Obsessions ((OPEN))

[Promatera]

He cast an eye across his companions, his gaze landing on Dandy, "Well, marm, ye ready for some action? I'm tired of looking at these vermins' ugly mugs."

Halberd pointed at the fox, Dandelion proceeded forward without a word. Her eyes ablaze and warrior spirit ignited, a new life seemed to shine from her features. These petulant creatures had distracted her from her target, they would take the stoat's place.

The vermin laughed as she drew near. The fox growing bold decided to comment on Dandelion's appearance.

"Ahh cute, the lil' mousemaid wants t'play!" he laughed.

Too busy enjoying his 'clever' joke, the fox failed to notice Dandelion was within striking range with her weapon. Like lightning, the axeblade of the halberd cut the air and found its mark in the fox's footpaw. Yelling out in pain, he was completely defenseless. As the fox roared in pain, Dandelion reached into the pouch she had hidden a rock in. Though she was saving it for the stoat, it would do much better against the fox. Clutched tightly in her paw, Dandelion slammed it into vermin's face. Silenced, the fox fell to the floor. Lifting her weapon from the fox's footpaw she lodged the point straight through his chest and leaned on it.

The other vermin were stunned by her sheer brutality. The flame in her eyes was not only of a hardened warrior, but of a cold-blooded killer. To Dandelion, this was nothing new. She had been doing it for most of her life. A bright crimson now covered the axeblade and spearpoint. Dropping the bloodied stone, she lifted her weapon from the fox's body and pointed it at the remaining vermin, just daring them to come closer.

((OOC: Too violent? Let me know and I'll modify some details XD))

[Tulian Solum]

(Its all good )

Gasping as the other vermin did as Dandelion murdered the fox Tul's grip on the club faltered slightly, but he managed to regain his composure before it fell into the meadow. Gripping the club again he did his best not to look horrified, luckily for him he could not see the mouse's eyes or he would probably run right there. Besides, the mouse was on his 'side' right now so there should not be any problems from the vermin.

Regardless he didn't run up and stand by her or anything. The mouse seemed to be able to handle this by herself, and if she needed help then the otter should be able to help. He would most likely just get in the way, yeah, he shouldn't help. He nodded a little to reassure himself, but still kept hold of his makeshift weapon as the other vermin seemed to recover from their shock.


One of the rats nodded to the other three as they began to spread out, soon forming a semi circle around Dandelion, Uhtred, and Tulian. The rats both drew out grimy short swords, the ferret a spear, and the weasel a sling, who began loading it but seemed to be fumbling a little from nerves. The two rats began to move toward Dandelion from her left and right and the ferret from the front, their attention clearly focused on her and not the otter or Tul.

[King Benon]

*Dandelion owns the fox and the rest of the vermin close in*

Uhtred watched in amazement as the mousemaid launched a brutal attack against the surly fox, before three blinks the fox had been ended and Dandelion was back in her fighter's crouch ready for more takers. Uhtred, his courtly lineage kicking in, made the decision to engage with the enemy before they all took on Dandy.

One of the rats swaggered well within striking distance and Uhtred launched his attack. He advanced on the rat at an alarming rate, almost appearing to gallop as he closed with the rat. The rat held up his sword, but Uhtred beat it away with his superior strength and quickly riposted, right into the rat's chest. The rats eyes grew wide as it slid from the sword, Uhtred made sure to kick a spur into its throat as he advanced past the fallen vermin, on a direct course for the fumbling weasel. He couldn't let the weasel launch his projectiles uncontested, Uhtred would end him.

[Promatera]

Dandelion observed the vermin closing in around them and looked for an opportunity- any missteps or a glance of fear- to destroy the foebeast. The otter found his and jumped into the fray, slaying one of the rats in spectacular fashion. The vermin ring had moved back slightly with the death of another member. This was just the opportunity Dandelion needed.

Just in front of her was the ferret with the javelin and to his right was the other rat with the short sword. As they stepped back Dandelion continued forward and pushed the two back further with several swift jabs. They were easy enough to block and avoid, but what the vermin failed to notice was she had pushed them back against a tree. Without a backwards glance, the rat blocked another of her jabs only to trip his footpaws along a root of the tree. With a swift thrust her halberd found its mark through the rat's heart.

The ferret, on the other hand, had backed into the trunk of the tree and was moving towards Dandelion, who had stepped backwards out of the javelin's range. This time she was drawing the ferret to her. The ferret clutched the javelin and began to thrust the weapon trying to spear her, but Dandelion kept moving back out of range. After several steps back the ferret lunged and grazed Dandelion in the side. However, Dandelion had acted faster and ran her weapon's spear point through the ferret. As he leaned in to jab her, Dandelion changed her momentum narrowly avoiding the stab and instead ramming her weapon through the ferret.

As the ferret fell, she clutched her side. Her paw could feel something warm dripping out from her side, but she could not feel the pain. Were there any vermin left? She turned to see if the otter had dispatched any other remaining vermin. Wasn't there also another rat? Where had he disappeared to?

[Cross]

The final rat had cut and run like the coward he was, sprinting back through the woods, his eyes wide as saucers. His heart racing, he continued to glance back over his shoulder, afraid the warrior mouse and the big otter had discovered his retreat. Not wanting to meet the same fate as his companions, the rat picked up his pace.

He cried out in surprise as something tripped him. Landing flat on his snout, the rat scrambled back to his feet. "W-w-who's there?" he demanded, brandishing his weapon with shaky paws. A gold-hilted knife rocketed towards him out of nowhere, and he yelled, dodging it just in time. Gaining confidence after a narrow escape, he called out to his attacker, "Heh-ha! Ya misst me, idjit!"

Suddenly, a strong paw gripped the scruff of his neck, hoisting him off the ground. A razor-sharp blade stabbed him just below his ribcage. Coughing blood, the rat was tossed roughly aside. He gurgled red liquid from his gaping mouth as a pretty black and white stoat stepped over him. She looked down at him with disdain in her odd eyes.

"You're even yellower than the mouse," she said contemptibly. She retrieved the knife she had first thrown, wiping off the one she'd used to stab the rat, and slid both blades into the sheaths on her thighs. "I hope you learned your lesson, rat. Running away only gets you killed."

The rat gurgled his last as Alykas tut-tutted in disgust. Walking back towards the water meadows, she noticed she still had blood on her white front paw. Grimacing, she hoped to clean it in the river. Emerging from the woods, she stopped, raising an eyebrow at the carnage caused by the otter and the mouse.

Blood still dripping from her paw, she remarked, "So, you aren't dead. Good, good." Strolling casually past the group, the stoat knelt by the bank, rinsing the crimson stains from her paw. "I take it those vermin were as clumsy as I thought? That last rat was easy enough to dispatch."

[Tulian Solum]

(I believe the last rat was supposed to be my character, but its fine )

Watching as the woodlanders effortlessly dispatched the horde members Tul soon found the only remaining one was the weasel, who had finally gotten his sling loaded, the otter almost upon him. Shrugging a little he took the club in one hand and tossed it spinning toward the weasel.

Just when he had started to spin the loaded weapon the wood branch caught him square in the nose. Screaming in pain he let go of the sling, it sailing off harmlessly across the water meadow, the weasel falling back onto the water. Holding his bleeding nose he looked up at the otter through watery eyes, holding up his free paw and stammering out a plea. "P..please mercy! I surrender...don't kill me!"

Tul meanwhile made sure to stand perfectly still and hold his paws out slightly so he wouldn't appear a threat for when the yellow mouse finally turned around. He was no use to try and run in this kind of meadow, the otter would easily be able to catch him or give him a new back arrow piercing. So he just stood where he was, hoping that their bloodlust had been sated, though he did watch the weasel and see how these woodlanders dealt with a creature that asked to be spared.

[King Benon]

((OOC: Sorry guys I've been at college for the last couple weeks and haven't been able to post.))

"P..please mercy! I surrender...don't kill me!"

Uhtred found himself standing over the hapless weasel. The weasel begged like all vermin do when faced with this situation. He had seen it thousands of times aboard his father's vessel, but back then they were out for revenge. This was different, he forced down his urge to dispatch the weasel and grudgingly began to speak with the wretch.

His words came out a snarl, two rocks grinding together would have been a more pleasant sound, "I'm not gonna kill ye yet, ye miserable wretch. Yer gonna sing like a mousemaid in springtime before I'm done with yer. I've got needs, ye see, I need to know how many vermin you have skulking about in your camp and what you blighted cads are doing this deep into this country. And yer gonna tell me. Or I'll have yer entrails, all of em; and Ill drag them out bit by bit, slow like so yers can watch me, and I'll weave yer a hammock outta them an I'll hoist yer inta the trees with it. An then I'll set the tree on fire. Usually I'd not spend so much time or effort, but today's a special day and I'm feelin' somethin' in my bones that makes me wanna flex my creative muscles with ye, scum. The choice is yers, vermin."

[Promatera]

((OOC: Sorry about that Tul! Might have powerplayed a bit too much xp))

Uhtred it seemed was able to handle his side of the vermin band. Dandelion walked over to him, covering her wound. Tul had completely escaped her notice for the moment, which was probably best as she may have murdered him on the spot.

"P..please mercy! I surrender...don't kill me!"

Pathetic. The creature expected mercy from them now? It was far too late for that. However, Uhtred seemed to think otherwise. As he 'coerced' the weasel, Dandelion noticed that the stoat she had been pursuing earlier had returned.

"So, you aren't dead. Good, good." "I take it those vermin were as clumsy as I thought? That last rat was easy enough to dispatch."

Dandelion glared at the stoat as she clutched her side with a bloodstained paw. There was one more vermin left that she needed to destroy and it was right in front of her. Nothing would get between them now.

Dandelion pointed her halberd at the stoat, ignoring her wound. With restraint, Dandelion began to approach the stoat.

"Uhtred, get the information you need then kill the weasel and any other vermin, but leave this one to me. Her life is mine."

[Cross]

"Uhtred, get the information you need then kill the weasel and any other vermin, but leave this one to me. Her life is mine."

Alykas laughed as she finished washing her blood-stained paw. She stood up, drawing her knives. "Oh, don't be so melodramatic, mouse," she taunted. "Aren't you enjoying our new balance, too? Think of it: you destroy vermin, and I destroy good beasts. Together, we keep the populations of our species in check. Of course, I do slay the odd vermin here and there. But isn't it marvelous? We are equal weights on the scales of life."

She tilted her head to one side, a disarming smile playing across her divided fur. "You wouldn't want to upset that, now would you?" she asked, twirling her twin daggers. The mouse wouldn't care. Alykas knew that. But the stoat had to give some reason why she hadn't killed the girl from the bushes while they were busy with the other vermin.

She glanced at the otter, catching the tail end of his macabre threat to the weasel. Even though he was an otter, he was bloody creative with his ideas for execution. Her friendly smile turning into a wicked one, the stoat made a mental note to ask for a written description of that threat. She then returned her attention to the mouse.

[Tulian Solum]

The weasel seems to be petrified from the otters threat and didn't even try to flee from all the goodbeasts. He looked to Tul with pleading eyes as he just shrugged, sitting on a fall tree trunk as he watched the scene. "Ain't in ta crew no more, don't got ta look out fer yew." He replied as he slid his paws into his pant pockets, crossing his legs as he watched the goodbeasts and the ferret, his eyes drawn to the possible coming fight between the mouse and the ferret instead of the trapped weasel.

The weasel turned his fear filled eyes to the otter, opening his mouth to speak all he knew before the mouse spoke up, threating him with death either way. Spitting out the blood that flowed into his mouth he simply shook his head at the otters demands, though he was clearly shaking with fear from these goodbeasts as he tried to slowly edge away from them. If death was his only fate from this it would do good to leave.

Looking back at the weasel Tul quickly saw a chance to maybe improve his chances with the goodbeasts. Clearing his throat he nodded at the otter. "Ta horde is nay eight and ta bit score, they be after yon abbey most likely, like all ta warbands before them. Even though nay one kept yon Red Stone Fortress for long." He nodded matter of factly after he finished selling out the weasel. Even managing a smile as the weasel looked from the otter to the mouse with a face full of pure terror and dread, blood still streaming down his face.

(Hope the numbers are good and you don't mind Tul's actions. )

[Tulian Solum]

(Do you guys want to wait for Benon or move on without him for awhile?)