Is this..... Kotir? - Open

[suicune]

((All right. Thanks Wildrun, I didn't mean to make a big deal out of it I was just confused.))

[Wildrun]

((No problem. Go ahead, inkmusic. ))

[Onyxwing]

((First post with Brandstifter! ;D)


Brandstifter had been walking around the grounds burning small patches of ivy that threatened to upset the Abbey's foundation when he heard a comotion at the gate. Rounding a corner the shrew saw a two creatures, a mouse and a shrew exit out the wall gate. Never one to miss a fight, Brandstifter quickly poured fuel into his siphon's resovoir and followed at an awkward hobble because of his rag suit.

Upon reaching the fight Brandstifter only saw the Wildcat attack the large Monitor lizzard. He quickly asked a Redwaller, the mouse (Oaklea)

"Vhat is going on here at gate?"

Readying his siphon he was definitely prepared to make that choice on his own should the Redwaller not answer him.

[inkmusic]

((OOC: Sorry I was out for a few days, guys. Welcome, Onyx! Nice to see Brand!))

Fekkan watched in disgust as the wildcat attempted to hit the reptile. All right, so they were both enemies of the abbey, but the wildcat had no cause to be so violent. Actually, the reptile hadn't seemed THAT bad. At least it wasn't a snake. Fekkan shuddered involuntarily at the thought. He, like any self-respecting shrew, hated snakes.

"Mouse..... Shrew..... I have no reason to fight either of you. I come from the Northlands... My father sent me in order to find Kotir. Seeing as this is not what I expected..... I mean no harm. Let me in, or I will."

"Oh yeah, cat?" Fekkan challenged this last statement. "And what'll ye do when we so foolishly let you inside the abbey, eh? Seeing as it isn't Kotir, you should turn your tail around and go back to where you came from!"

He was about to say more when he was interrupted by the sight of another shrew. It didn't seem to be a Guosim, especially with that unfamiliar weapon, and when the stranger spoke, all possibilities of the shrew being a Guosim vanished.

"Vhat is going on here at gate?"

"We were just defending our abbey," Fekkan said casually, leaning against the wicker gate.
"Are you friend or foe?"

He nudged Oaklea. "Hopefully he's on our side, or we'll have one too many to deal with, friend. And each of them on their own side, too!"

Actually, he didn't know that. Maybe the shrew was on the side of either the reptile or the cat, but that didn't seem likely. For one, he seemed rather confused by it all--or was at least pretending to be. And second, although this was slightly biased, Fekkan was pretty firmly convinced that any shrew could not be bad.

[Wildrun]

((Sorry for the wait guys!))

Out of the corner of her eye, Oaklea vaguely recognized the newcomer in his odd garb, the faint smell of burnt air accompanying him. She nodded absewntly to Fekkan, her narrowed eyes focused on the showdown playing out. She had met Brandshifter once, but considering she had been covered in healing burns at the time, she'd had no desire to talk or be near him for very long. Now was an unfortunate time to see exactly what he could use his fire for.

Without thinking of it, the daggord--Oaklea's specialized weapon, a dagger sharper than a winter wind and perfectly balanced attached to a long, whip-like cord--was in her paw, and she swung it slowly in smaller circles. The width of the daggord's rotation grew as she unraveled more of it's cord. It's rythmic humming grew in her ears until it was all she focused on, the blood pounding in her head drowning out the whisper of good sense.

All the berserker needed was the slightest shove to leap between these two creatures. She snarled at the cat, "Maybe if you say please, we'll ask the Abbess if you can visit sometime." The blade hissed in the thick air.

[suicune]

Aurora was prepared for any sort of attack at this point, so when the wildcat attempted to get behind her, it was a futile effort; the butt of the trident, aimed at her head, met resistance in the form of the steel coat on her missing arm. The painful shock of the collision traveled quickly down her arm, causing her to wince and allowing the cat to smash the weapon onto the handle of her falchion. Even so, she was able to swiftly tighten her grip, keeping the sword in her claws as the wildcat retrieved his copper net and ran over to the mouse and shrew.

"Mouse..... Shrew..... I have no reason to fight either of you. I come from the Northlands... My father sent me in order to find Kotir. Seeing as this is not what I expected..... I mean no harm. Let me in, or I will."

Aurora rolled her eye, but it was pretty obvious that neither the mouse nor the shrew believed him.

"Oh yeah, cat? And what'll ye do when we so foolishly let you inside the abbey, eh? Seeing as it isn't Kotir, you should turn your tail around and go back to where you came from!"

Only seconds after the shrew had responded to the barely concealed threat, something stepped around the corner of the abbey and hobbled over to the mouse. It only took a quick glance for the monitor to realize this wasn't a beast to cross; the strange metal weapon he was wielding didn't look like something to be taken lightly, and the dragon head sculpted onto the weapon was a warning in itself. The shrew brought with him the scents of fire and smoke, and while Aurora couldn't tell if his weapon could actually breathe fire, it would probably be best if she didn't provoke its owner.

"Vhat is going on here at gate?" the new shrew, a male by the sound of its voice, asked - the accent was foreign, stronger then that of the monitor's parents, whose accents had all but faded after so many generations of living in Mossflower.

"We were just defending our abbey. Are you friend or foe?" the other asked, leaning against the gate into Redwall - its voice introduced it as a second male. He nudged the mouse next to him, whispering something to it as it whipped out another odd-looking weapon - but this one probably wouldn't breathe fire. It was a viciously sharp dagger attached to a long, thin cord, and as she began to whirl it, a high-pitched screeching noise reminiscent of the howling wind pierced the monitor's ears.

"Maybe if you say please, we'll ask the Abbess if you can visit sometime." it - she - said, snarling angrily at the wildcat. The mouse definately seemed sort of deranged, and if this played out like Aurora was now currently hoping, the cat would be dead within minutes.

The monitor slipped out of the bush she was currently stationed in, watching the wildcat warily out of the corner of her eye as she did so, fully prepared to whip her falchion up in defense against a possible attack. As soon as she reached the wall of the abbey, she let the blade and her single arm hang at her side, looking sideways at the two shrews and the mouse.

"Any chance of me siding with that," she motioned to the cat with her half-arm, "have now thoroughly been destroyed. So, no need to be enemies, right?"

[Wildrush Bronzeclaw]

Wildrush siged slightly, lifting his trident off of the ground, twirling it expertly, letting the sun shine on it, he thrust it back behind his shoulders. He then raised his paws slowly as a strong breeze issued from the west, making the tress sway. Paws now akimbo, the sun glared off of his single artificial bronze claw. "I am Wildrush Bronzeclaw, son of Felics Rashfang, Lord of Mount Highpeak. So, Look. I have no reason to fight any of you," He said pausing. With a turn, hhe pointed his bronze claw at the lizard. "Except that Freak of Nature. Now, I mean none of you harm....."

He stepped slowly forward, his claws beginning to extend, "Unless you attack me first. Got it? I just wish to enter the Abbey. I will not hurt any of you. And Even if I did, You would be able to stop me, right?" He said, taking another step forward, his heavy net weighing down on his tired back, his tail swinging back and forth..... Back and forth.....

[Onyxwing]

Brandstifter still wasn't convinced about the either the Monitor or the Wildcat. Both being vermin and although biased, in most creature's eyes, monsters. He glanced at movement in the brush and was suprised by the massive lizzard. Leveling his flame siphon he listened to it's plea.

"Any chance of me siding with that," ^ "have now thoroughly been destroyed. So, no need to be enemies, right?"

"Fair chance to lizzard" Brandstifter, keeping the wall to his left and, holding the flame siphon in one paw for a moment, waved the lizzard to take a position with the wall to it's left and Brandstifter to it's right.
"Just get in battle line and back away when I use siphon"

Brandstifter turned to watch the rather impressive display with the trident, but all the while making imaginary arcs in his mind to where the flame would have the best effect


"I am Wildrush Bronzeclaw, son of Felics Rashfang, Lord of Mount Highpeak. So, Look. I have no reason to fight any of you,"

Brandstifter let out a hearty laugh and spoke in the language of his home.

" Dikaya koshka vy tak polno sebya ! Kak vy yedite ?"

("Wild cat you are so full of yourself! How can you eat?")

Cutting his laughter short Brandstifter spoke once again in a language the Wildcat could understand.

" Your titles worth nothing here"

Clicking flint and steel together in front of his flame siphon, the dragon's mouth came alive. Only a small slow match fuse to ignite passing fuel, but even an ember can start a forest fire.

[inkmusic]

((OOC: My turn, right? I'm so confused... I can't keep up with you guys!))

Fekkan watched, half disapproving, half admiringly, as Oaklea pulled out her "daggord" .

"Maybe if you say please, we'll ask the Abbess if you can visit sometime."

Well, he certainly admired her spirit, but Fekkan was getting more and more worried by the minute. This wildcat was bad news, and there were (technically) only two of them. He could tell the mousemaid to run for help while he held the cat off, although he doubted she would. That one was a true warrior maid.

He looked up from staring through narrowed eyes at the wildcat when the lizard spoke.
"Any chance of me siding with that have now thoroughly been destroyed. So, no need to be enemies, right?"

Fekkan fit a stone into his sling and casually swung it.

"Maybe so, lizard. You'll just have to prove your worth to us now, and the abbess and Skipper can ask questions later."

"I am Wildrush Bronzeclaw, son of Felics Rashfang, Lord of Mount Highpeak. So, Look. I have no reason to fight any of you, except that Freak of Nature. Now, I mean none of you harm.....
Unless you attack me first. Got it? I just wish to enter the Abbey. I will not hurt any of you. And Even if I did, You would be able to stop me, right?"

Freak of nature? Well, that was a bit much. But then, what [iwould[/i] you expect from a "son of a wildcat lord"? Fekkan snorted, and clenched his paws at the last remark.

"Just you try us, cat!" He spat. "You'll find us quite difficult to deal with, mark my words! You'll never get into this abbey. You hear me? Never!!"

He could barely hear Brandsifter's reply, so he did not know what the incendiary-prone was about to do. Little did he know, they were all about to be in some big flame trouble...

[Wildrun]

((There was a posting list somewhere, I think, but to clear up any confusion here's the order as best as I can see it:
Wildrush
WildRUN
inkmusic
suicune
onyxwing

If I left you out (I don't think I did, did I?) tell me. Let's try to abide by this unless someone asks to be skipped or a one-on-one battle starts))

----------------------

Oaklea's brown eyes snapped away from the cat and followed the lizard, intrigued by her appearance and apparent denunciation of the cat. Beside her, Fekkan denied any entry into the Abbey, and on her other side Branshifter awoke his dragon. Her eagerness for a fight was about to launch the mousemaid into battle, but the thinnest whisper of good sense slithered into her thoughts under the all-consuming hum of her weapon.

Don't be a fool. You need to live for a while still--this cat isn't worth being weakened for when you find that damn stoat. Find out what he wants before you get someone killed.

The mousemaid jerked her head as thought to evaporate the whisper, but her warrior's snarl was displaced by a scowl as she slowed the rotation of her daggord until it's keen was reduced to a low hum. Huffing through her nose in irritation--Living in this Abbey is making me soft--she held out a paw to halt Fekkan's stone and Brandshifter's flame for just a moment.

"I don't give a rat's tooth who ye are or where ye come from, but if you wanna get into this Abbey you'd better give me a good reason." As an afterthought, Oaklea added, in a begrudging tone, "As much as I hate the smell of burnt cat, I was excited to see what that shiny trident of yours can do--it's been ages since I've had a decent fight. I'll be more than happy to shave your whiskers if I don't like your answer."

She held her breath, waiting to hear whether or not she would have her fight or have to stop...

((The stoat reference is an internal plot between my characters. Ignore it.
Please start the posting order from Wildrush and continue, skipping me because I just went. Thanks guys!))

[Wildrush Bronzeclaw]

((Nice mention to the Stoat with Red Claws.))

Wildrush nodded in apprectiation at the mouse, and layed his tail flat on the ground, a sign of surrender for his species. His pale eyes looked at the mouses, his voice tired and airy from his long run. "Look, a good fight would be apalling, but I have nothing wrong with any of you, nor do you with me. You assume because of my species I am bad mannered, yes? Well, what about Gingervere Greeneyes? He was good mannered, and even one of my ancestors. And as for why I request entry, that is a simple affair."

"I want to speak with your abbess, any other leaders that are here, and possibly stay for a period of time. My home lays a long way to the North, and it required me two full seasons to get here. All I am asking is for a time to rest, get some food, and spend an amount of time in peace. If anything bad happened, you could attack me inside, correct? And what if I possibly liked it here, you ask? Then I might stay here permanetly. You never know how I could help."

[inkmusic]

"I don't give a rat's tooth who ye are... shave your whiskers if I don't like your answer."

Fekkan was surprised when his paw was stayed and glanced sideways at Oaklea as she did her speech. Well, it was wise of her to say such things, but how disappointing...Recording could be boring some time, and Fekkan enjoyed adrenaline rushes.

"Look, a good fight would be apalling...why I request entry, that is a simple affair."

Well, this was a change of heart. Fekkan was extremely suspicious. A wildcat didn't normally just lay his weapon down and knew he was beat! This cat was planning something, of that Fekkan was sure.

"Even though that's true, cat, we're ain't judgin' you because of yore species. Ye came here with yore weapon out and posed a certain threat to our abbey, we 'ad to defend it."

And then it got even worse.

"I want to speak with your abbess...You never know how I could help."

Fekkan felt his jaw drop, and he did nothing to close it. This cat was completely willing to fight them, and now he wanted a peaceful stay? That wasn't at all what he had been talking about just a few seconds before! Fekkan wouldn't stand for it, and he knew that Oaklea certainly wouldn't.

"Why didn't ye just say that in the first place, cat, instead o' threatenin' us?"

[suicune]

"Fair chance to lizzard. Just get in battle line and back away when I use siphon."

She didn't particularly want to be in the way of the now-glowing dragon head. "Sounds like a plan," she replied darkly, resheathing the falchion and removing her kilij instead; a longer range would be required for any oncoming battle, and it was extremely difficult for her to use the massive claymore-like weapon strapped to her back with only one hand. She valued speed more then strength, and even if the fact she was a monitor lizard sapped a lot of her agility, she would still rather avoid injury then get in a powerful hit and recieve one in return.

"Maybe so, lizard. You'll just have to prove your worth to us now, and the abbess and Skipper can ask questions later."

She nodded slightly, clutching her claw around the razor-edged weapon and letting it hang by her side. She'd have plenty of time to lift the sword up in the event of an attack, using her added range to get in an early strike; unfortunately, the trident her foe was wielding would easily keep the kilij at bay, she realized. If she had to use the wave-edged zweihander, the only thing she'd be able to do with it was defend against a few slow attacks.

"I am Wildrush Bronzeclaw, son of Felics Rashfang, Lord of Mount Highpeak. So, Look. I have no reason to fight any of you, except that Freak of Nature. Now, I mean none of you harm....."

Aurora hissed lowly, but kept from attacking the wildcat in retaliation; any conflict would probably end in the cat's favor, as her blade skills were pretty useless. Freak of nature was a bit much, as the cat didn't seem to be someone you'd want to run into on a dark night either.

"I don't give a rat's tooth who ye are or where ye come from, but if you wanna get into this Abbey you'd better give me a good reason. As much as I hate the smell of burnt cat, I was excited to see what that shiny trident of yours can do--it's been ages since I've had a decent fight. I'll be more than happy to shave your whiskers if I don't like your answer." The mouse had slowed the progress of the strange weapon she was carrying; perhaps this encounter wouldn't turn out to be the bloodbath she had been anticipating.

"I want to speak with your abbess, any other leaders that are here, and possibly stay for a period of time. My home lays a long way to the North, and it required me two full seasons to get here. All I am asking is for a time to rest, get some food, and spend an amount of time in peace. If anything bad happened, you could attack me inside, correct? And what if I possibly liked it here, you ask? Then I might stay here permanetly. You never know how I could help."

Aurora crossed her arms, fixing the wildcat with an irritated stare. "Maybe it would have been best if you'd...I don't know...been polite instead of threatening us?" Obviously, the shrew with the sling felt the same way.

"Why didn't ye just say that in the first place, cat, instead o' threatenin' us?"

"Attacking you inside wouldn't be the best idea," she added, "I'm sure nobody wants to deal with a full-blown war in the middle of the hall."

[Onyxwing]

Brandstifter eyed the Wildcat an listened to the other's thoughts on the matter.

"I agree fully with mouse, shrew and lizzard! I hate smell of burning cat, but I will not hesitate to torch you!" Brandstifter yelled at the cat

"You come seeking shelter but threaten us?"

Brandstifter turned to the Redwallers. It was their Abbey, they could decide who came and went in through the gates.

[Wildrush Bronzeclaw]

Wildrush sneered, and dropped his paws to his sides. "Where I come from, Violence is customary. The North Lands are barren, almost any food is welcome. We fight for it. Greetings are met with violence, so I cam prepared. Does that make sense to any of you?" His claws fully extended, he clamped his paws closed roughly. "Yet I am ready to fight you if necessary. You can tell I have talent with my trident, and If need be, I can fight you in hand to hand. Claws make excellent weapons."

He the opened his paws, showing them his gleaming black claws, the single bronze one shining brightest. He motioned his hand for them to come at him as his sneer faded. "So I'll fight you if I can't come in. Then my family will have something to avenge if they come looking for me."

[Wildrun]

((Very sorry for the delay))

No one seemed very satisfied at all the way things were turning out. Oaklea growled low in her chest before halting the spin of the daggord entirely and catching the hilt of the knife in her hand. Narrowing her eyes, she noticed the lizard's change of weapon and heard her piece of advice--perfectly true, and with the air as heavy as it was with tension, a fight would most likely break out sooner or later.

Only one solution to that, then...

"I also come from the North," said the mousemaid, exhaling and letting her shoulders loosen. "Perhaps not as far north as you or our local fireman here, but I understand that when the winds and cold are friends compared to the neighboring tribe, you grow up agressive. Unfortunately, we're all...well-behaved here." She did her best to swallow the irony that it was she who said so. "If ye want access to the Abbey, we'll go ask the Abbess. However..."

Oaklea paused, glancing at her shrew companions and the lizard before speaking slowly. "It's rather obvious that, considering this loverly first impression ye've given us, we're gonna end up at each other's throats eventually. Why don't we settle that now, get it outta the way? Pick who ye wanna fight and we'll have a grand ol' duel. Maybe we'll take turns. Not a real duel, mind, no blood or whatnot--otherwise there's not a Dibbbun's chance in hell you're getting into this Abbey."

"How's that sound, mates? Just an idea, s'all up te you."

[Wildrun]

Who's next?

[Ocutrum the Scourge]

Ink.

[Wildrun]

((Hmmm...))