A Quest for River Moss! ((OPEN))

[.:Fawn:.]

Alright, now he didn't exactly know what a 'River Moss' was, but it had the word 'river' in it, so it must be someplace he'd want to be -- right?
That was the assumption the little otterbabe Koa had made as he'd slipped past the gate whilst everyone else was busy eating lunch. Koa had enough sense to bring a bit of food along with him, and it was a tasty looking pasty that he sank his milky-white teeth into, munching happily as he pretended to know where he was going.

Fancying himself a bit of a roguish wanderer, Koa took another hefty bite, cheeks bulging as he tapped his rudder in tune to a song he hummed through his food.
Even though he'd forgotten half the lyrics, and the melody for that matter, the otterbabe couldn't be bothered by something so trivial as song lyrics, not when the whole wide world was beckoning him onward.

What sort of adventures would he have? What sort of creatures would he run into? Would he get into fights? Would he get kidnapped by pirates? Maybe he'd bump into an evil warlord or a hare or something.

The seaglass necklace he always wore thumped against his little chest as he leaped into a fighting stance, having grabbed a stick off the ground and held it out like a sword -- still eating the pastry in the process. He gave it a few experimental swishes, decided he liked it, and hardly noticed he'd wandered off the path a bit, unfamiliar vegetation surrounding him on all sides. Tripping over the oversized stick he'd picked up, Koa Shorehound was finally aware of his sudden predicament when he came face to face with a plant he'd never seen before.

Scrambling to retrieve the last uneaten chunk of his pasty (which had gone flying when he'd fell), Koa brushed some dirt off his sage-green trousers, looking around curiously.

Stuffing the last of his pasty into his gluttonous jaws, Koa came to the realization that this particular part of the woodlands was probably not the River Moss.


...then again, there was a lot of moss around...and trees he'd never seen before...

Koa turned around, intending to head back to the path he'd originally been on.

If he could find it.

Oh fiddlesticks.

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[Cross]

Cross was enjoying his day. It had been a few weeks since he had felt this nice. Even his nightmares had left him alone the night before, allowing for some good sleep. The big otter strolled aimlessly through Mossflower woodland, using his javelin as a walking stick. He didn't know where he was going, and he didn't really care. It was a nice summer's day, with a chilly breeze whipping up now and again. Autumn was just around the corner.

Kneeling down by a tiny stream, he cupped his big webbed paws into the water, quenching his thirst with the cool liquid. He wished the little current was large enough to swim in. His dense fur wasn't exactly perfect summer wear. But it couldn't be helped. Standing back up, he continued on his way, trying to remember a lullaby he once heard a mousewife sing to her children.

The forgotten song refused to resurface in his memory, and he was distracted from it anyway by a loud crash through the underbrush. Turning towards the source of the noise, Cross gripped his javelin tighter, advancing with caution. He found cover beneath a spreading bush and searched for the cause of the loud rustling.

A little otter babe was just picking himself off the ground a few yards away, looking around as if trying to get his bearings. Now what was a young one like that doing out on his own? Cross wondered if his mother were nearby, but no beast came to chide or fret over the babe, even after five minutes had elapsed.

Well, Cross couldn't just leave the little guy. It was dangerous out in the woods on one's own. But the big otter had never handled children, so he wasn't exactly sure how to approach. He decided it would be best if he didn't have his weapon out in the open. Burying one end of the javelin into the dirt, he emerged from the cover of the bush, putting on his best smile.

"Hello," he said softly, squatting down in front of the babe. "Are you lost?" He hoped his sheer bulk wouldn't frighten the lad. Cross didn't know what frightened children and what didn't.

[.:Fawn:.]

Koa was not a babe who frightened easily, and besides, Cross was clearly an otter -- and in Koa's mind, that automatically meant that he was a friend. The little otterbabe showed little more than a curious tilt of the head when the stranger approached him, crouched down to his level and offered a kind smile.

"Hello," he said softly, squatting down in front of the babe. "Are you lost?" He hoped his sheer bulk wouldn't frighten the lad. Cross didn't know what frightened children and what didn't.

"Hullo," Koa greeted, whiskers giving a curious twitch as he pressed a crumb-covered webbed paw to his heart and stuck out the other to Cross. It was his version of "here's my heart and here's my paw", something he'd learned from a few otters back at Redwall. "I'm Koa Shorehound," he said proudly, his little chest puffing out. It was thanks to all of Skipper's stories about his parents that he could make such a confident introduction. He wanted everyone to make sure they knew what an important beast he was, being a Shorehound and all that.
"I'm not lost. I'm esplorin'. Lookin' fer Riva Moss." Was the otterbabe's explanation, though he was admittedly a bit lost, Koa was too stubborn to admit that -- especially to his new otterfriend.

[Cross]

"Hullo," Koa greeted, whiskers giving a curious twitch as he pressed a crumb-covered webbed paw to his heart and stuck out the other to Cross.

Cross hesitated for a moment, wondering what the otter babe was doing. But the big otter simply took it as a strange form of a handshake and copied the lad's movements, taking the proffered paw and offering another smile. He was at least glad the young one didn't seem to be scared of him.

"I'm Koa Shorehound," he said proudly, his little chest puffing out.

Apparently the name Koa Shorehound was important to the lad, and Cross opted to treat him as such. "It is an honor to meet you, Koa Shorehound," the big otter repeated, releasing Koa's paw. "I am Cross."

"I'm not lost. I'm esplorin'. Lookin' fer Riva Moss."

All by himself? That seemed odd. "The River Moss is a big river, Koa," Cross said. "I don't think young otters like you should be traveling there alone. Does anybeast know where you're going?" Cross wondered where this babe had come from in the first place. Was there a holt nearby?

((Cross doesn't even ask about Koa's parents?! He does NOT know how to handle kids! ))

[.:Fawn:.]

"It is an honor to meet you, Koa Shorehound," the big otter repeated, releasing Koa's paw. "I am Cross."

Quite pleased that Cross knew the proper greeting, the otterbabe grinned at him, before the sudden desire to eat another pasty hit the gluttonous creature, and he began searching the ground just in case he'd dropped another piece. Glancing around Cross, he walked around the big otter quickly, crouched down and wrapped his paws under the middle of Cross's rudder, lifting it like one would lift a log in search of grubs. Brow furrowing as a chance at a quick bite eluded him, he unceremoniously dropping Cross's tail (fortunately for Cross the otter wasn't very tall, and the distance from Koa's arms and the ground was a small one), and looked up at the sudden question.

"The River Moss is a big river, Koa," Cross said. "I don't think young otters like you should be traveling there alone. Does anybeast know where you're going?"

Aha! So the River Moss was a river after all. Feeling like he was much smarter than anyone gave him credit for, the otterbabe gave himself a mental pat on the back before focusing on Cross's question.
How was he supposed to know if anyone knew where he was going? He couldn't very well ask them, now could he?

So Koa simply shrugged his little shoulders, as if that should be a sufficient enough answer for anybeast.

((xD oh Cross, the sillybeast. I had an answered prepared and everything should he decide to ask!))

[Cross]

Cross raised an eyebrow at the otterbabe's antics. What was Koa searching for, exactly? Lifting an arm to look behind him as the lad lifted up his rudder, Cross realized he shouldn't have worried if Koa would be scared of him. It seemed Shorehound was quite comfortable around other otters, at least.

Koa shrugged in response to his question, and Cross wondered if this "exploration" was a forbidden activity. "Alright then," the big otter said uneasily, unsure of what to do next. Well, Cross would not let an innocent, helpless babe traverse to the River Moss alone, but what of Koa's family? Were they looking for him? Come to think of it, where did Koa live? Was he far from home?

"Uh, where do you come from, Koa?" Cross asked casually. Returning the babe to where he lived seemed like the best option. The babe's mother must be worried sick!

[.:Fawn:.]

"Uh, where do you come from, Koa?" Cross asked casually.

"Redwall," the otterbabe answered immediately, before a funny looking mushroom called for his undivided attention. He poked at it with a webbed paw, clearly debating whether he should eat it or not. It was then that a strange thought hit Koa, as he recalled the big otter's question. Hadn't Redwall been obvious? It was where all beasts came from -- right? Well...it was where all beasts wanted to be.

"Where yoo come frum?" Koa called to Cross as he bypassed the mushroom, pulled by some invisible force to the bushes his newfound friend had previously come out of. Maybe Cross was from River Moss? Then he could take him there! A sharp squeak of delight left the otterbabe as he spotted Cross's javelin, and immediately tried to pull it out of the earth, despite it being much taller than he was.

What a cool looking stick!

[Cross]

"Redwall," the otterbabe answered immediately, before a funny looking mushroom called for his undivided attention.

Cross twisted around to face the little otter, his eyes wide. Redwall? The abbey was nearby? Wait, the babe had to come first. Cross needed to get Koa home before something happened. Knowing Cross's luck, something would definitely happen.

"Where yoo come frum?" Koa called to Cross as he bypassed the mushroom, pulled by some invisible force to the bushes his newfound friend had previously come out of.

Cross once again had to spin around to follow the busy little otter. Were all children this easily distracted? "I am from . . . far to the south," Cross answered, looking aside. He should leave it at that. Koa's walking into the bushes caused a rustle that made Cross look up. The big otter jumped as he saw the little otter try to pull out his javelin.

"Wait, Koa!" Cross cried, lunging forward. He yanked the babe away from the weapon and then tugged it out of the earth. Koa was now held in his left arm, while he gripped his javelin with his right paw. He displayed the weapon clearly out of the lad's reach as he explained, "You have to be careful with this. It is a dangerous weapon, and I do not want you to hurt yourself."

Now, how was this going to work? Cross supposed he could just carry the little one to Redwall to keep him out of trouble. But the boy might not take kindly to that. Setting the young one down, the big otter knelt before him again, still holding his javelin away from Koa. "Now, listen, Koa," he said gently. "I think I should take you back to Redwall. The River Moss is not the place for a little otter like you to be going alone."

((Tried to make that last part with enough of a loophole for Koa -wink, wink- nudge, nudge-))

[.:Fawn:.]

"I am from . . . far to the south," Cross answered, looking aside. He should leave it at that.

far-to-the-south? That was a weird name for a place...must not be very interesting. Things with long names were usually boring to little Koa, as were big words like 'restricted' and 'punishment', or 'Salamandastron'. He preferred shorter words like 'play', 'fun', and 'food'.

Oh and 'water', how could he forget such a grand a thing as that?

"Wait, Koa!" Cross cried, lunging forward. He yanked the babe away from the weapon and then tugged it out of the earth. Koa was now held in his left arm, while he gripped his javelin with his right paw. He displayed the weapon clearly out of the lad's reach as he explained, "You have to be careful with this. It is a dangerous weapon, and I do not want you to hurt yourself."

The otterbabe let out an indignant squeak as he was suddenly plucked from the ground as though he weighed nothing, quickly separated from the cool new stick he wanted so badly to play with. He turned his big brown eyes upon Cross, his face falling into a pout at the big otter's explanation.

"I wanna see it!" He protested, fidgeting and wriggling like a fish out of water, his grabby little paws reaching determinedly for that Javelin. The otterbabe was 100% certain Skipper wouldn't let him touch something like this back at Redwall, and that made him want it so much more. Oooh, what if he got a javelin like that? or a sling like Skipper's? Could he be a Skipper then too?

"Now, listen, Koa," he said gently. "I think I should take you back to Redwall. The River Moss is not the place for a little otter like you to be going alone."

Knocked out of these thoughts by what was singlehandedly the most 'unfun' idea he'd ever heard, Koa's wriggling stopped. Go back to Redwall? But that wasn't where the River Moss was! But wait, what was that last part Cross had said?

"Not goin' 'lone." He replied sulkily, his pouting turning to pleading as he unleashed his secret weapon upon the inexperienced otter: big, soft, begging eyes.

"Cross come too."

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[Cross]

"Not goin' 'lone." He replied sulkily, his pouting turning to pleading as he unleashed his secret weapon upon the inexperienced otter: big, soft, begging eyes.

The big otter had never seen cute before this moment. Cross's ears flattened against his skull as Koa silently pleaded with his eyes.

"Cross come too."

"Cross what?" the big otter exclaimed. His mouth opened and closed several times, but no more words came out. He really had no idea what to do. Glancing around frantically for help, he found none. It was just him and Koa. What was he supposed to do?

On the one paw, he didn't want to disappoint the lad. Koa was literally begging Cross to take him to the river. On the other, Koa's parents might be out searching for him right now, beside themselves with worry. But . . . it would only be a short visit to the river. Maybe the babe would be more compliant to go back home if he got his wish. Besides, Cross heard the river flowed close to the abbey.

Heaving a sigh, the big otter picked Koa up again and placed the lad on one shoulder. "Alright, Koa," Cross said resignedly. "But we can't stay long. I'm sure your family is looking for you." Gripping his javelin securely with one paw and Koa with the other, the big otter set out in the direction of the river, keeping his one good eye out for danger.

[.:Fawn:.]

"Alright, Koa," Cross said resignedly. "But we can't stay long. I'm sure your family is looking for you."

It was only because Koa considered all of Redwall his family that he did not explain his lack of parents, and besides, Cross had agreed to take him to River Moss! All thoughts of the worried Redwallers back home vanished from the little otter's mind. He let out a delighted squeak when he was picked up and set upon Cross's shoulder just like Skipper would, which caused an interesting thought to cross the otterbabe's little brain.
Cross did a lot of things Skipper did.

He knew the greeting, he had a Javelin, and he carried him just like Skipper did.

Maybe Cross was a Skipper too? A Skipper from far-to-the-south!

Regarding his friend with a newfound respect, the otterbabe hugged Cross's head, little arms wrapped at the forehead, a gleeful smile fixed on the small creature's face.
"To the Riva! Riva Riva Riva!" He chanted, delight welling up in his heart.

Finally he'd get to swim where Skipper and his crew swam!

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[Cross]

"To the Riva! Riva Riva Riva!" He chanted, delight welling up in his heart.

Cross smiled, closing his left eye as the babe hugged his head. He didn't need that eye, anyway. Maybe little ones weren't so bad. Koa was a busy little guy, but he seemed sweet enough. Cross couldn't remember much about his own younger years. A few fragmented memories, but nothing else.

Picking his way through Mossflower woods carefully, the big otter kept his eye and ears open for danger. He didn't like to be caught unawares when he travelled alone. He was ten times more alert with Koa on his shoulder. Flicking an ear in the direction of a noise, Cross tapped the otter babe lightly on the knee, silently asking him to quiet down.

Suddenly, a whooshing sound was heard and Cross ducked, taking Koa off his shoulder and pressing him protectively to his chest. A loud screech overhead alerted Cross to the presence of a bird, probably a hungry one. The big otter crouched beside a tree, searching the sky above. The bird was a large falcon, and Cross bit back a curse. Just his luck.

The falcon screeched again and dove for the tree, its talons outstretched as it closed in. Cross yelled and threw his javelin with all his might, rolling out of the way just in time. Still clutching Koa close, the big otter stopped and got into a crouch again, looking up to see if the javelin had found its mark. The weapon lay several yards away, partially embedded in the ground, and the bird was circling for another dive. This time Cross cursed aloud. He hated that he had no depth perception. Rotten, useless, blindness . . .

"Koa, hang on tight to me, okay?" Cross said, shifting the babe to his back. "Don't let go whatever happens." The big otter sprinted towards his javelin just as the falcon dropped from the sky. The bird's shadow fell over the otters and Cross knew he wouldn't be able to reach his weapon in time. He changed course at the last second, narrowly avoiding the viscous talons that reached for him.

Taking shelter beneath an overhanging boulder, Cross took Koa off his shoulders and set him down towards the back of the rocky alcove. Great, now he was weaponless and being chased by a hungry bird. This would not end well.

((I know Koa can't do much in this situation, but I didn't want to make it too long.))

[Promatera]

Today was almost a perfect day. Bon Vaygan woke up right as the sun's rays began to poke through his roof. Looking about his hollow, everything was finally clean and organized. Thanks to some 'generous donations' he had a small surplus of food, which meant he was free for the day and he knew just what he wanted to do.

Not long ago he had learned the horde he had once belonged to had finally dissolved. Relieved that he would no longer be hunted down, Bon Vaygan decided he wanted to visit the River Moss where he had nearly been executed. He could recall that the night he escaped, the river was running along as though nothing would disrupt it, even though just alongside it, a terrible massacre was taking place. Either way, Bon Vaygan had wanted to see the River Moss for sometime.

Grabbing a satchel a rat had been so kind as to 'donate' Bon Vaygan threw in enough supplies to last a short journey and darted off into the wilderness.

The summer morning was beautiful, but Bon Vaygan was thankful for all the shade the trees provided. It was very warm. After travelling for several hours, Bon Vaygan decided to take a break beneath an odd, overhanging boulder. As he sat down for a break, Bon Vaygan noticed that there was a bird's nest in a nearby tree.

Drawn by curiousity, Bon Vaygan was soon climbing the tree to reach the nest. Although, he was no squirrel, Bon Vaygan was still a good climber because of the training he had received as a kit. In no time at all, he scaled to the top of the tree where the bird's eggs lay waiting for the picking. It was too offering a heist. Keeping an eye out for the mother, Bon Vaygan snatched all her eggs except for one.

Climbing down the trunk was much harder, but it wasn't all that bad. As he set his last foot paw on earth once more, an eerie screech rang out from above. Looks as though someone had realized her eggs were missing. Diving into a boulder overhang he noticed two beasts had already had his idea. Both were otters, though one was of a brigher color than the other.

"Who are you?"he asked carrying giant eggs.

[.:Fawn:.]

One minute he'd been happily humming his own tune, sitting on Cross's shoulder as they headed to the place he'd always wanted to visit, and the next he'd been forced to cling for his tiny little life.

"Koa, hang on tight to me, okay?" Cross said, shifting the babe to his back. "Don't let go whatever happens."

Koa didn't understand what was going on, but he obeyed Cross immediately, trembling as a blood-curdling screech shook the happy thoughts right out of his head, replacing them with petrified ones instead. As Cross threw his javelin, Koa watched in awe. So that's what the cool stick was for!

But wait, how come the bird was still flying? Skipper would've gotten the bird with one hit.
Maybe this Cross fellow wasn't a Skipper after all?

No, of course not. What was he thinking? There could only be one Skipper, and that was the big otter back at Redwall, probably rushing over to save him even at this very minute.

At least...Koa hoped so.

With Cross safely carrying him to the overhang, the frightened otterbabe was reduced to a clinging, trembling mass on the back of Cross's leg, determined not to let go of his otterfriend until Skipper got here or the bird decided it didn't want to eat them anymore.
A sudden rustle of a cloak caught the babe's attention, and Koa could be seen turning his head owlishly to spot Bon Vaygan, red-handed with the source of the bird's vicious attacks.
Koa, speechless in the face of such an odd picture -- a funny looking creature with a bright red nose and two giant bird eggs, was asking them who they were -- gave Cross's pantleg a few small tugs, feeling like he should probably get him to see this...

"Who are you?"he asked carrying giant eggs.

Koa, who had the good sense to know that now was not a good time to introduce himself, pushed a paw to his lips and let out a terrified whisper:

"Ssssh! Dat bird will hear yew." Squeaked the otterbabe, and he gave a small shake as another screech sounded from overheard.

Sure they were being attacked by a big vicious bird on the way to the River Moss, but Koa had learned something new today.


Weasels laid eggs!

[Cross]

"Who are you?" he asked carrying giant eggs.

Cross whirled around, quickly placing a muscular arm protectively in front of Koa. High on adrenaline, Cross bared his teeth when he noticed the eggs. So, it was this weasel's fault the bird was after them! "Are you mad?" he hissed. "Return those eggs, weasel!"

He put his bulk between Koa and the vermin, glancing back and forth between the bird wheeling high overhead and the intruder. The falcon must have noticed her eggs missing, but she hadn't seen the weasel. When Cross and Koa showed up, she blamed them for her missing brood.

Cross had planned to leave Koa beneath the boulders and retrieve his javelin, but that was absolutely out of the question now. There was no way the big otter would leave Koa with a weasel. Cross may not know how to handle children, but he was pretty sure a weasel would not be any better.

[Promatera]

"Ssssh! Dat bird will hear yew."

"Are you mad?" "Return those eggs, weasel!"

Stunned by their polarizing responses, Bon Vaygan returned a confused glance before turning his gaze skyward. Ignoring the older otter's 'comment' Bon Vaygan made his observation.

"Not to worry, the hawk will need to rest eventually."

Bon Vaygan was set against returning those eggs. They were a delicacy hard to come by in Mossflower. Besides even if they tried returning the eggs there was no doubt it would kill them anyway. He hadn't intended it, but now these otters were stuck in his plan.

He turned his attention back to the otters.

"Now if you think I'm returning these eggs I'm not," he stated outright. Tightening his grip on the eggs, Bon Vaygan shuffled in against the lee of the stone.

((OOC: Also Koa is very cute XD))

[.:Fawn:.]

The beginnings of an argument between the weasel and his otterfriend Cross were quite lost on him, as his eyes were now watching the bird, his position closer to the entrance than he wanted to be.
Frankly, he'd rather go sit next to the weasel and the eggs than be closer to the big hungry bird, but when did he ever get a say in the matter?
Never, that's when.
About to tell Cross to lower his voice so he didn't frighten the eggs, Koa was instantly distracted by a funny looking mushroom growing a few pawsteps away from him.
Maybe the bird was hungry?
Without so much as a second thought, Koa plucked the mushroom off the ground and threw it outside. "Gooa'way!" He shouted, paws cupped around his mouth, but when the bird ignored his offering of food, the little otter frowned in discouragement.
Did birds not like mushrooms?


Fortunately, he wasn't out of ideas on how to make a bad situation instantly better.

By happenstance, the otterbabe looked in the direction where Cross had thrown his javelin, and noticed it lying innocently in the grass, not too terribly far from where they were standing.
The cool stick! That's what they needed! If he could just get it to Cross...

Not stopping to think, the otterbabe instinctively let out his most terrifying yell (like Skipper would sometimes) and charged straight for the javelin.

"AAAARRRRRGGGGH!"

Diving a little too enthusiastically, Koa saw stars as his little black nose smacked right into the shaft of the javelin, tears soon starting to collect at his eye rims. At least he had the good sense to wrap his paws around the weapon and yank it from the ground so hard he fell backwards onto his rudder. The weapon now held vertically against his chest, the otterbabe had just a few seconds' time to look up and see the bird swooping down straight for him.

A squeaky scream leaped out of his chest and Koa shut his eyes tight -- wishing for the world Skipper would show up to make everything right -- and didn't open them, even when he heard a weird 'whump' as though something had hit the ground at an odd angle...

[Cross]

"Now if you think I'm returning these eggs I'm not," he stated outright.

"She will kill us all, including you, if you do not," Cross warned. "I may beat her to it if you are not scaling that tree in the next--"

"AAAARRRRRGGGGH!"

Cross whirled around just in time to see Koa charging out of the overhang straight towards the fallen javelin. "Koa!" the big otter shouted. Throwing caution to the wind, Cross sprinted out of the overhang after the little one. He saw Koa fall with the javelin clutched in his little paws. The falcon was diving right towards the lad. "No!"

The bird landed on the javelin and shrieked, trying to remove its shoulder from around the weapon. Detaching itself, it tried to gain altitude, but its wing was now useless. Cross saw his chance. He launched himself at the falcon and tackled it, wrapping his brawny arms around the bird's feathery neck. It squawked in alarm as they tumbled down a slight incline and into a tree.

Cross managed to pin the big creature down, but its talons were now directly below his torso. The falcon proceeded to rip him open savagely, and Cross howled in agony, rolling off the bird before too much damage was done. Righting itself, the falcon gave a screeching hiss and began a deadly game of cat and mouse with Cross. The otter wouldn't last long if he didn't have help. His javelin! Koa still had it!

"Koa!" he called, blood dripping from his jaws as the wounds in his torso worsened. "My weapon! Toss it down!"

[Promatera]

"She will kill us all, including you, if you do not," Cross warned.

"Here we are safe. She cannot reach us. You should really try and relax, otter."

Bon Vaygan was not fond of this pair. Why couldn't they just go along with him? If only life was a stage for improvisational players, perhaps then things would run far more smoothly. However, his thoughts were interrupted by the otter's urgent command.

"I may beat her to it if you are not scaling that tree in the next--"

"AAAARRRRRGGGGH!"

"No stop!" Bon Vaygan cried trying to catch the little otter before he flew towards the javelin plunged into the forest floor. It was no use. The bird had spotted his foolhardy move and was diving on him. The otter was a deadbeast.

"No!"

Just then Cross shot to the small otter's aid. Luckily the bird had caught itself in the javelin, allowing Cross to tackle the bird and try to beat it into submission. However, Cross' plan backfired when the bird ripped a sizable chunk from his torso.

It was a sorry sight and Bon Vaygan wanted nothing to do with it. Perhaps if they had listened to him they wouldn't be in this situation. However, it was his fault they were in this situation in the first place. If only his father had not taught him to be a better beast.

Resigning himself and begrudgingly lifting himself to his feet paws, Bon Vaygan decided to take a course of action.

"Koa!" he called, blood dripping from his jaws as the wounds in his torso worsened. "My weapon! Toss it down!"

The bird; however, could kill him before he got the chance to grab his weapon. He needed a distraction. Thinking quickly Bon Vaygan turned to the eggs he had gathered and picked up one in his left arm, drawing his sword in his right.

He then began to bang his sword against the rock surface calling out, "Here bird! I have your egg right in my paw! Come take it!"

Outstretching his paw with the egg, he hoped it would grab the bird's attention.

[.:Fawn:.]

"Koa!" the big otter shouted. Throwing caution to the wind, Cross sprinted out of the overhang after the little one.

It was quite possibly the worst thing on earth, watching someone you care about get badly injured -- especially when it was because of something you did. Koa stood rooted to the spot, shocked, confused and extremely scared all at once -- his belly knotting up tighter with each sickening jolt rocking through his tiny system, the blood pouring out of Cross far too much for a beast as young as he.
Cross was bleeding.

That big horrible bird had torn him open the same way Skipper tore a loaf of bread!

Without really grasping what was happening, the otterbabe's eyes began to well up like floodgates, fear-weakened body a mass of trembles, the javelin clutched so tightly in his paws they were starting to get numb.

It was all his fault.

"Koa!" he called, blood dripping from his jaws as the wounds in his torso worsened. "My weapon! Toss it down!"

Staring blankly at Cross, it took a second for the big otter's words to register, and Koa, a choked sob pushing out of his small chest, hefted the Javelin with all his little might, praying to all the Gods above, Martin the Warrior, and the Skipper of Otters that it reached Cross in time.

He then began to bang his sword against the rock surface calling out, "Here bird! I have your egg right in my paw! Come take it!"

In light of his friend getting attacked, Koa had completely forgotten about the egg-laying weasel they'd left back under the overhanging rock, and did not notice the vermin's sudden decision to be a good Samaritan. If he had, he would've undoubtedly been quite shocked. Why on earth would a weasel give away it's offspring like that?

Well...they could always just lay some more...

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