Trust and Betrayal Part 1: Medical Attention

[Vikenti Whitedeath]

Haaken nodded in agreement with Dax. "Redwall is the only place we are certain to find help," Haaken said, "I hope that they will be able to see through your species and find it in themselves to help you." The vole listened as Daniel also gave his optimistic opinion. But, Vikenti didn't look as happy about the idea.

"I'm not so sure about this whole Redwall thing, I kind of have some enemies there," Vikenti said quietly, "I was on a mercenary job there. I set some stuff on fire and got into fight qith a few beasts." Haaken looked at him in surprise. The vole hadn't heard any of Vikenti's stories on that particular subject. "I'm not so sure if we should follow them there Haaken," Vikenti said grimly, "you tried to help her, you couldn't. We are done here."

"I need to make sure my patient is safe and healed, I didn't start a job not to finish it Vikenti," Haaken said, "you can stay outside the Abbey, Tetra's life is foremost of importance right now."

"That is easy for a healer to say," Vikenti muttered.

"Preserving a life should be important for all beasts, not just healers," Haaken replied calmly.

"Listen Haaken, I have friends who would kill each other just to be known as the best, I have a sister who would kill her servant for insulting her, I know generals who would burn down an entire city to make its king surrender, I have a father who's orders have led to the death of a thousand innocents," Vikenti ranted, "I kill those who have no argument against for pay so that I may survive, those I have killed are a faceless horde. I remember not their names, their lives, or anything else about them. I have learned not to care. Don't try to teach me about the importance of a single life."

Haaken was silent for a while, a sad expression on his face. "There is a beast who believes he knows the truth but couldn't be farther from it," Haaken whispered to Dax, "don't worry, whether or not he leaves I will watch your captain and make sure she lives."

[Kyo]

Dax Closed his eyes as he once again considered their situation.

"...Reguardless on weather or not they respect our kind, I have no other choice but to find medical attention for Captain Aylane."
Dax opened his eyes.

"If Redwall is our only viable option, then they will have no other choice but to take her in...ill make sure of that. Weather they take her by generosity, are swayed by money or trade....or are forced to heal her by way of ransom, We will get what we need from them."

Dax looked back at the vole.
"I appreciate your kindness Haaken, and would be grateful if you showed us the way to the Abby."

Dax then turned to Vikenti and lowered his voice slightly

"I would also appreciate it if you would come along with us Vikenti.
If we are forced to kidnap someone from the Abby and hold them for ransom in the form of medical attention for Tetra, I will need someone who has been inside the walls to pick a target and capture them. Although I don't want it to come to that, if that is the way it must be, I have a feeling that I wont get any help from the other beasts in this lot."

Dax was interrupted by Daniel prodding his back with a steaming bowl of soup.

"ah thank you friend, I really appreciate it!"

The Otter walked around passing the bowls to everyone in the group. Dax had a feeling that the otter had overheard what he had just said. He was about to ask Daniel if he had when Tarros stood up and addressed him.

"I know you and your captain are tired. I've lead enough battles to know when a beast is ready to collapse from fatigue. So, I'm going to lend you space on my cart to put your captain and yourself. Redwall is a fair distance away, and neither one of you could walk all that way. But in the meantime... Let's eat!!!!!"

[Spook]

~Later in the Evening~

Daniel looked up at the moon. It shined beautifully with a pale brilliance. The myriads of stars accented it and made the sky a breathtaking spectacle. He then looked down at the ground. It was slightly illuminated by the moon, but for the most part it was still very dark. The group had passed from the sandy beaches into the fringes of Mossflower wood. The river otter stared at the dark woods in front of them for a long while. For a moment, his mind played tricks on him and made frightening specters appear at the edges of the trees. Then he blinked and shook his head several times. He was getting tired.

Taross was lugging the cart along easily enough, but even he was beginning to become fatigued. He slowed and stopped it gently, so as to not disturb Tetra's comfort. He then stretched and let out a yawn. He strode over to Daniel who was leading the company. "It's getting late. The sun's been down for a good while now. What do you say to resting?"
"I say, 'Aye!'" the otter replied.

"Alright, then." Taross turned to the other creatures along for the journey and spoke to them, "We're stopping here for the night. I hope it's alright with the rest of you. If it's not, we can move on. But I warn against stumbling into the woodlands during dark hours. We'd get tangled up in the brush. And who knows if there's a stony ditch we could fall into. So... grab any blankets you need from the cart and rest easy. I think two should remain on watch. Daniel and someone else... I'm tired." The Wolverine had a playful smile on his face as he winked at Daniel and took a blanket from his cart. Daniel looked indignant, but he merely rolled his eyes and sighed.

Daniel grabbed some food to munch on through his watch shift as he waited for another creature to accompany him. He doubted everyone would fall asleep anytime soon. These creatures were all strangers to each other. He wouldn't doubt if half of the group would stay up and watch each other. But, he felt like doing nothing but staring at the woods and sky. He wouldn't be distracted by the brilliant stars or moon, but he still made sure to look around periodically. He then thought he saw shapes swirling around in the darkness among the treeline. He blinked and they vanished. Daniel took little heed of them, but he still kept his eyes peeled.

[Kyo]

A cool yet pleasant breeze glided its way across the landscape, Rustling the tall trees that stood before the mismatched group of travelers. The Huge Wolverine, The Vole Healer and His weasel friend, and The two pirates slept comfortably in the night. Only the river otter stayed awake, who was keeping a watchful eye out. This was vermin country after all. The gentle Rustling of the trees eventually roused another beast in the group.

Dax slowly opened his eyes and found himself staring at the brilliant night sky. He had no memory of ever falling asleep.
He sat up with a soft groan. It seemed like every muscle in his body had been worked beyond its capability, and he was feeling it. "Uhg, I must have passed out after eating dinner...god i feel like crap"
He then glanced over his shoulder. Tetra was Right beside him, breathing heavily and consumed by deep slumber. They had both been sleeping in the wolverines large cart...which he also had no recollection of climbing into. After thinking a few moments, Dax concluded that Taross must have moved them into the cart. He doubted anyone ells could have easily done that, considering his size. He then smirked at the thought of Taross awkwardly dragging him to the cart.

Dax looked over the side of the cart and stared at the huge beast for a few moments. He still had no idea what it was. Even while sleeping, Taross looked menacing.
Gazing to the left, Dax noticed a lone figure looking into the woods. It was the River otter. Dax had already taken a liking the Daniel. He knew how to handle himself in a fight, was kind, yet far from soft.

Dax quietly lowered himself from the cart and made his way over to where the river otter was sitting and sat down beside him.

"Nice night eh?"

[Spook]

"Nice night, eh?"

Daniel visibly flinched the moment he heard those words. He swiveled around, staff raised, ready to crush the skull of whoever it was behind him. Teeth bared and eyes hardened, he made a ferocious sight. The second he saw Dax looking at him, he relaxed. "Sorry, friend... I've been ambushed before, so I can get a little on edge when I'm on watch. Again, sorry." He set his staff down beside him and stared up at the sky. Daniel munched on an apple that he grabbed form the cart. He then turned back to Dax, "So where are you from, anyway? If you don't mind me asking, that is."

The giant wolverine stirred in his sleep. He dreamed of his glory days, when he was the virtual king of the north. Taross used to be the most feared and respected warlord in Mossflower, but now he was content with traveling and searching for a cure to his ailment. He was very thankful for his companions that he met from time to time. Daniel had been the longest-running traveling companion Taross had in his time in Mossflower. He was a stalwart friend, a faithful comrade.

Taross suddenly woke up form his dreams. He laid there, staring at the star-studded sky. He looked over the cart at Daniel and Dax chatting. Taross smiled and laid back down. He figured with those two on watch, everything would be fine.

[Kyo]

Dax was caught off guard by the otters quick reaction to his voice and stepped back a few paces. "Whoa now, its just me. Lower your weapon."
The otter gazed at him for a second, then complied.
"Sorry, friend... I've been ambushed before, so I can get a little on edge when I'm on watch. Again, sorry."
Dax smiled. "No worries. I know how it is"
Daniel nodded, then bit into the apple he had been carrying.
"So where are you from, anyway? If you don't mind me asking, that is."

Dax's smile dissolved into a pained frown as the events of the previous day returned to him.

"Well, I was borne on an island far east of here..." Dax paused as he considered what to tell the otter. He liked Daniel, but had yet to consider him a friend"

"But honestly...that chapter of my life is irrelevant now days. id just like to forget it..." Dax paused again
"Anyway to give you a more recent answer to your question, I was a lieutenant of Captain Aylane's vessel. To make a long story short, Her crew, including me, accepted a job from....someone id rather not mention at the moment....and were betrayed shortly after the job was fulfilled. The Ship was boarded and the crew murdered.

Dax paused yet again. then heaved a harsh sigh through gritted teeth. "But Tetra is alive, so that is all that matters to me. Revenge will be sweet, but unfortunately, far off."

He then looked Daniel in the eye. "What about you otter? What is your story?"

[Spook]

Daniel saw Dax's look of pain and decided not to press him any further regarding his past. Instead, he would indulge the polecat with his own tale. "Well, originally, I'm from a simple otter holt down south of Mossflower. I got bored and decided to wander off northwards. After a couple months of aimless traveling, I found myself in the middle of a war between mountain hares and brigands. I sided with the hares and fought with them. I cracked lots of skulls within the next few weeks or so." Daniel paused for a moment, thinking back to the harsh month of war he experienced with the mountain hares. He then continued, "It was all-out war. I've never seen or even heard of so much death. Of course, I realized what would happen to the ones I fought for if I quit. So I just fought harder." Daniel then glanced over at Taross, who had fallen asleep once more. "After I fought with the mountain hares, I started wandering around again. Eventually, I found that monster over there. Taross is a good friend, no matter how scary he may seem."

Daniel then grabbed another apple from the cart and offered it to Dax. He continued his story.

"I know how it feels. Wanting revenge. During the war, I saw tons of innocents die. Too many. At one point, I even saw a dibbun slaughtered... I sort of snapped at that point..." Daniel paused once more, staring at the line of trees before the two of them. "Pretty soon after that, the war ended. But I never got at the vermin that killed that youngster. I never saw him again. I know that if I did, I'd kill him no matter what." Daniel then realized that he was disclosing more information than he originally intended. He looked slightly embarrassed. Raising and eyebrow, he looked at Dax and said, "Heh... Sorry about all that. I just haven't told anyone about it."

[Kyo]

At first, Dax's mind was hovering amongst the events in his life that had taken place in the last few weeks and payed little attention to Daniel's Story. However, as the otter began to tell of the war he partook in, Dax began to gain interest.
On one hand, He could fully relate to the brigands that the otter and his hare companions had fought against. The quest for Land, Glory, Power, and Loot was all too familiar to him. Dax was a pirate and of vermin race after all.
He had killed plenty of innocent beasts before. He did not enjoy killing, but nor did he despise it. For all his life he looked at both evil and innocent lives neutrally. He had a job, and all jobs have their cons. He considered killing people to be one of these cons, but nothing more.

However, as Dax listened to the otters story, he began to feel sorry for the otter and the hares. Long ago, he had been taught to abandon such emotions and act according to his own needs. He had followed this example all his life, yet something about this otter was different than most other beasts. He didn't know what it was about Daniel, but he respected him allot. Even though he had met him the previous day, He felt like he had known the otter for a long time... Dax felt the same way about Tetra when he was first placed under her command. Perhaps it was because Daniel was one of the very few people he could somewhat relate to.

Dax continued to listen as the otter wrapped up his story.
"Heh... Sorry about all that. I just haven't told anyone about it."

Dax Looked away from the otter and gazed into the blackness of the surrounding forest.
"No, dont apologize. War is war. If revenge is what you want, then you have a right to pursue it."

Dax was also somewhat surprised that the otter had been treated him well. Daniel was the first beast the pole cat had ever encountered who had been in a war with vermin, yet treated him with respect from the get go. Then Dax started wondering if the Otter would change his outlook if he knew what Tetra and himself really were. He had not yet mentioned that they were pirates.

[Spook]

Daniel's eyes were drooping. He was feeling worn-out and his body was beginning to become exhausted. His head nodded, and he shook it to stay awake. "Ugh... I'm so tired," he said. "Then go to sleep," said a deep voice behind him. Daniel looked up at the huge wolverine standing over him. Taross was smiling. "I'll take the watch... Dax how are you? Are you feeling better?" The giant creature sat down beside the polecat as Daniel crawled off to find a spot to sleep. He looked up at the night sky and sniffed the night air.

Taross knew that somebeast was watching them. He even saw some movement in the brush ahead. He was totally unconcerned, however, as whatever it was most likely had no intention of getting in a fight with ether the big polecat or the giant wolverine. He turned and looked at Dax, awaiting an answer.

[Kyo]

The otter and the pole cat layed on their back, staring at the brilliant night sky while thinking about memories from the distant and not so distant past . There was a crescent moon dominating the top of the deep blue dome that was the sky, and thousands of stars sparkled in the the dark horizon, rising upward until they eventually faded into the dull white glow of the moon.
The two listened to the Relaxing sounds of the Eastern sea lapping at the Sandy shore off in the distance. Every so often a lazy breeze would glide its way through the expanse of trees that lay before the group, rustling the leaves at it went. The temperature was Cool and comfortable. The weather in general seemed to amplify The Memories that the two were concentrating on, making it a surreal period for the both of them.

Daniel Slowly began to fade from Daydream to slumber, but caught himself right before he dozed off. The otter mumbled something to himself as he rubbed his eyes and shook himself back awake, then looked at Dax.
"Ugh... I'm so tired,"
Dax glanced at him, then nodded. Daniel had one hell of a fight at the beach the other day. He was probably fairly tired. Dax was very grateful that Daniel and Tarros had shown up when they did. Daniel definitely deserved some rest.
Suddenly a Deep Baritone voice materialized from behind the pair.
"Then go to sleep"
Dax, Already laying on his back, tilted his head backward and through upside down vision, saw Tarros staring down at him.

"I'll take the watch... Dax how are you? Are you feeling better?"
Dax sat up straight, grunting as he did from the sore muscles in his abdomen, then turned towards Tarros.
"Aye, I'm feeling much better now. I really needed those few hours of R&R."
Tarros grinned and sat down next Dax
"Thats good. You were looking pretty rough for a while there"
Dax averted his eyes downward and nodded sagely
"Indeed... I was. However, if you guys hadn't shown up when you did yesterday, i would have been much worse off... probably dead." Dax looked Tarros back in the eyes. "I really appreciate your help."
The Wolverine Laughed. "Don't mention it. It really was nothing, Ive been through a lot worse than that little skirmish, believe me."
Dax shook his head. "I'm sure you have, but your wrong. Your help was allot more than nothing. You and Daniel saved both of our tails back there. we are both grateful.

Tarros Laughed again.
"And again, Ill give you the same reply. It was nothing, really. We were glad to help you to out. After overhearing what those Vermin had planned on doing to your captain, someone needed to bring the hammer down."
Tarros grinned at Dax. "Both metaphorically and literally speaking!"
Dax found himself chuckling
"Heh damn straight"

The two sat there for a while gazing into the forest, watching the soft light of the flickering fire to their back cast shapes on the trees. Dax thought he might have seen movement, but he dismissed it as the firelight playing tricks on his mind.

After another five or so minutes of silence, Dax was the one who broke the silence.

"Tarros, Can I be blunt with you?"
The wolverine glanced at Dax, signaling his attention.
Dax looked Tarros over for for a moment. "You know, I Have traveled quite a lot in my years, and although i am not an old beast, I have seen my fair share of places and have met my fair share of Beasts."
Dax paused briefly, considering how to word his next statement
"But i have never seen a race like yours before. I guess ill go ahead and speak my mind.... What are you anyway?"....

[Spook]

The tough polecat's question amused Taross immensely. He tried (and failed) to hide a smile. His face smoothed into a toothy grin. Then he spoke, "I'm what's known as a wolverine. My kind is found only far, far away in the lands of ice and snow. Most of my kind are vicious murderers who eat their victims. What makes me different is that I hunt beasts that creatures normally eat. I'm no cannibal." The warlord paused for a bit, staring at the stars for a moment. He then continued, "I was different form the start. I never ate the food my father did. I stalked off on my own and hunted. In all honesty, it pleased my father that I was so aggressive. He believed I would be an excellent successor to him. If he knew my true intentions, he would've had me slayed. You see, if you aren't on someone's side where I come from, you're their mortal enemy. My intentions at the time were simple: escape." Taross broke off from his story for a little longer, thinking back to when his life truly began.

"My father was the most feared warlord in the north. Naturally, his enemies were very numerous and ruthless. Eventually, when I was still young, my father's lands were invaded by other warlords. He died of illness before the enemy ever got to him. The ones still loyal to him fought on, but many of them joined their conquerors. My father's most trusted friend and second-hand beast took me aside and gave me an escort. He told me to get out of the area and flee. I watched as he charged leader of our enemies and rip out his throat. Chaos ensued. This gave my escort and me a perfect opportunity to escape. We fled for our lives." Taross grabbed a flask of alcohol and began drinking it straight from the bottle. He wasn't sad or depressed in the slightest bit. He just needed something to drink.

The wolverine continued, "Once we were safe, my escort and I decided to move down south. I grew very wary of them, and them of me. You see, I had no intention of following my father's legacy. They learned of this and plotted to kill me. The soonest opportunity I had to get away form them is the one I took. I've never seen them since. I made my way into northern Mossflower and began my career as a warlord there. I wasn't any average warlord. I fought for other beasts' freedom, and against vermin raiders. I was a mercenary all the same, though." Taross then looked at Dax, "But there's one thing that has haunted me from my escape from the northern lands. My father died of illness, as did my mother, and all of those in my family. It's been the exact same illness, every time. I believe I have the same one. And now, I've given up my life of war to find a cure for it. I just hope that one exists."

Taross was silent for a bit, swigging at his bottle. He then smiled at Dax, offering him a flask of his own, "Sorry... I didn't mean to monopolize the conversation."

[Vikenti Whitedeath]

(Sorry I haven't been very active guys, since you are having a conversation I'll just make a short post here.)

Both Haaken and Vikenti had been quick to fall asleep for their own reasons. Haaken was no longer a young beast and the day's walking had tired him out. Vikenti had mostly gotten over the effects of the sleeping drug, but he had still lost most of his energy.

The two tired beasts had spread their sleeping blankets near the others with little consideration of whether they would be called to watch. Never the less, both would have been willing to preform such a task were they call upon.

[Kyo]

Dax sat quietly and listened to the wolverines story in wonder. Never before had he encountered a a creature with such a dark past. As Dax gazed into the wolverines far away eyes, he began to house a large amount of respect for Tarros aswell. His early life must have been maddening to endure.In all respects, The wolverine's mind should have been twisted and his heart should have been as black as coal from living in such a harsh enviorment...however the beast that stood before him now had neither of these qualities. Tarros was kind and considerate. His mind was seemingly stable enough, and his heart was warm. Tarros had resolve far beyond that of any normal creature. Living in such an unforgiving climate and with such an evil clan, yet being able to hold on to his identity and his own ideals despite the way he was raised really told Dax something grand about Tarros.
Dax did indeed respect the wolverine. However the respect he now had for him was different than that of which he had for Daniel. In this beast, he saw someone... someone very familiar to him. Someone who understood his life better than any other beast could. Someone he could fully relate to.
In Tarros, he saw Himself.

"Wolverine... I see, so thats what you are. I have heard a few legends of your kind. all of which consisted of ruthless and evil murderers hell bent on death, destruction, and power. Originally I thought they were simply bedtime horror stories made in order to keep Dibbuns In check. But you seen real enough, yet after talking with you it seems that the details of the legends proved to true...Except in your case. In fact, I remember my mother telling me a story a long time......"
Dax trailed off and a short silence persued....the wind continued to rustle the leaves in the forest that lay ahead
He then whispered almost inaudibly under his breath which was masked by the soothing sound of the wind



"...Mom..."



Dax then came back to earth, asserting his voice a little more powerfully at the beginning of his next sentence.
"Eh, Never mind. I don't really remember the story. It was a long time ago. Anyway, I myself have never been that far north to see the land of ice and snow. To my understanding, trade agreements made by our fleet...er, former fleet, had been declined by the native beasts up there. They were hardly willing to comply with anything we requested"
Suddenly a third, very confident and higher pitched voice sounded from behind the pair.
"Lucky for them, there wasn't anything worth trading up there. If there had been anything of value, we would have steam rolled over them and their demands..."
Dax was slightly startled and turned around quickly. He was met by the piercing Greenish Yellow eyes of Tetra Aylane staring down at him.

"The land of Ice and snow", she continued, "Only has as the name suggests, Ice and snow"
Dax was quickly at the position of attention
"Captain! you should really not be moving, let alone be on your feet!"
Tetra laughed
"Really Dax...there you go again advising me to do stuff against my will. My will is law to you."
Dax smiled
"Ah that may be so, but I am your adviser capn. tis my job you know."
Tetra smirked back at him
"heh Touche"

She then slowly walked over to a nearby tree, wincing as she did, and leaned against it.
"Although you are right, it probably isn't best to push myself much at this point in time. I'm pretty messed up, But i can walk a little now thanks to the vole over there."
She then turned her attention to Tarros
"So, your a wolverine are you. That definitely explains allot. I've heard the rumors. glad you're on our side."
Tetra's smirk dissipated back into a frown and she reattained her serious expression, her golden earrings dully reflected the pale moonlight and her eyes intensified by it.
"So, anything worth reporting?"

[Spook]

Taross smiled knowingly, "Heheheh... I knew it. You're pirates aren't you? Don't worry, I've worked with worse. My reputation as a warlord is earned... Anyway, I'm glad you're feeling better, Miss Aylane. Would you like something to drink? I've got grog, wine, beer, vodka, and lot's of other stuff. You're welcome to it, too, Dax. Stay away from the grog - I picked it off a vermin of questionable hygiene. I'm saving it for when I need to knock out somebeast with it. I'd recommend either the red wine or the vodka. Anyway, as far as things to report, captain, there's somebeast watching our every move. I'm of the opinion that they're harmless. They wouldn't want to anger Dax or me. So... I'm not very tired myself... I think I'll just sit here and drink. Would you two like to join? Sleeping beauty over there, "Taross indicated Daniel, "Is out for the night. Besides, he's missed a lot of sleep. On our march to the shore, he was constantly being woken up by nightmares... I hope he can sleep through tonight..."

Taross laid back against a soft, grassy slope by the cart and stared at the stars. The alcohol was starting to make him more relaxed. "You know... back in my homeland, there was a belief that the stars were our enemies that were attempting to haunt us. My people didn't like to be under the stars... I had trouble back then... I didn't want to believe in what my clan did... But I had nothing else to believe in. When I came into Northern Mossflower, my eyes were opened. For the first time, I found something I wanted to believe in..."

Taross trailed off. "Now, instead of fear from the stars, I feel comfort and wonder. To me, the stars are bygone warriors and heroes that fought for what they believe in. I plan on finding my own place up there amongst all the beasts I've met and the ones I wish I could've met. I wonder if I'll find any wolverines up there...?"

Taross had an almost forlorn look on his face. But he wasn't sad. Instead, he felt as though he knew every creature that had gone to the Dark Forest, and that he would be welcomed there once he passed onto the other side...

[Vikenti Whitedeath]

After a little while of talk in the clearing Vikenti finally stirred. He jumped immediately on guard, drawing his blade and searching the clearing for enemies. He looked somewhat surprised to see the other three standing around. "Dang, that sleeping potion that vole gave me must of made my mind all fuzzy," he slapped himself in the head as if he thought it would make himself feel better. He sheathed his blade and headed for the alcohol.

"I could use a few swigs of this stuff," he said as he grabbed the vodka and poured himself a rather large drink. He sat a little way from Taross and took a none to small sip of his drink. He then looked over at Tetra, seeming to just notice her.

"You got a bigger dose of that vole's drugs than I did," Vikenti said to her, "I can't even believe you can stand." He took a large drink of the vodka with little care. "I can't wait to get to Redwall, I hope we have to kidnap somebeast," he laughed meanly, "we could have a little fun with them."

Merce got up from where he was sitting and approached Tetra lazily. “So, before I help you on this little venture, do you mind explaining how you got wounded like that?” Vikenti asked, “I’m not trying to be prying or nothing, but I like to know a little about my client before I go kill’en stuff for them.”