Solitary Confinement [ OPEN ]

[Warfang]

Dawn was just breaking near River Moss and already one solitary creature sat alone by the water, tossing pebbles. The ferret had attempted to hunt earlier, but all of his efforts had gone to waste. Zar was usually determined and a hard spirit to break, but gloom was pressed against his broad shoulders as he thought back to the smiling faces, the warmth, the love... and then the cold, black waters and the screams as his friends and family drowned or got swept away.

A day like this came once every blue moon, and it would always be the newest worst day of his life. Finally, the ferret stood and collected his dagger. It appeared he wouldn't be catching vittles this morn. Perhaps he'd go berry picking, which was always a his second option. By this point it seemed he didn't have a choice. The cream-and-brown vermin began to wander, his eyes half-lidded and dull.

[Promatera]

As dawn began to break over the River Moss, a small hooded figure leaned down from the bank and with cupped hands, collected a small amount of fresh water in her callused paws. Dandelion gazed at the cool water that she had gathered and saw her reflection staring back at her with a glazed look in her eyes. Dandelion had lost her way yet again to Redwall. She had been roaming Mossflower for far too long. How hard was it to find the abbey? She had met beasts before who claimed to know the way, but something always went wrong.

Dandelion sighed and splashed some water into her face. It was refreshing, but she felt little encouragement.

Then suddenly she heard something patting like foot paws against the ground. Was somebeast coming towards her? Dandelion didn't want to take any chances and quickly grabbed her halberd and pointed it in the direction she heard the noise.

"Who goes there?" she spoke in a tone of authority. She may be small, but no beast could intimidate her.

[Warfang]

The ferret stopped dead in his tracks as the unfamiliar and startling voice of a female. Whirling around, he spotted her quickly by the river, a few meters away from the place he'd just been sitting.

"Who goes there?"

Her tone was snippy, and the ferret could tell right off the bat that this creature was no one who would roll belly-up at the flash of his measly wooden dagger. Perhaps he wouldn't even have to use it? The bold vermin tried to gather his voice, which was difficult since he hadn't used it in so long. "'Tis a ferret, but aye, not a bad one," he murmured back, his eyes unblinking. She was just a mouse? He would have sniggered, but it seemed like her eyes taunted him to even try.

"Yer not a vermin. I don't see mice 'ere often," he grumbled, his hand not leaving his hip, where his dagger was. He didn't have his paws around the handle, but he needed to be able to draw it out quickly if this mouse was as feisty as the one who had stabbed him in the back.

[Promatera]

A wild-looking ferret tromped into view. Dandelion let out a groan of disgust. A ferret--vermin. To her, there was no such thing as a good vermin and she was not about to let her guard down. She had been deceived before and it would not happen again.

"'Tis a ferret, but aye, not a bad one," "Yer not a vermin. I don't see mice 'ere often,"

Without putting down her weapon, Dandelion began to encircle the ferret. He looked like a bold creature and when it came to vermin, bold could be dangerous. However, Dandelion needed information. Even if she knew the dangers of trusting a vermin, Dandelion needed something to work off of.

"I would not know of any mouse who would think of staying here," she replied with an icy tone as she eyed the ferret in disgust. Dandelion noted to herself that the ferret was armed with some sort of blade. If the ferret got to close it would make it difficult for her to react so she needed to keep her distance. Her halberd was an excellent way of keeping space between the two beasts, but it added tension to the situation. The whole scenario could quickly be blown out of proportion.

[Warfang]

"I would not know of any mouse who would think of staying here,"

The ferret stared levelly back at the mouse as she circled him. "Aye, neither do I," he replied calmly. "I've lived here all me life, and yer the first mousie I've seen in a long time," he grumbled.
He watched as her eyes flickered to his blade. He had to hold back a smirk.

It occurred to him he might come off as intimidating, with his feral-like appearance and general height difference. He would use this to advantage if he had to. For now, though, he wanted to appear as a calm, less violent creature, but still not one to be messed with.

[Promatera]

"Aye, neither do I," he replied calmly. "I've lived here all me life, and yer the first mousie I've seen in a long time," he grumbled.

"Charmed," she replied sarcastically. Desperate to find Redwall, Dandelion finally decided to ask the ferret if knew where it was located.

"I have a question for you," she added stopping her circular movement. "If you try to deceive me in any way, however, I'll also be the last thing you ever see," she spat venomously. "I've fought vermin for years, I know when one's lying." Her normally impassive eyes took on a new life as they sparked with mettle. She dared the ferret to try anything foolish. "Will you answer my question?"

A small, naive aspect of her soul hoped that the ferret would be honest with her and maybe even divulge some sort of direction. However, it was overtaken by her warrior spirit. If the creature lied to her, she'd relish the chance to rid the world of such a vile beast.

The spear tip of her weapon glinted in the rising sun. Mossflower was silent; as if waiting for something. It seemed as though what would happen next lay entirely in how the ferret would react.

[Warfang]

"I have a question for you,"

The ferret looked at her curiously, and eye thingyed. What could she possibly want from a rogue like himself? Perhaps she was just playing a game, and would end the sentence with something unexcusable, such as 'may I use your fur as a coat once I slay you?' It would surprise the muscular ferret.

"If you try to deceive me in any way, however, I'll also be the last thing you ever see,"

It didn't take an experienced warrior to sense the venom lacing her tone. He had to suppress a chuckle. In the back of his mind, however, the spear made him wary. It reminded him of the psychotic beast who had stabbed him in the back and ran off. He still wore the scar.

"I've fought vermin for years, I know when one's lying."

"Oi believe you," the ferret slipped in a comment. Though his tone was light, his face was serious. Honestly, though, he couldn't tell if his small beast was lying or not. She looked like someone who often chew off more than she could swallow, and a fibber.

"Will you answer my question?"

"I don't see woi not."
The ferret stared at her levelly. "Aye, miz, I 'ave no reason to lie to ye. Just a loner, is what oi am."
To prove he was not a scumbag of a vermin, he held both paws out in front of his face, suspending his dagger in his sash. Zar had to hold back a smirk as the bold mouse spat threats at the lean and lanky ferret whose tranquil eyes only watched her with curiosity.

[Promatera]

"Oi believe you," the ferret slipped in a comment. "I don't see woi not."The ferret stared at her levelly. "Aye, miz, I 'ave no reason to lie to ye. Just a loner, is what oi am."

Dandelion was then surprised as the ferret raised his paws and revealed his weapon. She averted her gaze for a moment, but then brought her attention back to the ferret.

"Very well then," she replied, "I only wish to know if you are aware of the abbey Redwall. I have been searching for the past season, but have failed to find it. If you know anything of its location I would-" she choked up as she struggled to say the rest of her sentence. She couldn't believe she was actually doing this, but it was too late to back out.

"humbly accept your help," she spat out. That was one of the hardest things she ever had to say. She'd probably never say it again. Slowly she lowered her weapon, but kept her gaze locked on the ferret.

[Warfang]

"Very well then. I only wish to know if you are aware of the abbey Redwall. I have been searching for the past season, but have failed to find it. If you know anything of its location I would-"

Zar noticed her pause. A brow raised curiously. Redwall Abbey? He'd heard about it, hell, he'd even came across it a few times but retreated too soon to really explore the place. He didn't know too much about the place, but it seemed very intimidating. Seeing that he was born a vermin didn't really help too much, either.

"humbly accept your help."

Zar had to hold back a throaty chuckle. "Aye, miz, Oi can help you there," he nodded. It'd been a while ago since he'd last set paw around the place, but he had some recollection of it. "We can begin travelin' as soon as aye grab somethin' to eat. I'm famished," he clutched his gut and headed toward the waters edge again, taking out his blade and waiting by the water's edge, eyes scanning for a shadow to flicker by.

((Sorry for the late reply, Promatera. ^^; ))

[Promatera]

((OOC: Now I'm sorry for the super late reply xp))

"Aye, miz, Oi can help you there," he nodded.

Dandelion stood frozen for a moment. Her question had paid off, but could she trust the advice of some backwater vermin. Memories of a similar experience flashed into her head. She had been burned before, was it worth risking it again?

"We can begin travelin' as soon as aye grab somethin' to eat. I'm famished,"

As quickly as she had frozen up she thawed and followed the ferret to the bank.

"Hold on," she replied, "how can I know you are not lying?"

It was an honest question. Dandelion held her weapon firmly, but was not pointing it at the ferret. All she wanted was a straight, honest answer so she could feel more assured.

[Warfang]

"Hold on," she replied, "how can I know you are not lying?"

The ferret paused his fishing right away and turned to look at the mouse over his shoulder. "Marm, I just turned me back to you. Don't that mean anythin'?" he mused innocently, brown eyes round. The vermin placed his blade back in its sheathe and sighed.

"There be no secret intentions behind me humbleness, marm. What would I gain out o' trickin' a damsel like yourself?" he blinked earnestly, turning back to the waters and unsheathing his blade. He crouched over, observantly watching the clear liquid to search for vittles.

When a shadow flicked across his gaze, the ferret struck out, his blade sticking directly through the fish. He plucked it off of his wooden blade and laid it behind him. Without a moments hesitation, he struck again, imerging from the waters with another fish. He put the blade back in its sheathe and grabbed the two fish, handing one out to the mouse. "Here," he offered bluntly.

[Promatera]

"Marm, I just turned me back to you. Don't that mean anythin'?"

The ferret provided a good point, but Dandelion could not bring herself to believe him.

"There be no secret intentions behind me humbleness, marm. What would I gain out o' trickin' a damsel like yourself?"

Dandelion looked down at her paws and noticed the burns that had scarred her paws from a recent incident. After what happened that night, she felt should would not be able to trust anyone let alone a vermin. However, her goal of reaching Redwall was stronger than her lack of trust to any living thing. She may not believe the ferret, but if he could bring her closer to her goal she would follow. At any time, if she felt things would not work out, she had some darker options to ensure the ferret would not live to see another day.

Distracted by her thoughts, Dandelion was surprised when a fish was thrust under her nose.

"Here,"

Now the ferret was offering her fish? She never thought of a vermin as generous. The gesture caught her off guard, but she recovered and refused.

"No thank you," she replied pushing the fish away, "if you aren't lying then we must leave now!"

[Warfang]

"No thank you," she replied pushing the fish away, "if you aren't lying then we must leave now!"

The ferret blinked modestly at her. "Mm, all right then. Suit yourself," he shrugged and began to nibble on his own vittle as he began to head towards woods. "Aye, also, keep yer paw on yer spear. There are some bad creatures in these woods," he warned, feeling ironic that he, a vermin, was the one warning a woodlander of bad creatures in the lands.

Augustine Zar patted himself over, making sure his sash had no tears, his blade was safetly fastened, and his hunger was satisfied. Keeping his pace leveled, he turned back to the mousemaid and despite his social awkwardness, he wanted to talk. He hadn't done so to another beast in so long that it had almost become unbarable.

"By the way, I don't b'leev I eva' introduced meself," he noted casually. "Augustine Zar was the name given to me by me ole' parents before they were swept away. I be loikin' 'Austin' or 'Zar' better than Augustine, thoughs."

[Promatera]

"Mm, all right then. Suit yourself," he shrugged and began to nibble on his own vittle as he began to head towards woods. "Aye, also, keep yer paw on yer spear. There are some bad creatures in these woods,"

Dandelion scoffed at the ferret's advice. Did the creature believe her to be incompetent? Her gaze turned towards the forest and her brow furrowed as irritation spread throughout her complexion. It was going to be a long trip, but if it could somehow get her closer to Redwall she would take it.

"By the way, I don't b'leev I eva' introduced meself," he noted casually. "Augustine Zar was the name given to me by me ole' parents before they were swept away. I be loikin' 'Austin' or 'Zar' better than Augustine, thoughs."

Dandelion nodded and replied, "Dandelion," without turning to face the ferret.

Dandelion was not in the mood for conversation so she hoped her coarseness would signal to the ferret that she was not interested in speaking. The faster and quieter they began, the better.

[Warfang]

Austin noticed her impatience and bowed his head respectfully as he began toward the path. He wasn't a beast usually up for words or conversations, either, but it had been so long... years to be exact. The last time he could remember talking to anybeast was when he was screaming at the psychotic Woodlander who had stabbed him.

His nose scrunched up at the thought, and for a brief moment, the ferret looked down at the golden mouse with narrowed eyes. Was she like that beast? She certainly didn't seem like she would be the kind of creature who would hesitate in gutting him when she had the chance, but out of the kindness of his heart, he would truthfully lead her to Redwall.

If it came to pulling weapons, though, he would only maim her. It would probably be easier carrying her to Redwall, anyway. The vermin shoved the thoughts away, though. Having his first "friendly" encounter in years, he shouldn't be thinking about violence.

"Dandelion,"

His attention was drawn to reality as the mouse stated her name. Remembering that she wasn't too giddy on socialising with a ferret, he nodded, just like she had. This was going to be a long journey...

[Promatera]

As Austin began along the path, Dandelion followed, but remained right behind him so she could keep an eye on the ferret. Dandelion was not about to trust this ferret with anything other than getting to Redwall. Memories of a similarly structured trip returned to her, but she did her best to put them out of her mind.

Dandelion raised her halberd and kept it balanced loosely on her shoulder. The sun was rising further into the sky and the forest was becoming more alive. She looked to Austin and noticed he seemed eager to be travelling. That hopefully boded well for their journey.

But hadn't a certain fox acted the same way? She shuddered at the thought and kept her attention on the ferret.