The Lost Ones

[fernleaf]

"Don't tempt me, vermin." Bomboar growled, stepping out of the water. He saw Knar had dropped his sword, and he wouldn't attack an unarmed beast, even a vermin. But it looked like the marten was telling the truth. And it wrapped itself in more mysteries. So what happened to its owner, the one the otter was so concerned with, and ahd drawn him into the fight?

He also laid down his weapon, showing he wasn't going to fight, at least for now. He looked to the otter. "That's the only clue we have to your friend's whereabouts, it seems."

Responding to the otter's question, he said "I'm a traveler, and we three have come together purely by chance, as they call it. But I was watching your fight, and saw it was going badly for you, that's why I intervened."

[Caterpillar]

Knar was prepared to be accused of eating up - or something similar - the owner of that doll, whoever it might be (some woodlander's kid probably, as it was a child's toy which had started the whole hassle). It seemed like woodlander was missing someone and in situation like these it was more than easy blame the vermin... Who, furthermore had been found possessing the property of missing lil' beast. That did explain why the otter had so readily pointed his sword at him right after bumping into him.

So to be honest, the marten was a bit surprised when Wetfur actually seemed to believe him (even though there was actually no way him to prove that he had spoken truthfully) Nevertheless the otter still sounded suspicious, like unsure if he should trust his guts or not. But couldn't blame the riverdog from that: rare were the encounters when vermin and goodbeast shook their paws friendly.

Well, trusted the otter in his word or not, that didn't change the fact it was truly happened as the Knar had told. And the marten didn't have anything to add in his tale as he didn't know anything more. Hard luck, Wetfur... So why not take your, and your Badger-pal's hide out of me face and go pester someone else for a chance?

That miracle didn't seem to happen anytime soon as the otter wanted to know, what he was doing out here in woods - and Knar snorted again. Did the woodlander seriously think he would answer that inquiry?
"That's none of your business", the marten said bluntly as he slowly collected his feet under him, in attempt to rise from the water.

Wetfur had picked up the doll and was about to put it away, when something in the rag toy caught Knar's attention. Had he just seen...?
"Hold it", the marten said suddenly, his eyes staring sharply at the doll that was about to vanish into otter's knapsack.
"Lemme see that." Knar held out his hand, his voice demanding.

[lagg]

Lagg thought about giving the doll back to the marten, but obliged anyway, unsure of what the vermin needed it for. "Here you go." said the otter. He needed to hurry up and find the dibbuns before anything bad does happen to them. It's bad enough that the fight did break out. He also took out a scone to help rejuvenate his energy from the former fight. His wound was slowly healing up from what he could tell, but he knew he wouldn't be able to fight with that arm for the moment.

OOC: sorry about the short post

[fernleaf]

Bomboar was just listening at the moment, as the vermin had done no hostile moves, but just seemed curious. After all, he wasn't all attack. He knew when to fight and when to restrain, and this was the time. He watched the marten as he took the doll.

[Caterpillar]

He caught the doll and started inspect it. When otter had cleaned the mud of the dolls dress, Knar would sworn he had seen...
Yes! Under the doll's dress, tugged there tightly so it wouldn't fall off, was yet another object made of straws. Only this was smaller and simpler than the "raft" the doll had rode: it was just a few straws tied across each other so they formed a crooked cross.

Unintentionally Knar touched his scars over and above his right eye - which very much resembled the straws the marten was holding.

....

"Why are you carving that?", Errot asked, as he was sitting on the ground, looking at his doing.
"It's my mark", he said while moving his knife on the tree's bark , "I leave it here so the others know I'm still alive"
"The others?"
"I tell you sometime later"
Errot harupmhed, not pleased to the answer as it usually meant 'I won't tell you until you're season or two older to understand' Then young weasel tilted his head to the side, looking more closely the carving
"It looks like your scar", the kid said finally as if giving some kind of critique. Then his eye widened by realization. "Wait a minute, I remember now! That's the same mark you said I should use whenever I'm in trouble. You're using the same mark!"
There was a moment of silence and small pause in knifes movements, before it continued its working. "I don't remember that", he said.
"You did!", the kid kept pestering him. "When I was a cub, you said that if some beasts ever took me away with them, I should try to leave that mark behind You said it would help you find me "
"When you were--?...You ARE still a cub"
"I'm not cub! I'm your lord and master!"
"Whadda tiny master you make"
"How dare you! I - I'm not tiny anymore!..."

...

The memory faded and Knars eyes fixed back to the otter.
"So", the marten begin "You're lookin' someone too, Wetfur?"
He tossed the doll back to the woodlander while he kept the crooked cross, closing his fingers over it. 
"Then we have sometin' in common, woodlander. I'm missin' my ward. He vanished after the dark on this riverbank. How about your lass?"
A moment before it didn't interest him the lightest who the woodlander was looking for (well, it had to be lass, since her toy was a doll), but now he had all the reason be interested about the subject. As he didn't believe this was juts a coincidence.

[lagg]

The otter took the doll back and put it back in his knapsack, it seemed a moment ago the marten was lost in thought. And it then seemed by his inquiry that the vermin had lost someone as well. "Yes, I'm trying to find three young ones, none of them are biologically mine." explained Lagg, walking over to the river bank, wading in the reflective luminescent surface. "If I find whoever did take them, I will make the piece of scum beg to be dead."

[fernleaf]

Bomboar listened carefully to both the otter and the marten. They weren't the only ones who had known loss. His father was gone, killed by some yet unnamed vermin. And it was all related to the doll that the otter kept. "It seems we all have a common enemy." he said at last. "I will go with you. Whoever did this covered their tracks very well." Looking to the marten, he said "I propose a truce for a while, till we find out this mystery. I find no reason to fight you, marten." At least for now, he thought to himself.

[Caterpillar]

# OOC: sorry this post took a while -- had to re-write it couple of times until I wound fitting way for Knar to respond ^^' #


When hearing, that it wasn't only one kid the otter was missing, but two more, the marten's expression went first thoughtful -- and then darkened, as if the vermin had come to think something he really didn't like. But whatever it was, the marten didn't seem like he would care to share. After all, these two weren't his best pals - he wasn't obligated to share his own suspects.

"Quite of promise from someone who was about to have his rudder handed to him...", the marten remarked and not with the friendliest tone.
If the badger hadn't been there to intervene, the otter would be now counting the starts while lying on the tussock.

Knar picked up his sword, returning it to his pelt. "Lemme guess - they disappeared by the river too?"

Knars head turned towards the badger, as the white-black beast spoke, looking him up and down with the disgusted 'you must be jesting' - expression written all over in his features.
"And why you think I wanna side with you, Stribedog?", Knar said sharply, almost spitting those words out, as he stepped face-to-face and toe-to-toe with the badger. Not too close, since he didn't trust the Stribedog even slightest -- but close enough to make point he wasn't afraid of the bigger beast either.
"Yar kin is always bad news to mine... An' I wager there ain't any tender feelin' you harbor for me neither", the marten said, glaring at the badger his eyes narrowed. Maybe - just maybe! - he could use some help for this if his hunch was right... But calling a truce with badger and have one to accompany him? That wasn't going to happen. Not in this life or in the next one.


# OOC: Don't get discouraged. Knar is stubborn and difficult, but he'll come around eventually x) (for stubborn types it just takes some timwe) #

[fernleaf]

Bomboar picked up his axe and slung it over his shoulder. "Let's just say I want to see if there's anything in you except for blood and death, vermin." he said. He had heard rumors of another who had turned from his vermin ways living somewhere near Redwall Abbey. "I'm going with the otter even if you don't want to. But it's to your advantage if you do go with us. Up to you."

ooc: Sorry about the short post. I've got a case of writer's block.

[lagg]

Lagg was half paying to the others conversations as he was trying to figure out where his next lead could be. "...if they did cross the river though..." the otter mumbled to himself. He turned towards the badger and the marten. "Well, my name's Lagg Tilk and if either of you are following me, I'm heading back up river to where I lost my trail originally. Since the doll floated from where around where their trails ended into the river, I'm wondering if they perhaps made it across the other side." explained Lagg.

[Caterpillar]

Knar stared at the Badger, dubious of if the Stribedog was a delusional or just plainly lost all his marbles. Anything in him except for blood and death? What that was supposed to mean? Of course he was all blood and death, he was a frickin' vermin, for crying out aloud!

But was Stiripedog retarded or not, he had made one rational point. A group truly hold an advantage that one individual could not achieve. Looking for woodlander pups would lead him to Errot and like versa.

First and foremost Knar was a beast with oath to uphold and far behind that fact came his personal feelings. So whatever dislike he might harbor for badgers, he could push aside for a moment. Heck, if the situation called for it, the marten would even shake a deal with the Monsters of the Dark Forest if that would return Error safe and sound.

And let's not forget that those badgers had hardly any mercy for the vermin, big or small. So it might be better to accompany these two and ensure the badger wouldn't dare to fold even one hair of kid's pelt. Wasn't there an old saying: 'Keep your friends close -- and enemies even closer'? The badger was sticking his nose in this anyway, so at least this way he could keep an eye on him.

Knar crossed his arms, staring at the badger. Then he spat on the ground.
"I go", the marten didn't sound too happy about his decision. "I need to get my ward back even if I have to put up with one smelly badger."
He wouldn't call this a truce, though. It was... a frail agreement not to try to kill the badger, not yet at least. This treaty was going to be a fragile one, as most likely it would only take one wrong move from either one to make it break.

Knar moved, stepping past the badger. He needed to fetch some things from camp before he could begin this hunt, but Wetfur's words made him stop.
"I'll wager ya won't find any tracks from 'dere either, Wetfur", Knar didn't have any intention start using otter's nor badger's true names when talking to them. As he wasn't going to give them his. Strangers were better stay strangers. And he really didn't care what name those two used from him.

Knar turned half-way around and opened his frits where he had kept the straw cross..
"I taught my ward leave marks lik' 'dis behind if someone ever took him away by force. I already have searched the area, but 'dis is the first mark I have come across with. An' it wasn't on the ground but came floatin' down the stream with 'dat lil' doll of yours..."
True, he maybe wasn't the brightest beast around, but even he could sum up facts which were laid before him.

Knar tossed the straws away.
"...Meanin' the reason why 'dere are no tracks might be 'dat 'dey aren't moving on the land at all" the marten made a meaningful pause. "Ya see where I'm gettin'? You don't leave much footprints if you're floatin' on the water"

So there was small group kids missing, but there were no tracks on the dry land. The last footprints ended on the waterfront but didn't continue on the other side of the river. So what kind of transportation made that kind of thing possible?

The answer was kind of simple, really.

[fernleaf]

"The only stench comes from you, vermin." said Bomboar. "I'll be watching you, so no treachery." He twirled the axe in his paw as if it was nohting. He looked to Lagg. "I'll be glad to go with you, Lagg. My name is Bomboar,and we'll find your little Dibbuns. And your friend as well." he said to the marten.

No tracks so far, but with an otter, he might be able to find anything in the water.

[lagg]

Lagg looked back to the river after hearing what Bomboar had to say. "Thank you Bomboar, but all though I didnt think of it, we should probably wait until the morning to continue our search. I was going to go in the river and see if I could find any traces of a raft or something that would leave a trail underneath, but right now it's to dark to see under there." explained Lagg. He turned back to the others and waited to see if they agreed with him. He didn't want to wait any longer than need be, but he knew right now there was nothing he could do.

[Caterpillar]

# OOC: So sleepy... I hope you can get the idea what I'm writing here. xD Brains.... not... working...properly... #


Knar rolled his eyes. Clearly the vermin wasn't up to this plan otter was proposing.
"I'm not waitin' ", the marten said curtly, voice cold. "The doll came from upstream so needless to say they're moving upstream - so 'ere I'm headin' too. Raft or anythin', if they can move it against current, 'dat means they have more than one pair of paws doin' the paddlin'. I'm not givin' them more head start than 'dis"

"But you two can stay here and play campin' all ya want", Knar said with wave of his hand, making it shown that he didn't care less what the two beast decided to do. He already had made his own mind. "I'll get some things from my camp and then I'm goin' after the guilty party before they get too far... You might wanna do the same, Wetfur, if ya ever wanna see your precious lil' ones again"
That last sentence might hint that marten knew - or had figured out - something that he hadn't shared to the otter and badger, if you were clever enough to notice the slip.

However Knat turned - not caring if the two followed or not - and returned to the camp that was set away from the river. The distance wasn't that big, but it had been enough for someone to successfully snatch Errot away, without rising his suspicion. Knar could only think one or two type of beasts managing to pull a trick like that and he wasn't planning sit on his tail and wait for the sunrise. He was going after the responsible ones right now, was there light or not. It already had been hours since Errot had disappeared, so there was no telling how far they had managed to get. Waiting for the morning would only put more distance between him and them.

The camp was small, but there was visible clues that it was indeed made for two beasts. Knar stepped in front of a big basket he used to carry on his back and from it the marten retrieved a spare dagger - as the badger had made his old one useless. Knar tugged the weapon in its place, taking his sling and stonebag - and couple of other things that could be carried in leather belt case which he fastened around his hips.

Knar was taking only a light gear since he was planning to travel fast, so basically it meant leaving everything else behind. Knar moved the other belongings in a hollow between two big tree roots, kicking some leaves to cover them up out of sight. If their equipments were there when he returned, then good. If they weren't, that didn't matter either as returning here would still mean he had found Errot.

[fernleaf]

"That's a good idea, Lagg." said Bomboar. "We need to find clues and fast. People just don't vanish into thin air." He searched along the bank for any other tracks not their own. He also didn't want to stay here longer than they had to.

[lagg]

Lagg turned back to Bomboar and Knar after hearing what the Marten had proposed he would do. "Your right Knar, Bomboar. Either way none of us want to be hasty and follow a wrong lead in our search. But I will follow both of ya'll to the kidnappers." nodded the otter, he watched as Bomboar seemed to be looking at the ground for clues of tracks, which he started to do them same but also noticed that Knar seemed to already be gathering supplies to leave somewhere immediately. "Marten, you seem to know something that we have yet to figure out." Lagg inquired, curious as to what detail the badger and himself have missed. It stung alittle knowing he wasn't keeping up with finding any hint to the whereabouts of the missing children, but he hoped Knar would let them know what he had known.

[Caterpillar]

# I mah so glad we can continue this story! ^^ And without Lagg it wouldn't be possible -- this story needs someone between Bomboar and Knar or else those two end up in each other's throat xDD #


The final thing Knar collected, before returning to the river bank, was a big sword in its scabbard. The sheath itself didn't look like much: it was plain black leather with some bronze decoration, but the sword's handle was unusual as it was curved and bone-white like it made of some creatures giant tooth.

Bloodfang. The heritage of Grendel ,the very symbol of the ruler of the army and what Grendel's name represented. It had been Errot's father's sword - and before that his grandsire's who had got it from his father.... The weapon had passed down with the family-blood from Army Commander to the next.

...And Errot would be next in line. He would be. Knar was going to find the boy and when he did, the tyke was better be unharmed. Or the catchers would find themselves in world of pain.

Knar was about to bind the sword on his back when otter turned towards him with his question - or demand, the marten wasn't quite sure which one it tried to be... But really now - Where this Wetfur had grown up in? Inside four walls? It seemed like waterweasel didn't have any clue how nasty the outside world could be since it seemed like he had to spell things out to the otter.

Knar stared down the otter for a whole minute, hovered above him. The marten was good at hovering due his great height. And for moment it was uncertain if the dark-eyed beast was even bothering to answer.

"...Do ya know what 'snitchin' shrimps' mean, Wetfur?", the marten asked then, his voice far from friendly.

"Slavers use it when 'dey talk about abductin' kids. Grown-ups are always difficult as 'dey can put up fight, but runts? 'Dey're easy targets. Ya just snatch 'dem and be gone before 'deir kin start missin' 'dem"

Knar let the information sink into the riverdog's mind. He returned his attention to the sword's belt which he was fastening over his chest.

"Fits in this picture lik' fist in the eye, no?", he continued. "Four tykes gone missin' without trace and the first lead comes floatin' dow the river.. Ya know, a boat is useful transportation for slavers: much room for catches and it doesn't leave trails to follow"

Knars dark eyes moved upon otter again.
"An' slavers are slippery folk. Ya can bet your tail 'dey intend to be far away from here before the sunrise"

[fernleaf]

"Let them try." said Bomboar. "I like a good chase, and they will find out who is the faster as we pursue them. And they will be the shrimps."

ooc: Sorry about the short post. I'm getting back into it after a long hiatus, but now I'm ready.