody nose. "Teach yew right t'git smug wid me, eh, boy?" he chuckled, offering a bandaged paw to the shrew. The younger smiled in embarrassment, taking the proffered paw as a crowd of Guosim cheered for their chief.

"Who's next, me 'earties?" an elder shrew called. It was late in the evening, and once the sun had set, the fires had been lit, and the 'friendly' brawling had begun. It was a tradition Nik had set in motion when he was old enough to box. It had started with him and Ban, and then more and more shrews had joined in.

"Don't be shy," the chieftain laughed. "E'en if th' tar gits beat outta ye, ye'll 'ave learnt somethin', eh?"

"Yeh, not t'fight th' Logalog," his defeated opponent joked. The shrews broke out into hearty laughter at this. Nik smiled, his paws on his hips as he awaited another challenger. What had there been to be so worried about this morning?

He glanced to the ring of spectators and located Dandin and Vaygen, thankfully separated by a scattering of shrews. There'd been no sign of Dandin's friend, or the fox chasing them, all throughout the afternoon and evening, which had calmed Nik's nerves somewhat. Another three shrews has been released from the sick tent, another good thing. The chief was definitely feeling much more easygoing than he had felt in weeks.

((No, they're awesome! XD And please just assume Ban and the others are off on patrol. This post was too long to include them.))

[Promatera]

Putting his awkward experience behind him Bon Vaygan returned to his question.

"Oh, I--" he opened and closed the paw that had gripped his rapier hilt. "Uh, yeh, m'fine, mate. Jus' a bit, uh, edgy t'day. S'only been two weeks, y'know, since I, uh, became chief an' all." He shook his head with a half smile. "Sorry, boys. Too much on me mind, lately."

Nik sure was on edge. Bon Vaygan had never seen him like this. He nodded and returned to his food. However, as quickly as he had returned another shrew arrived with news for Nik. Was he always this busy?

"'Scuse me, Dandin and Vaygen, one moment." "I 'pologize fer all these interruptions, mates," he said, returning his attention to his guests. "We're too short-handed these days. But, Dandin, yore welcome t'stay as long as ye need to while ye wait fer yore friend."

Uncharacteristically, Bon Vaygan actually felt pity for his friend. Nik looked a little overwhelmed.

"Are you sure--?" Bon Vaygan was going to offer assistance, but Nik had already charged off. Bon Vaygan turned back to face Dandin and realized he should probably keep the mouse company. Then he thought again.

"Well while Nik's away I suppose you'll want to take a look around the camp," he hoped the mouse would be able to take a hint. "I'm sure the shrews would love to meet you."

Bon Vaygan picked up his bowl and suddenly remembered the celebration held after the battle between the vermin and shrews. Perhaps there was still some shrew beer left?

"In the meantime I have some errands to run," he added as he stood up from the log, "if you need any help, don't hesitate to ask the shrews! They love helping!"

Then without another word he hastily began his search for alcohol.

((TIMESKIP ))

Quickly the day had faded to nightfall and Bon Vaygan's endeavors had proved fruitless. Throughout the day he was denied any alcohol and instead somehow found himself helping the camp anyway. After cleaning the dishes that had been left over from lunch, Bon Vaygan began to wander aimlessly until he noticed Nik boxing with several other shrews. His sympathy went out for them, he knew all too well what Nik's opponents were going through.

As he meandered through the crowd that formed he noticed the mouse from earlier. What was his name again? Danbin? He did speak with a ridiculous accent which made it harder to remember. Bon Vaygan was curious as to what the mouse had been up to, but he quickly remembered Nik was boxing. That was far more entertaining. He turned to the arena and waved as Nik turned to the crowd. Nik seemed at ease now. Perhaps the exercise was helping?

[T-Bone]

"Oh, I--" he opened and closed the paw that had gripped his rapier hilt. "Uh, yeh, m'fine, mate. Jus' a bit, uh, edgy t'day. S'only been two weeks, y'know, since I, uh, became chief an' all." He shook his head with a half smile. "Sorry, boys. Too much on me mind, lately."

Two weeks? Jaroah wondered how prepared Nik had been for the job. It seemed more like an unexpected burden had been placed on his shoulders. It might be best to ask around later...

"Chief!" Another shrew came jogging up to him, bandages wrapped loosely around her bicep. Her pretty brown eyes sparkled as she smiled confidently up at Nik. She gave a polite wave to the two guests. "Doc says I'm reddy t'fight agin. Need me anyplace?"

"Aye, Fllora," Nik nodded. "'Scuse me, Dandin and Vaygen, one moment."

Dandin twiddled his thumbs. He stopped twiddling. It was boring to twiddle. Why would anybeast think it a good way to waste time? Then again, when it came to wasting time, practicality wasn't really a--

"I 'pologize fer all these interruptions, mates," he said, returning his attention to his guests. "We're too short-handed these days. But, Dandin, yore welcome t'stay as long as ye need to while ye wait fer yore friend."

"Are you sure--?" Bon Vaygan turned back to face Dandin. "Well while Nik's away I suppose you'll want to take a look around the camp," he hoped the mouse would be able to take a hint. "I'm sure the shrews would love to meet you."

Dandin smiled. Finally, he could get away from the weasel. He could deal with the less important beasts, the ones who were most likely to make inadvertent mistakes without realizing it, the ones with things he could steal. He didn't know where Tobias was, but the illusionist's afternoon couldn't be as productive as Jaroah's would prove.

~~~~~~~~~

Bryne shook his head, but inside, Tobias laughed a bit. "S-sorry,"--can't forget that stutter--"I mean what's--t's stuck on yore face? No wait. Th-that didn't c-- Er, What's it s'posed t-- Oh, nevermind!" Bryne gave up. An idea came to mind.
". . . Wanna p-play a game?"

~~~~~~~~~

There was an excellent reason for why Bon Vaygan had had so much trouble getting to the shrewbeer, and its name was Jaroah.

"What, y'mean this one?" The shrew pointed to the burlap sack.

Dandin nodded. "Aye, that ane." He motioned with his paws, dropping his voice to near-whisper. "See, Vaygan'll 'spect ye'll keep it where ye usually dae, sae y'dinnae want tae hide it here. Jus' move it somewhere he'll ne'er luke."

The shrew nodded, beginning to understand. "Ah, arright, so 'e's gonna look furrit here, but I'm gonna hide it somewhere else?"

Dandin nodded emphatically. "Aye!"

". . . O--okay," the shrew said. He filled the sack with the bottles of shrewbeer. Dandin helped, and soon the shrew was closing up the burlap sack. Just then, there came a noise from behind, and the shrew sprang to his footpaws. Jaroah followed suit shortly, finding the shrew staring confusedly at the tent entrance. Nobeast was there. "What?" Dandin asked.

The shrew shook his head. "I-- er. . . nothin'. I jus'-- jus' thought I 'eard a noise. . ."

Dandin shrugged and handed him the bag. The shrew thanked him and quickly exited the tent. Jaroah smirked. Two minutes later, he stashed a burlap sack full of bottles of shrewbeer behind a shrub whilst the shrew stashed a similar but much less alcoholic bag in another improvised hiding place.

Heh, one-mouse pigeon drop.

~~~~~~~~~

Bryne held up one paw. "O-okay, fine, one more time, t-time, all right?" He displayed the playing card clearly to the shrews and slowly placed it back on the makeshift table. The illusionist made sure to maintain eye contact as he did so. "Follow. . . the lady." His paws became a singular blur as he shuffled the cards around on the table. After a good thirty-four seconds, he paused and looked back up at the shrews.

The current player smiled confidently as his friends hovered closely around the improvised table. The three had taken a short and probably unauthorized break. However, the short break had lengthened considerably when they discovered Bryne playing a card game with Day. The current player had already guessed correctly thrice in a row, and he was quite pleased with his own ability to follow Bryne's tricky paws. "That one," he declared, pointing at the center card.

Bryne sighed and reluctantly flipped over the card. But much to everybeast's surprise, the card's face depicted a jack. Not the queen. Bryne looked up at the player, wide-eyed and nervous. "O-Oh, I, uh. . ."

The shrew's brow furrowed and, with a frustrated growl, relinquished his sling to the mouse. Bryne looked down apologetically. ". . . S-sorry. . ." He glanced back at Day and winked, allowing a smirk to steal onto his face momentarily.

Another shrew stepped up, and Bryne spun around, expression neutral.

"My turn!" announced the shrew.

~~~~~~~~~

"Who's next, me 'earties?" an elder shrew called.

Jaroah folded his arms, biting his lip. That leader-shrew could fight. Jaroah was a decent fighter too, but he hadn't had nearly enough training to face a beast like Nik. His scope of experience stretched no farther than what was necessary to defend Tobias. Jaroah furrowed his brow thoughtfully.

"Don't be shy," the chieftain laughed. "E'en if th' tar gits beat outta ye, ye'll 'ave learnt somethin', eh?"

"Yeh, not t'fight th' Logalog," his defeated opponent joked. The shrews broke out into hearty laughter at this.

. . . Or how to fight for real. Dandin stepped up confidently. "Haha, Ah'll give it a go," he chuckled. He turned around and pointed at some of the shrews. "Dinnae laugh tae much, a'right?" he joked.

---

((Whew. Long one. Sorry...I feel like I was a bit too confusing, so let me know if I need to explain something better. Oh, and, Jan, I sent you a pm so you understand the Tobias-Day situation. I had to fit that con in somehow, so...yeah. Also, the fox will show up soon enough, but this post is long enough the way it is. . . . Oh, and by the way, that accent was written by ear; no translator necessary, thank you very much. XD))

[Django]

Dandin stepped up confidently. "Haha, Ah'll give it a go," he chuckled. He turned back and pointed at some of the shrews. "Dinnae laugh tae much, a'right?" he joked.

Nik smiled disarmingly as Dandin stepped into the ring. "Ye'll give it a go, eh?" the chieftain repeated. "Shore 'ope ye do more'n that, boy." It seriously took guts to step up to Nik with the vaguest intention of fighting. But the other shrews weren't laughing as much. Dandin was a big ol' mouse. They also didn't know his fighting skills, no matter how limited they might be.

"A'right, boys," the elder shrew said, standing between the two boxers. "Less 'ave a fair fight, a clean fight, an' watch 'is right 'ook, mouse." He winked and stepped back. Nik dropped into a fighting stance and in the next instant, his fist connected powerfully with Dandin's eye.

-----

Day watched, pretending to be disinterested, as Bryne successfully played out his con. She still hadn't spoken one word, and in fact she was quite impatient that she had to be here for the game. There were three shrews here to watch the mouse. Why couldn't she be out with the patrol now? But she had to admit it was amusing to watch the game unfold. Bryne had just won four times in a row, and she could see in the faces of her companions that they were getting suspicious. Must be time to step in.

She sat by the table, watching the mouse shuffle the cards. Sending a discreet wink to the shrew playing, she turned to Bryne. "Wanna know how I got this?" she asked idly, indicating the sun tattoo on her cheek. That should be enough of a distraction. After all, this was the first time he'd even heard her speak.

The shrew took the opportunity to quickly peek under the cards. He found the queen, and nodded to Day, grinning in triumph. She caught the gesture out of the corner of her eye, her pale eyes still focused on Bryne.

((Did that work out alright?))

[T-Bone]

Jaroah had exactly half a second to shift his eyes from the elder's wink to Nik's fist. Well, crap.

Dandin stumbled back, touching a paw to his eye instinctively. He composed himself quickly, but before returning to the fight, he gave the elder a look. "There. Watched 'is right hook real close for ya." This elicited a small chuckle from a shrew somewhere behind him. But Dandin didn't notice.

He approached Nik with a smirk. Jaroah was no seasoned warrior, but he at least knew one thing about competition: a beast who acted like he knew what he was doing was a beast who stood a better chance of winning. Dandin raised his paws to his face, intent on protecting his right eye. But if Dandin were to stand a chance, he would have to take the offensive.

The big mouse swung with his right paw, remembering to keep his left paw up near his face, to block a counter. What he did not remember, however, was to protect his midsection.

~~~~~~~~~

Tobias tilted his head. "Uh, m-maybe, later," he said, returning his focus to the table. The shrews were grinning like idiots, which meant they had taken the bait. Excellent.

Bryne adjusted his hat and looked up at them. "Uhh, which c-card?"

The shrew confidently pointed to the leftmost card. Bryne revealed a jack. The shrew's brow furrowed. He looked back at his friends, as if to say, "What? I thought-- Wasn't that the queen?" They shook their heads, just as confused as he.

Bryne shrugged and turned to Day. "Now, what were y-you saying?"


((Guh. Short.))

[Promatera]

"Haha, Ah'll give it a go,"

Bon Vaygan's cheerful expression changed to shock in an instant. He adjusted his gaze to look up upon the mouse. From what Bon Vaygan experienced, these would Dandin's last moments as a somewhat respectable beast. Nik would not hold back, he would humiliate Dandin.

Bon Vaygan pitied the foolish mouse and he almost wanted to leave just to save any little respect he held for Dandin.

Well almost. A morbid curiosity as to what Nik would do to the mouse was far stronger.

"Dinnae laugh tae much, a'right?" he joked.

Bon Vaygan gave a slight chuckle as a mental image of Nik knocking that accent right out of Dandin's mouth crossed his mind, but he quickly composed himself.

"Ye'll give it a go, eh?" the chieftain repeated. "Shore 'ope ye do more'n that, boy."

"A'right, boys," the elder shrew said, standing between the two boxers. "Less 'ave a fair fight, a clean fight, an' watch 'is right 'ook, mouse."

Dandin made his first mistake of taking his eyes off Nik. It hardly surprised him when Nik made a quick swing at the mouse's eye.

That blow would probably do it. Dandin was probably not seriously considering fighting Nik and now that he knew how the shrew chieftain fought, he would have enough dignity to surrender. However, as the mouse stumbled back it seemed that he was wrong.

"There. Watched 'is right hook real close for ya."

Bon Vaygan promptly applied his paw to his forehead. The mouse was doomed. There was nothing else to say. He watched as the mouse stepped back into the fray and swung wildly and knew Dandin was doomed to make fool of himself.

((OOC: WOO! Actiony, fun post! Sorry it took a while XD))

[Django]

"There. Watched 'is right hook real close for ya."

Nik smiled briefly, paws still up in a ready stance. He'd put quite a bit of power behind that swing, and Dandin had only stumbled. Well, the chief at least could gauge the mouse's strength from here on. And it seemed like Dandin was having a little trouble keeping up with him. Bah, that could change, though.

The shrew admired Dandin's effort once the mouse's paw was swung at him, but it was clear his opponent needed a lesson or two. Nik blocked the blow, and dropped suddenly, bringing his heel sharply up into Dandin's unprotected side. He then jumped back to his feet and followed through with a jab to the mouse's face.

"Were ye watchin' that time, mouse?" some shrew jeered.

"None a' that, now!" the elder shrew barked. Nik was glad somebeast had said it. He hated it when the crowd started taunting one of the fighters.

((That . . . may have been a bit unrealistic. Sorry.))

-----

Day let the ghost of a smile touch her features before returning to her normal bored expression. This game was fun! Bryne's stupid stutter was still getting on her nerves. But she had to admit, she enjoyed watching the faces of the other shrews. Idiots . . .

Bryne shrugged and turned to Day. "Now, what were y-you saying?"

She flicked her ears back. Oh, right. Even though she'd meant it as a distraction, she still had to follow through with it. "My tattoo," she reminded the mouse. "You wanted to know what was wrong with my face, remember?" She sent him a half-hearted sneer. "When me'n my twin sis were born, we--"

She was interrupted by the sound of other creatures approaching. Deputy Ban and the other patrol shrews emerged from the underbrush, bruised and battered slightly, but none the worse for wear. The most unpleasant part of their appearance was the look of complete and utter fury on Ban's face as he stormed towards the shrews playing cards.

"Tresh, Gyr, Dram!" the deputy barked, halting a few yards away. "Front an' center!" The three shrews jumped to their feet, hurrying to form a short line before the deputy, guilt clear in their expressions. Day pressed the tips of her fingers together, watching with mild interest as her comrades braced themselves for a serious dressing down.

Ban's amber eyes sparked with anger. "Who inna name a' Hellsteeth gave ye three th' right t'come back t'camp?!" he demanded. The shrew warriors looked uncomfortable. Ban didn't wait for an answer. "Nobeast, 'at's who! An' thanks t'ye three, we jus' lost a good fighter t'a bad wound, hear me? If ye'd been there, mayhap we'd be all in one piece, aye? Well, aye?!"

"Aye, deputy," one of the three muttered, possibly Dram. "But we was . . . we was on'y playin' a game, y'see . . ." Ban had to visibly resist the urge to hit the three slackers. He snorted irately, shoving past them. Stalking up to Bryne and Day, he shot both of them a look.

"An' wot's all this, eh?" he snapped, still frustrated with the three lazy warriors. Day's eyes flicked to Bryne. She sent him an expectant look. You brought up the game, pal. You explain.

[T-Bone]

Jaroah somehow managed to block the jab, but the kick to the side before that had been unexpected. He wasn't entirely sure it was even possible for a beast to move that fast.

"Were ye watchin' that time, mouse?" some shrew jeered.

Dandin growled.

"None a' that, now!" the elder shrew barked.

Dandin threw a jab at Nik's face and followed up immediately with an uppercut to the stomach.

~~~~~~~~~

Stalking up to Bryne and Day, he shot both of them a look.

"An' wot's all this, eh?" he snapped, still frustrated with the three lazy warriors. Day's eyes flicked to Bryne. She sent him an expectant look.

Jaroah's first instinct would have been to subtly redirect the blame to the three shrews. Tobias, however, reacted differently.

Bryne looked around, brow furrowed with concern. "What h-happened? Was it th-the fox?" By the time he'd got to the word "fox," Tobias had discreetly stuffed the cards in his pocket. Part of him just didn't want Ban to continue blaming him for distracting the lazy warriors, but the rest of him was genuinely concerned about what had happened to the shrews. Something was definitely wrong, and Tobias didn't like the look of it.


((Hey, Jan, if you don't already have a plan for what happened to the patrol, we can discuss it via pm.
Also, I don't mean to powerplay with Jaroah. Nik can block/dodge whatever Jaroah throws at him (though I figure Jaroah's bound to land a punch sometime, since he's not totally incompetent *coughVaygan* ;D).))

[Promatera]

((OOC: Pfft! Bon Vaygan? Incompetent? Please~ He just purposely holds back so he doesn't make all your characters jealous ))

"Were ye watchin' that time, mouse?" some shrew jeered.

"None a' that, now!" the elder shrew barked.

Bon Vaygan massaged his forehead as he watched the struggle ensue. He really was starting to feel pity for Dandin, he had no clue what he had just gotten himself into. Or maybe he did, but was just rolling with the punches, which were all landing pretty hard on him.

Dandin was doing his best to pull through and even landed a few hits on Nik, but Bon Vaygan almost knew for a fact that the mouse still stood no chance.

"I can't watch this anymore..." he grumbled as he folded his arms and used a paw to massage his eyes. Couldn't they have just thrown together a performance instead? That would be far more interesting than this sad sport.

[Django]

Nik grunted as the jab landed squarely on his jaw. The shrew felt his hind paws sliding back an inch or two in the earth. He managed to block the blow to his stomach, but he received a decent hit despite it. Dandin was strong, and he looked mad. That was no doubt the result of the jeering from the crowd. At least Nik now had an idea of how hard the mouse could hit.

The Logalog and the Highlander fought for a good while until Nik finally downed Dandin by ramming his shoulder into the mouse's middle. Breathing hard, Nik stepped back, unclenching his fists as a sign that he was done. He shut his eyes and rolled his neck with a pained groan. Even if Dandin needed some lessons in technique, he certainly didn't need any lessons in brute strength. "M'gonna be sore furra week," the chieftain muttered.

He offered a paw to Dandin, smiling with a split lip. "Good fight, mate," he acknowledged. "T'ought ye 'ad me there. Bin a long time since a beast's gotten 'at many hits on me, eh?"

-------

"What h-happened? Was it th-the fox?"

Ban's eyes flashed. "F'only it'd bin THE fox," he snapped. "I counted 'least thirteen d*mned vermin in 'at gang. An' thanks to these three," He shot another cutting glare at the slackers, "we was short on fighters. Got one out a' commission now a'cause a' that!"

Two shrews supported a midnight-black maid between them. Her leg was bent at an unnatural angle. Day went pale, springing to her feet and rushing over. "Night," she breathed, concern softening her hard gaze as she helped to set her twin on the ground.

"Night's gonna be stayin' wid yew an' Day, Bryne," Ban informed the mouse, making every effort to keep his frustration out of his voice. "Now, all a' ye, tend t'yore wounds an' somebeast git th' provisions." The Guosim shrews did as they were told, most of them too tired and annoyed with their sore defeat to talk much.

((I can add to my post if y'all need me to. Just let me know.))

[T-Bone]

Tobias held onto his hat, though there was no wind. Something had gone terribly wrong, and he knew it was because of him and Jaroah. They should never have stolen from that fox. Conning was supposed to be clean, but this was far from it. This time, things had gone much too far, and Tobias knew he needed to fix it. Screw the contest -- beasts' lives were at stake now.

Bryne took a deep breath and approached Ban. He spoke in a low, rough voice. "I need to talk to you alone. This is important." His stutter was gone completely, which would hopefully attest to Tobias' words.

~~~~~~~~~

Dandin hit the ground hard. That last blow had knocked the wind out of him. He just lay there for a while; the match was over anyway. Well, it was official -- he really needed to learn how to fight. That shrew was clearly a seasoned fighter. Maybe it would pay to learn a thing or two from him?

He offered a paw to Dandin, smiling with a split lip. "Good fight, mate," he acknowledged. "T'ought ye 'ad me there. Bin a long time since a beast's gotten 'at many hits on me, eh?"

Dandin accepted the paw and offered what almost felt like a smile. "Haha, aye, good fight." Pulling himself up with Nik's help, the big mouse grunted and managed to stand on both footpaws. He wobbled a bit and placed a paw on Nik's shoulder to steady himself. "Hah, you need t'teach me how t'fight like that," Dandin remarked. Despite the beating he'd taken, Dandin kind of liked Nik. He'd make a great friend, if Jaroah only had friends.

---

((Okay, so we want the fox to show up -- I'm sayin' at the main camp -- but do we want him to kidnap Vaygan or Jaroah or some random shrew?))

[Promatera]

((OOC: Kidnap Vaygan XD That would actually probably work though Sadly he can't really fight so we could run with it))

"M'gonna be sore furra week," the chieftain muttered.

Probably longer as Bon Vaygan flinched with the reprisal Nik delivered to Jaroah. He could feel his old wounds pulse with pain from the shoulder blow Nik dealt to the mouse. This was just brutal.

"Good fight, mate," he acknowledged. "T'ought ye 'ad me there. Bin a long time since a beast's gotten 'at many hits on me, eh?"

"Haha, aye, good fight."

Bon Vaygan relaxed. It was over. He gave a sigh of relief and turned away from the crowd. He had enough of this barbarism. Perhaps if he was lucky he would be able to find the shrew beer.

[Django]

"Haha, aye, good fight." Pulling himself up with Nik's help, the big mouse grunted and managed to stand on both footpaws. He wobbled a bit and placed a paw on Nik's shoulder to steady himself. "Hah, you need t'teach me how t'fight like that," Dandin remarked.

Nik grinned, clapping the big mouse on the back. "A' course, mate," the chieftain replied. "Ye got plenny a' stren'th, 'at's fer shore, eh?" He laughed as the elder shrew came forward, two mugs of shrew beer in his paws.

"I ain't seen nobeast last 'at long agin Nik fer nigh on t'irteen months, now, aye," he remarked with a solemn nod, offering the refreshments to the tired fighters. "Why, not e'en 'is ol' dad could best 'im arter 'is twennieth year." Nik smiled and took a long swig of the beer.

"Aye, but Tru could kick me tail at jus' 'bout everythin' else," the Logalog said. He made to say something else, but another shrew came running up. Nik hoped it wasn't another challenger. In fact, it turned out to be Kris, the young recruit from earlier. "Ho, Kris, what's--"

"Fllora's gone, chief!" the young shrew exclaimed. "Dor says 'e saw vermin when 'e went t'take 'er shift, an' then she were gone!" Nik was suddenly on high alert. He more or less shoved his mug of beer at the elder shrew and put his full attention on Kris.

"Tell me nice an' slow," the chieftain said. "Wot happened?"

-----

Ban was clearly not in a good mood, not even in a fair mood, as he stormed from one makeshift tent to the next, making sure the food was being seen to, and the wounded were being cared for. Hustling about, he had to resist decking the three shrews who'd taken a break to play a game. At least they were following orders now. But his main concern was for Night. The maid was in serious pain; she couldn't be fighting for a good few weeks, at least. His mind otherwise occupied, Ban hardly noticed Bryne walk up to him until the mouse spoke.

"I need to talk to you alone. This is important."

It was certainly an effort for the deputy to keep the high level of stress he felt out of his voice, but try he did. He gave a curt nod, surprised at how the mouse's voice had suddenly changed, and led Bryne to his own tent. Closing the entrance flap, Ban kept his restless paws busy with sharpening his dagger. He cleared his throat and said, "Wot d'ye need, Bryne?"

((Let me know if you need me to add something, guys.))

[T-Bone]

Dandin accepted the beer very gratefully. Now, Jaroah would be lying if he'd said he didn't feel a bit proud of himself, especially after those comments Nik and the elder shrew had made. As he inhaled deeply and straightened his posture, not only was his eye swelling, but so was his chest. Maybe this wasn't such a bad idea after all.

Dandin took a long drink of alcohol in hopes of easing the pain in his stomach and face. That shrew could throw a punch...

"Fllora's gone, chief!" the young shrew exclaimed. "Dor says 'e saw vermin when 'e went t'take 'er shift, an' then she were gone!"

Jaroah's eyes went wide. He spluttered and coughed, spraying beer everywhere. Vermin? I mean, yeah, he knew they'd been followed by the fox, but vermin? As in more than one? The implications this held required but a split second to penetrate Jaroah's battered skull. But all his punch-drunk mind could formulate were three words...

~~~~~~~~~

"...It's my fault."

Bryne crossed his arms, but not before adjusting his hat nervously. "The fox. . ." He searched for words. "Okay, look. My name's Tobias. Not Bryne." His eyes stared levelly at Ban, trying not to sound as worried as he felt. Usually, when beasts found out they'd been lied to, they tried to kill him. Out of force of habit, Tobias was braced to run. But he resisted the urge and continued. "I'm a thief. So's my brother, Jaroah. I dunno what he decided t'call 'imself, but we're both here t'steal from you shrews." Instinctively, Tobias took a step back so as to stay out of range of Ban's fist. "But not anym-- Look, a few weeks ago, me'n' him stole from this fox, an' now he's after us. We didn't think he'd cause much trouble, though, 'cause he already tried t'kill me once, an' that didn't work. . . Obviously." Tobias chuckled. But he quickly stopped. Now was not the time.

"A-anyway," he shuffled a bit on his footpaws, confused that Ban hadn't even tried to punch his lights out yet, "The fox bein' here's our fault, but we never thought he'd bring friends, an'. . ." Tobias took a deep breath and prepared to say the one thing he thought he'd never say. ". . . I'm sorry. . ." Gosh, that was almost physically painful to say.

"But I can help you fix it." He tipped his hat.

[Promatera]

Bon Vaygan was just about to detach himself from the crowd when a shout rang out.

"Fllora's gone, chief!" the young shrew exclaimed. "Dor says 'e saw vermin when 'e went t'take 'er shift, an' then she were gone!"

Vermin? Here? Bon Vaygan returned his attention to the crowd and tried to discern the speaker. It seemed to be the young shrew Nik had mentioned earlier to be on guard. Nik seemed to take the news very seriously and looked deeply concerned.

"Tell me nice an' slow," the chieftain said. "Wot happened?"

Bon Vaygan would have investigated, but after the scene between Dandin and Nik, his nerves had been rattled. He needed a drink. Turning away from the crowd, Bon Vaygan began to meander about the camp as he searched for some sort of alcohol. As he did so, the doubts that had left his mind earlier had returned. There was no doubt in Bon Vaygan's mind that the vermin had something to do with the arrival of Dandin.

It did not take long for Bon Vaygan to do a quick cursory sweep of the area, but there was still no shrew beer in sight. He had a hard time believing the whole camp was completely dry of alcohol, but he was growing weary of searching. Bon Vaygan had arrived at the outskirts of the camp and placed a paw against a nearby tree. it was rather quiet since most of the shrews had decided to watch the skirmish, but there was something unsettling about the silence.

[Django]

Nik's vocabulary was worse than the most seasoned sailor's as the Logalog moved quickly through the camp, mobilizing the tribe. The shrew warriors were armed to the teeth in less than five minutes. Their chieftain set up veteran fighters as sentries, just in case the vermin struck again; recruits didn't know how to handle vermin properly. Nik felt a strong twinge of guilt at having set Fllora as a sentry. After Dandin had told him about a fox roaming the woods, for heaven's sake!

Another stream of profanity left his lips as he tried to get a head count of the shrews. The elder shrew, whose name was Raff, helped him. Thankfully, all Guosim were accounted for, minus Fllora. Nik spotted Dandin and Bon Vaygen out of the corner of his eye. Good, they were safe for now. The chieftain's attention was soon turned to his warriors. He took several deep breaths.

"One group'll go with Caj," he ordered, indicating a brawny, older shrew in a maroon headband. "Th' second group'll go with Tanner," he pointed to a tall, lithe shrew in a turquoise headband. "Third group'll stay with me. Sentries, don't let nobeast inta this camp, nor outta it. Unnerstood?" At the collective "Aye, chief!" from the soldiers, Nik gave a signal to Caj and Tanner.

Two groups of warriors spread out around the perimeter of the camp, combing the woods for vermin. Nik and his group got behind the sentries as a second line of defense. It sure sounded like a great plan, had there been more shrews to contribute to the plan. As it was, both Caj and Tanner had less than ten shrews in their groups. Nik had five warriors, and the rest of the active fighters were sentries. More curse words were uttered from the chief's mouth. He was constantly on the move, alternately checking the sentries and the camp itself.

"Dandin, I want yew an' Vaygen in my family's tent," he said, walking up to the big mouse. "It's to'rds th' middle of camp. My sis'll show ye th' way." He nodded to a pretty shrewmaid with eyes as green as his own. She smiled at the big mouse and beckoned to him.

"Vaygen!" Nik called, turning to the rest of the camp. He moved away through the tents and doused campfires, trying to keep his bearings in the dim evening light. "Vaygen, where are ye?"

-----

Ban was visibly seething as Bryne--or Tobias now, apparently--gave his story. The deputy's paws were clenched into fists. He would've loved to punch Tobias's lights out. He even lifted one fist, contemplating whether he should throat-punch the mouse now, or wait until the story was over.

"A-anyway, the fox bein' here's our fault, but we never thought he'd bring friends, an'. . ." Tobias took a deep breath and prepared to say the one thing he thought he'd never say. ". . . I'm sorry. . ."

Ban stayed his paw for the moment. The mouse sounded sincere. But he had lied to the Guosim, and he'd distracted three key fighters, which in turn put another good warrior out of commission. The deputy crossed his arms wordlessly, mulling it over.

"But I can help you fix it." He tipped his hat.

"Can ye, now?" Ban asked, unconvinced. "Guess it's only fair. Ye've botched it up this much, eh?" He didn't mean to be rude, but his nerves were pretty frayed. He was thinking about the vermin. What if they found the way back to the main camp? There was no way to warn Logalog Nik in time.