Head in the Clouds ((Eagle Plot, open))

[Django]

Blades, fixed.

Good, now she could leave the blasted mountain with a weapon in paw. How had she even broken the things in the first place? That wasn't important.

Bag, still full of trinkets.

Phew! At least no curious hare had filched any of her random baubles. That would be something. Stealing from a thief. Besides, only those with a death wish even attempted lifting anything in this place. Ugh, honorable little creatures. There were so many beautiful shiny things at the mountain. It had taken all her willpower just to keep her paws away from them.

Uniform, discarded.

Thank the fates for that, too. The thing had been just big enough that it was far too loose, but also tight enough that it had chafed in all that wrong places. Her normal clothing was much more comfortable. How did these soldiers even stand those constricting garments? No, the uniformed life was definitely not for her.

Ripley, nowhere in sight.

Ah, good. Now she didn't have to explain her sudden departure, or receive endless sarcasm about it. Oh, y'didn't wanna stay with us? Too flamin' bad, rabbit. We really did love having you. Don't let the ol' door hit y'on the way out, hmm? Sheesh, and Sola thought she didn't have an off switch.

Slipping out through the front gate as quietly as possible, Soladeo Gloria took a deep breath of the early morning air. She wasn't quite used to the salty smell of the ocean yet, but she wouldn't be lingering for long. The sun was just rising over in the east, far behind her. She could see some regiment parading around the shores aways down. She stuck close to the rock face of the mountain, hoping the shadow of the monolith would conceal her for now.

Biting her lip in apprehension, the rabbit hurried away from the shore, her bag and blades strapped securely to her back. The plains opened up before her. She was finally free! Blessed fates, it was actually happening. She was rid of the Long Patrol! She was--

What was that flapping sound?

Sola looked up too late as a massive, dark shape dove out of the sky, razor sharp talons reaching out for her. She tried to run, tried to leap out of the way, but the eagle was upon her. She screamed, even as the air was pummeled from her lungs when the great talons rammed into her, closing tightly around her middle. Then her heart slammed into her ribcage as she was lifted high into the air. The ground fell away so fast it almost made her sick. Another scream of terror tore from her throat, echoing across the shores.

The eagle carried her back towards the mountain, alighting near the peak and entering a wide crack in the rock face. Sola was deposited roughly onto the hard stone floor. She scrambled to the back of the cave, praying the eagle couldn't reach her there. Turns out it couldn't. And it was pretty mad about that. Screeching and clawing, the big bird reached in for her, its lethal talons mere inches from her body.

Where was the Long Patrol when you really needed them?!

[Stryker]

Hey, isn't that Soladeo? The Rabbit gel who poor ol' Cordin has a crush on?"

"HEY SOLA--!"

Southpaw "Bloodfire" Varilde had been out for a nice light morning jog, the air clearing his head and filling his heart full of a strong dose of cheerfulness (well, more than was usual), his steps soft as he trotted back to the mountain, a thin layer of sweat covering his back, chest and neck, eyes exceptionally bright, as though they had been recharged with the vigors of a good cardio work out. It was fortunate for Soladeo Gloria that he had been born such an early riser, otherwise not many other hares would've noticed the poor rabbitmaid being carried off by a gargantuan bird of prey, talons wrapped around her torso in a vicious grip of death. Shocked, Sola's petrified screams shook him straight to the core, Southpaw running with all his might for the rabbitmaid -- even if, in the back of his mind, he knew he wasn't going to reach her in time. Footpaws pounding against the earth, the Varilde watched in horror as the Golden Eagle carried her up higher, higher and higher still -- as though to take her straight up through the clouds to some place where they could never reach her -- his left foot catching a piece of driftwood protruding from the sand, and Southpaw was sent sprawling with a mouthful of earth.

Sputtering and coughing up dirt and sand, Southpaw blinked against the sun, shielding a paw over his eyes as he desperately combed the skies for any sign of her -- and caught a glimpse of the eagle heading straight towards the mountainside. Did it have a nest there? Autumn's Ghost, it was so high up! How could they ever reach that? Shaking from what he had just seen, Southpaw started for the mountain at a gallop, eyes flashing in obvious terrified excitement as to the fate of poor Soladeo Gloria, shouting for help at the top of his enormous lungs.

Wait......Now that her footpaw was healed, hadn't Ripley gone out for a morning jog too?

[Tracy]

Of course Ripley was out running. It was her first distance running day since she'd had the stitches removed from her foot. She'd decided not to push herself too hard, and was only going to run out half the distance; she'd make up for it with some sparring with her rapier later. Her foot only stung a little, not enough to slow her down, but enough to strengthen her resolve to cut her run today short. The scout reached a rock outcrop that was about halfway out from where she usually ran to. In a somewhat superstitious fashion, she touched her paw to it, then turned to make her way back.

In that same instant, she heard the flutter of wings as a dark shadow passed over her. Ripley only had a second to react, and she did. Throwing herself to the ground, she felt the enormous bird swoop past her ears and fumble clumsily into the rocks behind her. She turned over and scrambled back to get a look at the bird. The eagle was already flapping back up into the sky with a deafening screech. Ripley was momentarily frozen with terror, but as she watched the eagle make a slow revolution in the air, it tucked in its wings and dove again. The hare dove back, scrambling between two large rocks, causing the bird to miss a second time.

This time the bird landed easily on the rocks and started pecking down between them at its intended prey. "Help!" Ripley shouted. "Help!" She was trying to flatten herself down as the eagle snapped its hooked beak down at her, but the bird managed to snap at one of her long black-tipped ears. As a deadly talon came down at her, she had no choice but to scramble out from between the rocks. The bird reacted instantly, swooping at Ripley and knocking her flat. The monstrous creature grabbed her up in its talons before launching itself back into the sky.

"Help, someone help!" she continued to shout, squirming in the bird's sharp grasp. Ripley suddenly stopped fidgeting when she realized, if she were successful at being released, she'd only end up plummeting to her death. "EULALIAAAA!"

She tried to figure out where she was going, but being pulled through the sky was a bit much and she had to close her eyes. Her stomach felt like it jumped into her throat as she was dropped, but the fall ended quickly and abruptly as she was deposited in a colossal nest.

Opening her eyes, preparing for a struggle, Ripley saw the bird sitting outside the nest, preening itself almost casually. Hesitantly she took a look at her surroundings. She was inside a nest that would comfortably fit four or five more of her, situated precariously on the edge of a cliff. Behind her the cliff disappeared into a narrow, shallow cave. It was shadowed and she couldn't make much out, but her sharp eyes caught movement. "Is someone back there?" she hissed quietly, leaning out over the nest for a better look.

The eagle hopped around and snapped at Ripley in a warning, and the haremaid immediately scrambled back into the nest.

[Romulus]

"Is someone back there?" she hissed quietly, leaning out over the nest for a better look.

Sola was barely breathing in her tiny alcove. She clutched her bag to her chest, eyes wide as the eagle reentered the cave and deposited another unfortunate soul into its nest. The voice of the newcomer was familiar . . . Oh, no . . .

"Ripley?" the rabbit hissed back. "Oh, gods, Ripley, tell me that isn't you!" In this situation, she didn't care that she was now stuck with the annoying hare maid (probably until they were both eaten), but her only concern was that another innocent beast would have to share this horrible fate. That it was somebeast she knew only increased her concern and fear.

She bit back a stream of profanity at the unfairness of their situation. Did anybeast even know what had happened to them? Had any of the soldiers seen the bird? Surely it was hard to miss something THAT D*MNED BIG.

-----

Corporal Dorchester raced out into the morning sunshine, gripping his halberd tightly, ready to fight. He'd heard the screams and the shouts, and most of all, the horrifying screech of an eagle. A stream of other Long Patrol hares followed him out the front gates. Cordin was on full alert, searching the skies for the bird.

He caught the trembling, yelling Southpaw, golden eyes wide as the Varilde continued to cry out for help. "Belay that, South!" the corporal shouted, gripping his friend's shoulders. "What happened?" He heard 'Soladeo' in Southpaw's yelling, and suddenly the world went dark. No, not Sola. No, gods, please, not Sola!

"The blighter's got Ripley!" somebeast cried suddenly. Cordin barely heard them, but he finally released South. He looked up just as the eagle swooped back to its nest, a writhing, wailing hare in its lethal grasp. The corporal had gone pale, and he gripped his halberd so tightly his knuckles turned white. Ripley and Sola? The eagle clearly had a death wish.

((Hope I gave y'all enough to work with.))

[nikki]

Heartsease was settling in beautifully at Salamandaston. The rabbitmaid cadet found the training even more to her liking than she'd thought, and she was attentive and fascinated at less active lessons. Of course, all of this might be more due to her finally making real steps toward her Long Patrol ambitions than actually enjoying all this - but whatever the reason, she was delighted with her new home, and settling well with the late-to-bed, early-to-rise regime.

So much so that she was up a bit earlier than usual, creeping down to the kitchens in hopes of wheedling a cook out of an early scone or three.

To her delight, one hare cook was happy to feed a hungry maid with a little cajoling - none of this 'a lady eats daintily' nonsense here! - and Heartsease headed for the gates, deciding to enjoy the treat outside in the brisk ocean breeze before the mountain residents were called in for real breakfast.

Her thoughts of a peaceful pre-breakfast snack were shattered as the cries reached her ears - first shrieks in a voice she didn't recognize, then bellowing for help from Southpaw, then - distantly - a battlecry in another not-quite-familiar voice. Wishing fervently that she'd brought her spear with her, the cadet bolted forward, scones still in her paws but largely forgotten as she sprinted toward Southpaw.

"South! What's going on?!"

She jumped with a squeak of instinctive fear as the eagle's shadow passed over her. It did not dive this time - she was close enough to South, and the bird didn't seem to fancy swooping on one while another was so close as to be able to retaliate. Not yet, at least.

She about-faced as she met South, running alongside the hare in a burst of speed she didn't know she had. Heartsease could not keep up such a blistering pace for long, not without more training under her belt, but the initial run, the fear raising the fur along her spine, and the shouts from both Southpaw and what could only be the bird's victims had the rabbit's blood up.

"Did the big savage dive after you?" she panted out as she ran. "Must be absolute miles to where it's sitting!"

Quiet then, saving her breath. Perhaps they could get up from the lookout points? Reality, of course, said that a rabbit cadet of a mere fifteen was certainly not going to be allowed to aid, or even outside until the threat was gone, but she could offer what aid and ideas she had in her until told otherwise.

She nearly collided with Cordin when the Corporal met them; obeying his command to 'belay' it, the rabbit held her silence, ears twitching as she gained her breath. She jumped as the bird swept over again, then cleared her throat and gulped before voicing her earlier idea.

"Er. Maybe if we hurry to the lookout points and go from there.. might be quicker to find it...."

[.:Fawn:.]

"Help, someone help!" she continued to shout, squirming in the bird's sharp grasp. Ripley suddenly stopped fidgeting when she realized, if she were successful at being released, she'd only end up plummeting to her death. "EULALIAAAA!"

Oh Gods no, Ripley too?! Southpaw's mind was whirling in every direction but a good one -- What if that stupid bird ATE HER?! This wasn't like a normal combat situation, they were dealing with an enemy they couldn't reach and couldn't possibly fight, even if they COULD force it to stay on the ground. It was a vicious, hare-carrying, rabbit-stealing eagle! With talons that could tear him from nose to scut in a single swipe! But that didn't matter to Southpaw, if they had Ripley, then that bird was as good as dead. Trembling from a mixture of horror and desperate determination, it was only then that Southpaw realized little Heartsease was talking to him. For a second, he didn't recognize her, his brain too filled with Ripley, his eyes still blinded with the image of her getting carried off seared into them. "Heart--"

Crashing straight into Cordin, Southpaw babbled like a brook upon recognizing who it was, the oldest Varilde struggling to regain composure as everyone around him kept shouting "They got Ripley! The blighter's got Rip!!" How in the name of Hell's Teeth could he keep calm in this kind of situation?

"Er. Maybe if we hurry to the lookout points and go from there.. might be quicker to find it...."

The Lookout Points! "Heart, your a flippin' genius and don't let any beast tell you otherwise!" Barked Southpaw, his heart pounding in his chest as he shoved past Cordin to make a break for the highest lookout point he could find. Maybe if it was close enough to that winged vermin's nest, he could climb up and rescue her? Oh Gods, what he wouldn't give for a pair of wings or some rope or--

"EVERYBODY INSIDE!"

Braythe's voice drowned out any more shouts and yells from the hares that had made it outside, the Badger Lord parting the crowd immediately, a crossbow held in his paws as he stepped out onto the grass. Turning towards the mountain, having gone back a few paces, the Badger Lord's dark bronze eyes looked to the skies, the vermin hunter hunting for a different kind of prey this time. If they could get that eagle out of the way, then at least a rescue attempt could go unhindered -- what was that?

There, the eagle had moved! That was the nest!

The quick-thinking badger snatched up the nearest red uniform he could find, and tied the sleeves to the shaft of a huge arrow before notching it into the crossbow -- and took aim.

Aiming as close to the bird's nest as he could, Braythe let the mechanism go, the weapon jumping back in his paws a bit with the force of the arrow being released, the bright red colors of the Long Patrol flying higher, higher, and higher still.

THUD.

The arrow head was embedded about 10 feet beneath where, from what Braythe could tell, was the eagle's nest -- so good, now they had something to keep in their sights when mounting a rescue mission. The Badger Lord growled, shielding his eyes with a huge paw. Even if he was no one's idea of a proper badger ruler, he had promised them he wouldn't let a single hare die while there was still breath in his body.
"How many were snatched?" Demanded Braythe, turning to look down at the multitude of hares nearby. "Just Ripley Contarelle and Soladeo Gloria? Speak up, somebeast!"

[Tracy]

Ripley had herself pressed up against the side of the nest, as far from the edge of the cliff as she could manage. Her long ears – one of them bleeding from the eagle snapping at her – pivoted at the voice of another creature behind her back in the cave. She kept her eyes carefully trained on the eagle, who had gone back to preening itself. Without looking back, she was processing the voice, not readily recognizable because the rabbit had hissed her reply. It clicked after a few moments though: Sola.

Well, that seemed about right. Given the haremaid's luck lately, why wouldn't it be Sola? Not only was she trapped up here with a creature who hated her, but without a real Long Patroller. If ever she wanted a good, fighting partner, it was definitely now. Pinching the bridge of her nose, her mind was racing. She'd shouted, so hopefully someone down on the shore had heard her, and it was almost doubtless someone had at least noticed the monster bird of prey circling over the shore. But even if they could find this nest, and find a way to get here, who could fight an eagle… on a cliffside? Barring all that, the eagle could just eat her before she had to worry about any of that.

The scout's thoughts were brought to an abrupt halt as the eagle jumped into the nest, snapping at Ripley. Apparently it had just been cleaning up for breakfast. With a shout, Ripley scrambled back, and fell backwards over the lip of the nest, the hooked beak still snapping ever closer. She made a move to get up and try to get away, but the eagle was much too fast for her, a deadly talon whipping out to easily pin the haremaid to the rocky floor of the cliff. Struggling uselessly, Ripley flinched as the eagle bore down once more with its beak for the kill-

THUD.

Wings flung out as the eagle fluttered lightly into the sky, startled by the nearby noise. Ripley winced as the talons dug into her side when the bird launched off. The eagle gave out a shrill squall, floating out in graceful circles to get a vantage on what was going on beneath them. It took Ripley one or two moments, frozen in panic, but she finally gathered her wits enough to roll over and scurry into the safety of the cave.

Pressing herself tight up against the wall beside Sola and pulling her legs in against herself, Ripley was trying to shake off the shock. She couldn't even pluck up a comment for the rabbit with whom she was sharing this dilemma. Her eyes were wide and her heart was beating a tattoo on her ribs. She couldn't say anything to Sola even if she wanted to, desperately trying to stop her hyperventilating.

[nikki]

The Lookout Points! "Heart, your a flippin' genius and don't let any beast tell you otherwise!" Barked Southpaw, his heart pounding in his chest as he shoved past Cordin to make a break for the highest lookout point he could find. Maybe if it was close enough to that winged vermin's nest, he could climb up and rescue her?

Heartsease scurried after Southpaw, encouraged by the ready acceptance of the notion.

"If you can boost me up to a ledge I can have a look - I'm small and, well, brown, rub ash on my white footpaw and spearhead and I might blend in with the rocks and autumn plants, I--"

"EVERYBODY INSIDE!"

The rabbit jumped a little at the badger's shout, ears standing up straight as she turned to look at Braythe. The crossbow idea was a good one, she had to admit; it would help show where they needed to emerge, and maybe keep the eagle's attention from its captives for a few precious minutes while they gathered what they needed. Braythe was Badger Lord, after all; she supposed one didn't get into such a position by being flighty and indecisive in a crisis.

"How many were snatched?" Demanded Braythe, turning to look down at the multitude of hares nearby. "Just Ripley Contarelle and Soladeo Gloria? Speak up, somebeast!"

Heartsease hesitated a moment, and then stepped forward in the silence.

"I heard two voices, sir - aside from South I mean, two female. And the lookouts should have seen the bird if it came down before then - so I think just the two is safe to assume. Sir."

Her voice squeaked a bit - the little cadet was rather intimidated by speaking to the big Badger Lord, something that showed in rather wide eyes and flopped-back ears - but she kept still until he gave some sign of dismissal, chin lifted in an attempt to look steady.

[Stryker]

Southpaw heard the eagle's shrill calls, even from at the bottom of the mountain. He felt like his heart was going to give out at any second, his whole body anticipating one final scream from the haremaid he loved – the possibility of that thing devouring her was just too big, it was filling his mind like a disease, unable to give him any sort of respite. It was his determination to rescue Ripley that kept the young hare from going mad, and he admittedly jumped at the thunderous voice of the Badger Lord, barking orders as though this sort of thing happened all the time. Isn't he at least a LITTLE worried? No, of course not, why would he be? The love of his flippin' life isn't about to be devoured by that behemoth with wings.
Then again, Southpaw realized, if their Badger Lord was panicking, they were all pretty much screwed, and then Ripley and Soladeo would never get rescued.

Even though Southpaw was obviously very desperate to reach Ripley in time, he was not the kind of creature that could willingly allow the young, sweet little Heartsease endanger her life just because he was freaking out. Sucking in huge gulps of air, only half listening as she spoke to the Badger Lord, Southpaw forced his nerves to pull back together again, the broken pieces of his self-control and rational thinking holding themselves together with some temporary super glue. They could make it in time. They had to. Surely Braythe would have an idea? He was their Badger Lord, and their only REAL chance against a bird that big... but the likelihood of getting him up there to confront that eagle was very very slim.

~*~

Infact, Braythe did have an idea.

Even one as coarse and uneducated as he could see that the mountain was not something he could successfully climb. A tree, he could get himself into, but scale an entire mountain was something this badger was definitely not built for. However, a small team of officers, beasts with agility and sureness of footing, could certainly have a better chance of doing this.

”Alright listen up!” Shouted the Badger Lord, trying to quell the uneasiness of the hares standing all around him, the air buzzing with excitement and a mixture of anxiety and genuine fear. ”I need four or five hares to go out and get as much fish as yeh can, next, I need the same number of perilous beasts to scale this mountain and fetch back Ripley Contarelle and Soladeo Gloria – No cadets. I ain't sendin' up some beasts who ain't even seen a battle yet to go and fight that vermin with wings. Any takers? This is the most dangerous part, so don't go shoutin' yer in unless you damn well mean it.”

Southpaw stepped forward immediately, living up to his moniker of Southpaw “Bloodfire” Varilde, for it was clear his blood was obviously lit with something, his eyes burning with determination. "I'll do it." While the fishing unit was formed, Southpaw glanced around warily, silently willing the other 3 or 4 rescue members to hurry and step up – time was of the essence here! Suddenly, the Varilde noticed, the Brigadier came over to their Badger Lord, and the two held a murmured discussion, lots of nodding and talking on both parts. Braythe's roar of a voice rose above the crowds once more, issuing more orders as well as finally outlining his plans.

”Here's what we're gonna do. The rescue party will have to climb up the mountain to reach the eagle's nest – the fishing party is going to collect as much fish as they can and lay it out for the eagle as bait, to lure it away from the nest. If it works, we'll shoot it full of arrows until it dies, or at least until Ripley and Soladeo are back on the ground. If it doesn't work,” added Braythe, his eyes darkening as though his 'plan B' was a much more...challenging one. ”Then we're going to have to construct a ladder tall enough to reach that eagle's nest and wide enough for yer Badger Lord to climb on; now that's going to take a lot of time if I only take a few hares with me, so to cut down on time, I'm taking any able-bodied beast into yon forest to start wood-cutting and hauling it back here. I want spearbeasts and archers to be armed and ready to fire at all times – yew lot are gonna be watching our backs if that eagle swoops down again. Brigadier Thymes is going ter be in charge of gettin' this rescue crew off the ground, so I'm leavin' that to him. Everybody else, get whatever yew need to either watch our backs or cut some wood – MOVE OUT!”

The objective was to get the climbers up to the eagle's nest before nightfall, while they still had the advantage of seeing where they were going – trying to fight an eagle in the dark, after all, wasn't going to be a winning strategy no matter who was doing the fighting. Braythe had a sinking feeling that the fish bait wasn't going to work very well, so he was planning on constructing that ladder ASAP, while they at least knew that Ripley and Soladeo was still alive.
If worse came to worst, however, then Braythe could at least get rid of the eagle, and possibly retrieve the bodies of the rabbitmaid and the haremaid to give to their families. It was not an outcome he was hoping for, but if it was indeed the outcome of this problem, then he'd personally make sure that eagle paid the price for roosting on the side of Salamandastron.

[Romulus]

Sola did not object, nor did she give any indication she was unhappy when Ripley dived into the cave beside her. She was only unhappy because they were both in deep crud, now. The rabbit heard the deafening THUD outside, but did not dare venture out to see what it was. After all, it had distracted the eagle, which meant precious few more seconds of life for both of them.

"Gods, Ripley, I'm so sorry you're in this, too," she whispered hoarsely. Her throat was quite raw from all her screaming, but she meant every word she'd said. She gave the hare maid's paw a gentle squeeze. They were going to die, but there was no need to be fighting with each other until it happened.

-----

”Alright listen up!” Shouted the Badger Lord, trying to quell the uneasiness of the hares standing all around him, the air buzzing with excitement and a mixture of anxiety and genuine fear. ”I need four or five hares to go out and get as much fish as yeh can, next, I need the same number of perilous beasts to scale this mountain and fetch back Ripley Contarelle and Soladeo Gloria – No cadets. I ain't sendin' up some beasts who ain't even seen a battle yet to go and fight that vermin with wings. Any takers? This is the most dangerous part, so don't go shoutin' yer in unless you damn well mean it.”

"I'm in!" Cordin shouted the instant after Southpaw stepped up. He took his place beside the Varilde, giving him a confident nod. And I d*mn well mean to get them back, he thought, eyes ablaze. He knew Sola didn't share his feelings, but that fact meant nothing when her life was in danger. Normally, he would be feeling like a dashing young hero from an adventure story, setting off to rescue the fair maiden. But this was far from a story. If he failed, he couldn't just close the book and pick up another one.

His entire demeanor changed when in battle. All joking was lost, and he even dropped his slang while speaking. "Bloody, bloomin', jolly well," all of it left him in such a high-pressure situation. He silently prayed to any and all gods that existed that this plan would work. And if it didn't, that Braythe's second plan would. Sola and Ripley would not die today, even if he had to kill the eagle with his bare paws.

[Eastpaw]

It was quite the hullabaloo outside the mountain as Eastpaw approached. He looked at the crowds of hares running or standing around. Most were looking up, even the badgerlord. He picked up his pace, moving from a slow trot to a ground-eating canter, puzzlement growing. Something was wrong.

“I’ll do it.”

Eastpaw wove through the condensing crowd, spraying sand with his sudden stop next to Southpaw. He was still uncertain as to the commotion’s cause, but he knew that look in his brother’s eyes.

“I’ll do it.” He said almost immediately after his twin. “Er, wot are we doing?” He murmured to Southpaw, taking deep, easy breaths to gain back his breath from his run. He’d only been gone three days!

[Tracy]

"Gods, Ripley, I'm so sorry you're in this, too,"

The haremaid didn't reply immediately, trying to calm herself down. She was going to be absolutely no help to either of them if she was panicking. Actually, she was unarmed, so she probably wasn't going to be much help to either of them calm either. Taking one long, slow breath, she scooted herself tighter up against the wall behind them. "I'm-I'm fine," she breathed. "We're fine."

She tilted to the side, lifting her shirt a bit to get a look at where the eagle had dug in its talons. There were a few red puncture marks in her white fur, but they were shallow; not much to be concerned about. Tugging her shirt back down, she sighed. Silently, she took in her surroundings, but found nothing out of the ordinary, and certainly nothing helpful. Finally, her violet eyes landed on the rabbitmaid beside her. Giving Sola a once-over, something seemed to have finally occurred to her.

"You were leaving," she said. It wasn't a question. The rabbit had changed back into her regular clothes, had her weapons, and was outside of Salamandastron before breakfast. Eyebrows raised, she said lightly, "Well, I hope y'said goodbye to Cordin." Ripley's eyes turned to the nest outside of their little cove. Like REALLY said goodbye to him…

Rubbing her arm, she looked at Sola again. "Are you hurt?"

[nikki]

Heartsease listened to the Badger Lord's speech, ears (and the rest of her) at attention. She didn't know how to catch fish and she was eminently unsuited to climbing up to the nest - she'd known that much before Lord Braythe had said as much - but the ladder-building she could help with. She was, after all, able-bodied (if small) and a spearbeast (if only half-trained at best). It was something she could do at the very least; far better than sitting in the mountain and waiting, and much more suited to her current skills than the other tasks.

It was no surprise when Southpaw volunteered - Heart thought highly of the hare and rather thought he would have volunteered even if it weren't for Ripley (who she hadn't formally met, but had most certainly heard of). No surprise either when Cordin and Eastpaw joined him.

Well, best she got ready for her own task.

"I can handle a spear, and anything else you'd like to put me to in the wood."

She turned then to go retrieve her spear, pausing only to look up at South, Eastpaw, and Cordin. 'Be careful' was a preposterous thing to say, and 'good luck' was no better, so....

"See you all soon."

A strangely casual thing to say, maybe, but maybe that was all right. She scurried off to get her weapon and anything else those in charge of the ladder expedition saw fit to hand off to her.

[Stryker]

“I’ll do it.” He said almost immediately after his twin. “Er, wot are we doing?” He murmured to Southpaw, taking deep, easy breaths to gain back his breath from his run. He’d only been gone three days!

Southpaw turned immediately to his twin, giving him a breathless recap, eyes ablaze like never before. "Soladeo Gloria and Ripley were carried off by an enormous eagle -- and me, Cordin and you are going to climb up the mountain and get them back!" The Varilde hardly expected his explanation to daunt his younger twin, after all, they were the sons of Major Wontap and "Wild" Captain Amber Varilde, they were made of sterner stuff than 5 perilous hares put together! The oldest Varilde caught sight of Heartsease and just barely heard her words above the din of dozens of hares moving this way and that, but it made him smile, a brief nod to show he'd indeed heard her. See you soon, Heart -- and with Ripley and Sola with us!

Brigadier Thymes beckoned the three of them over while the Badger Lord began sorting out the wood-cutting parties and the fishing party. "Southpaw Varilde, Corporal Eastpaw Varilde, and Corporal Cordin Fuzthrite Liztine Harlington Dorchester, you three will be mounting the rescue party? Any other chaps want to try their luck with that eagle?" The Brigadier had a right to be concerned about sending a bunch of young officers and corporals up to battle that monstrosity with wings -- what he needed was a light-weight, experienced officer who could help keep the rescue party together when things got particularly tough.
His answer came in the form of the black highlander hare, Captain Rake Nightfur -- Lyrielle's father.
"Doan't ye worry yerself too much thare, Brigadier, Ah'll have 'em aw down 'ere safe enough." The heavily-scarred highlander hare smiled at the rescue party, before turning to address the Brigadier. "How's yon Badger Lord want us tae go aboot it?"

Relieved at the Captain stepping up, Brigadier Thymes launched into the finer details of their exceedingly perilous rescue attempt; "You're going to tie some rope around your waists that'll connect you to the hare in front of you, Captain Nightfur will be leadin' the party, so he'll be going up first -- Corporal Dorchester, I want you bringing up the rear, with Southpaw behind Captain Nightfur and Eastpaw just after South." His reason for spacing Southpaw and Cordin somewhat apart, was that the Brigadier was just a tad bit worried the lads would get a bit reckless, seeing as how Soladeo and Ripley were so heavily involved in this. Eastpaw would have to serve as the voice of reason should things get...troublesome. Perhaps he was worried over nothing? After all, both bucks had performed admirably in graver situations than this one.

Braythe returned after a few moments with a large net in his massive paws, the edges lined with hefty stones to weigh it down. "I know yew lot ain't used to fightin' eagles, so this is the best advice I can offer yeh. Use this net to tie up the eagle's talons, get it stuck in it's own nest so it can't fly down after yeh -- this way you'll only have ter watch it's beak. These nets could buy yeh enough time to get Ripley and Soladeo out of harm's way. By the time you reach the eagle's nest, we should have a ladder at least mostly finished, should you need any back up."
The Badger Lord watched Rake Nightfur nod and salute, presenting a jovial attitude to perhaps counter balance the seriousness of Cordin and Southpaw.
"Good luck." Added Braythe, turning back to the rest of the Long Patrol.

"Seargent Saxifrage, a word!" Braythe called above the many hares, looking for the giant of a mountain hare he had the privilege to call his friend. He'd be needing the hefty Color Seargent to help out in the wood-cutting.

((0.0 I hope I gave everyone enough to work with. Nikki, your characters will be hangin' out with Braythe for a bit, lol, while everybody else is trying to figure out how to climb the mountain.))

[Romulus]

Coridn listened carefully as Thymes outlined the plan. He was also glad Rake Nightfur had volunteered. The corporal knew they needed a strong leader for this mission, and he'd have few other hares lead them than Nightfur. Cordin gave a nod of thanks to the Badgerlord as he offered the net. This wasn't going to be easy, so every act of assistance was welcome.

"Right, lads," he said, golden eyes turning to the mountain. "I say we give the bird a Long Patrol sendoff, wot?"

-----

"You were leaving," she said.

Sola only nodded, watching the nest outside their cave. What did it matter if she'd been leaving? She wasn't going anywhere now, was she? But there was no need to point that out. No reason for sarcasm in this situation. Ripley was not the enemy. The eagle was.

"Well, I hope y'said goodbye to Cordin."

Sola was confused by that. "What?" she whispered. "Why would I need to--?" Oh . . . d*mn. The buck still had feelings for her, of course. How could she be so insensitive? She was only hurting him by leaving the fortress, but she didn't belong here. He knew that. "I . . . no, I didn't. He'd hate me for it, anyway." Cordin didn't seem like the type who'd enjoy farewells.

"Are you hurt?"

Sola nodded, rubbing her bruised and scratched-up middle. "Yeah," she replied. "But you're hurt worse." She noticed the hare's torn ear. Sure, Sola had been hurt, but only a few minor cuts.

((Hmm, I'm not satisfied with this, but here it is.))

[nikki]

"Seargent Saxifrage, a word!"

The mountain hare trotted forward, ready and willing. Saxifrage was off-duty and out of uniform, but when emergency struck every good hare (and rabbit, he supposed, as he watched the maid scurry for her spear) was on-duty and ready to go, even in his civvies.

"Hae as mony words as ye loch, Bray, but Ah hink we'd better hae them oan th' march."

Time was of the essense, after all. Sax didn't know the first thing about fishing, and while smaller than Braythe he was still too big to go skittering up a mountain. He could, however, cut and haul wood, and the powerful hare knew he'd be an asset there.

"We'll test mah weecht oan it first. Yoo're a braw secht bigger, but if Ah can hop oan it it stands a chance ay holdin' up fur an auld savage an' mebbe ye willnae hae tae jist roll back doon th' ben loch a badger boolder."

At this point the rabbitmaid reappeared, saluting both the Badger Lord and the Colour Sergeant before laying her spear across her shoulder. She had also managed to acquire stout rope somewhere - good for lashing cut branches together.

"Ready to move when the full group is, sirs. Sorry, I wasn't sure who else to report to."

Still a bit of a shy squeak in her voice; Sax chuckled, ruffling the maid's ears.

"An' arenae ye th' wee belle ay th' brawl? Nae tae worry, missy, we're headin' it sharpish, sae keep a guid hauld oan 'at toadpoker thaur."

[Kenyon]

Southpaw turned immediately to his twin, giving him a breathless recap, eyes ablaze like never before. "Soladeo Gloria and Ripley were carried off by an enormous eagle -- and me, Cordin and you are going to climb up the mountain and get them back!"

“An enormous eagle! How’d the scouts miss something like a bloody eagle, wot!?” Eastpaw craned his head, looking up at the mountain. There was a spot of red high on the steepest face of Salamandastron, what looked like a Long Patrol uniform. Eastpaw’s eyes were excellent, and he honed in quickly on the nest with the uniform to mark its location.

"Southpaw Varilde, Corporal Eastpaw Varilde, and Corporal Cordin Fuzthrite Liztine Harlington Dorchester, you three will be mounting the rescue party? Any other chaps want to try their luck with that eagle?"

Eastpaw saluted as they approached the Brigadier. After his salute was returned he lowered his paw, reporting what he knew of the situation high about their heads. “Report the eagle seems t’have settled into his nest, sah!”

"Doan't ye worry yerself too much thare, Brigadier, Ah'll have 'em aw down 'ere safe enough." The heavily-scarred highlander hare smiled at the rescue party, before turning to address the Brigadier. "How's yon Badger Lord want us tae go aboot it?"

As the Captain volunteered East saluted the approaching officer, standing to ease as it was returned. He was relieved to see it was Captain Nightfur who had volunteered, by the looks in Cordin’s and South’s eyes it would take a firm paw to keep them steady. Not that South wasn’t a good chap, but East rather preferred that he not go dashing hell-bent up the mountain. Not with Eastpaw tied to his waist.

"Right, lads," he said, golden eyes turning to the mountain. "I say we give the bird a Long Patrol sendoff, wot?"

“Aye! Captain, sah?” East turned to the leader of their party for instructions.

[.:Fawn:.]

"Hae as mony words as ye loch, Bray, but Ah hink we'd better hae them oan th' march."

Heeding the Sergeant's sound advice, Braythe soon had the wood-cutting party sorted out and prepared to move, the majors and lieutenants moving about the ranks and waiting for his signal.
Braythe beckoned them onward with a big paw, shouldering his war-axe (it had been brought down by a handful of recruits a few minutes ago) as he strode at the head of his little wood-cutting army, talking to Saxifrage all the way there.
"Yore a strong one, there's no mistakin' that. That being said, I want you to take charge here, considerin' 'wood cutting' isn't a common past-time of these hares, they'll need somebeast to show 'em how it's done proper." Braythe would demonstrate himself, but the strength and size of a Badger Lord, his method of hacking away at it until it falls wasn't going to suit most Long Patrol hares. Glancing over his shoulder, Braythe watched a group of hares pushing a cart full of saws and axes for the cutting process. Pleased by this, he picked up the pace, striding into the woods with ease.

~*~

"Right, lads," he said, golden eyes turning to the mountain. "I say we give the bird a Long Patrol sendoff, wot?"

“Aye! Captain, sah?” East turned to the leader of their party for instructions.

"Dad! Dad!"

Captain Nightfur, about to explain their immediate plan of action, turned at the sound of what could only be his daughter calling to him. Lyrielle bobbed through the crowd and hurried up to her father, speaking in between light pants. "Lieutenant - pant - Black told me to give this - pant - to you, in case Ripley and Sola are injured." Holding out the first aid kit, Rake Nightfur took it from his daughter, shooting her a wink. "Thank ye, Lyra, We're aff tae save Sola and Ripley. Now mind yore manners, and be as helpful as ye can be. Ah'll be back soon."
Not too proud to hug his daughter in public, Rake smiled as she hugged him back, before stepping away and throwing him a strong salute.
"See you when you get down. Good luck!" Throwing a smile and supportive words to the whole group and not just her father, Lyrielle left at a hurried pace to catch up with the wood-cutting party.

Family aside, Captain Nightfur turned back to the rescue party just as Brigadier Thymes returned with some extremely strong rope. Tying it around his waist, he handed the rest to Southpaw, who eagerly did the same, before Southpaw passed it to Eastpaw. Brigadier Thymes set about checking their knots to make sure they were sturdy enough to hold. Apart from the ropes, the Brigadier also had with him some very long metal spikes and a small hammer, both of which he handed to Nightfur.
"You'll use the spikes as safe points -- hammer them into the side of the mountain so you have something to grab on to in case you slip, you can even use 'em as footpaw holds if you need to. Once Lord Braythe comes ba-- AH, here's the chap now!"

Braythe came trotting back, as though he'd forgotten something, and several cadets rushed up to him with his crossbow carried between them and a very nasty-looking barbed piece of metal. It was about half the length of Braythe's broadsword, but thicker and cruder in design. "He'll fire that up as far as he can to the eagle's nest -- see that rope attached to it? You can use it as a guide rope, in case you lose track of the red uniform." As the Brigadier spoke, Braythe the Savage had backed up, took aim, and fired.

While the weird barbed thing flew perfectly, it didn't quite launch without damaging the crossbow in the process. Dismayed, Braythe chucked it aside, intending to fix it later. The Badger Lord, suddenly feeling as though this rescue party could use all the support they could get, threw a salute to Captain Nightfur, Southpaw Varilde, Corporal Eastpaw Varilde, and Corporal Cordin Dorchester.
"See you at the bottom -- and ye can ask Soladeo Gloria if I fixed those hooks'o'hers correctly." Braythe lowered his paw.

Southpaw, unable to hold his tongue, snorted and did a sort of grinning grimace as though his distress over Ripley was destroying his otherwise jolly, gung-ho attitude.
"You can ask 'er yoreself, yer Lordship -- we'll have her back safely on the ground in no time."

That being said, Captain Rake Nightfur placed the medical kit, hammer and spikes into a haversack slung over his shoulder, and began to climb up the side of the mountain with his bare paws. At the bottom-lower-end of the mountain there were al sorts of wide ledges and pawholds, but he knew they'd dwindle down a bit the closer they got to the top, and that was when he'd make use of the spikes and hammer.
Southpaw went up soon after him -- no time for fear or hesitation considering he was tied to Nightfur and with two perilous beasts tied after him. The hare did, however, suck in a deep breath, steeling his nerves for what could be an impossible mission.

Climb a mountain!

Southpaw seriously doubted anybeast in Salamandastron's history had ever tried climbing it before...and with that thought in mind, did this little rescue party even stand a chance?

~*~

It was quite possibly the longest half an hour Southpaw had ever experienced -- and easily one of the most tiring. Build for boxing, not mountain climbing, the young hare found himself with quivering arms and sweat-slicked golden-brown fur. Southpaw would never admit it -- not with the overwhelming danger that Ripley and Sola were facing right now -- but he was a little bit relieved when Rake Nightfur called a small halt to the rescue party. The Captain, though with better stamina and strength than most beasts, sounded a little winded as he gathered the party upon one of the wider lower ledges of Salmandastron.
"Och, we're aboot a quarter'o'the way up. How are ye fairin', South, East and Cordin? Still hangin' in there?"
Captain Nightfur cast his eyes upon the young hares, feeling his heartbeat begin to slow back to normal that they had a few moments of rest. 30 minutes of solid climbing was more than any beast at Salamandastron was used to -- and despite the pressing, ever present matter of rescuing Ripley and Sola, they had to do this carefully the first time, or else there could be problems.

((Sorry about that, it's horribly scattered and Braythe is all over the place. ^^;;;; Please forgive me.))

[nikki]

"Yore a strong one, there's no mistakin' that. That being said, I want you to take charge here, considerin' 'wood cutting' isn't a common past-time of these hares, they'll need somebeast to show 'em how it's done proper."

"Aye, sair!"

Saxifrage gave a smart salute before hurrying off with the group, first taking charge of the cart. The faster they got to the woods, the faster they could present Braythe with the completed ladder.

Once there, the giant hare surveyed the crew a moment.

"Aw reit! Line up thaur. Th' bird cannae dive on us frae th' trees but thaur micht be a bit ay fuss on th' ootskirts." He didn't really think the eagle would challenge a large crew of Patrolers and cadets, many of them armed, but these beasts were his responsibility for the time being; he had to be careful.

"Spear an' bowbeasts, yoo're our watch. Aside frae them, hares thes size an' bigger swatch fur our mainstay trees. That'll be aroond as thick as mah arms - nae big ones, they tak' tay lang tae treem doon. Cadets will swatch fur wee branches, abit as big as a finger, fur pegs. Willow lashes will help too if ye can fin' them. Sizes in atween 'at, branches slightly thinner fur supports. We want springy yoong wood, naethin' older an' drier - it'll break. Hae ye aw got 'at?" He paused, waiting for acknowledgement. "Guid! Let's ge' tae wark."

Saxifrage himself moved betwen the crews, showing them different ways of gripping tools, suggesting likely-looking bits of wood, and hauling the wood to the cary. Heartsease remained with the other spearbeasts, eyes on the sky around the mountain for any sign of movement from the eagle.

[Romulus]

"Och, we're aboot a quarter'o'the way up. How are ye fairin', South, East and Cordin? Still hangin' in there?"

At least the captain sounded as winded as Cordin felt. The corporal gave a curt nod, golden eyes set on the glint of red high up on the cliff side. It was closer now that they had been climbing for awhile. But it still seemed so far . . . Were they too late? No, they couldn't be. They had to make it.

"Ah, aye, sir," Cordin responded to Nightfur, trying to slow his own breathing. "T'ain't naught but a bit of exercise." He went silent after that, rolling his neck and joints to keep himself loose. They'd get Sola and Ripley back. They had to.

((Terribly short, and if y'all want I should add something, please say so. Tracy, I didn't know what to put for Sola, sorry. Trying to keep the ball rolling.))