|
|
Post by Mara Tenderfoot on Jul 16, 2008 23:44:26 GMT -5
One more round
I'll come out swinging
~Mara
_____________________________________________________
The sharp points of cutlaces and spears, ouch they hurt! "Mama! Mama, where are You?"
The black figure tossed fitfully in the small bed.
"Why... Why can't I see you? Stop it! I don't like that.... Why do I feel so dizzy? MAMA! ANYONE!" The sound of a familiar voice called out, "Naomi!"
The eyelids flickered restlessly over the amber eyes.
They advanced on the small figure, only 8 years old. Cuts scored the small squirrel. She took a step back, scraping her back on the weapon drawn by the sea-rat behind her.
A small whimper was emitted from the maw of the fae.
A cut over her eye caused her to loose sight of the other squirrels around her, which had become a tight circle, surrounded by the vermin scum, all showing the marks of a struggle.
The sheets long forgotten, the black squirrel maid continued to struggle, half in and half out of concienceness.
A pair of strong paws lifted her up, and she caught a glimpse of her mother, the squirrel queen struggling against a fox, only to be struck down by his battle-axe, but she didn't have long before she was over the heads of the vermin. A voice called out... "Run Naomi, run! Head for the abbey! GO!"
Sweat beaded the maid, plastering the fur to her somewhat muscular form and exposing the silvery scars that were almost everywhere.
She ran as fast as her little paws could manage, a sob coming from her maw, and a lump rising in her chest at the brutal murder of her mother she had seen.Faster, and Faster she ran. With a yelp, she felt the bite of a spear in her footpaw, blood flowing as she limped, seeing the Redstone building rear above her, and she was at the North wallgate. Her fist pounded against the wood. "Please! We need help! Please, open up! Help my family!"
With a strangled sob, Naomi passed out, her last glance of the advancing vermin.
The whites of her eyes showed as Mara woke up, amber eyes blazing with fear. She remembered that night, she had awoken 3 days later, bandaged on almost every inch of her body. Aparently, in her delerium, she had been calling out for her Mama.
Mara moved over to the window of the dormitories, a slight limp eminent in her footpaw as she let the early morning air wash over her, and she put on her light blue tunic, cinching it at the waist with a corded rope.
They had returned to the scene to look for survivors...but there were none. A tear coursed down Mara's check at the rememberance of her old name. Naomi. She couldn't be called that anymore, for that was when she lived up to the meaning. Now, she was bitter, bitter with the bum-rap she had been given for live.
So, she wanted to continue her mothers legacy, for she was old enough to try and become squirrel queen, though, there were other, older, and probably some more fit for the job then her, but it didn't stop her from trying.
Her amber eyes took in the sights of the abbey, the thick walls offering protection. She would find that vermin band one day... and when she did, they'd better watch out.
|
|
|
|
Post by Rasthur Grassrunner on Jul 17, 2008 20:04:36 GMT -5
Wood tapped against stone in a steady rhythm as the old worn grey fox hobbled his way up the stairs. Rasthur's ears had caught many a sound aloft in the breeze, he had heard of the young squirrel maid whom had recovered from a rather vicious attack. It was an all too familiar story, he had often been a part of these incidents first hand and it wasn't the side of innocence.
But such times were far behind him and it still saddened him somewhat that his brother vermin would still resort to such acts. Then again it took heaven and earth to force him to change his ways and he was still a work in progress.
He was especially attuned to the cries of anguish that lingered in his mind for all these years, when he heard these cries he wasn't sure it was reality or another dream of the past. He was repenting for his sins, but the spirits of the fallen still dogged his every step.
Eventually Rasthur reached the top of the flight of stairs, the young maid was there, gazing out the window. She must've given out the cry that had lured him here.
"Everythin' alright, girl?" He uttered in his rough manner, his blind folded eyes creased slightly, it took a lot of effort for him to even exert that much control over his now useless eyes.
|
|
|
|
Post by Mara Tenderfoot on Jul 17, 2008 22:36:24 GMT -5
One more round
I'll come out swinging
~Mara
_____________________________________________________
The breeze made quick work in drying Mara's fur. The silvery scars but a memory of that event, making it hard to forget what had happened way back when. Resentment burned in the heart of the young maid. If she could only get her paws on them now, they wouldn't be so lucky! The faces they wore as they cut unmercifully into her family still were fresh in her mind.
8 years. Half of her LIFE she has been like this. The once gentle Naomi gone, only Mara was left... only bitterness. Nothing was left in her heart...not love, barely even kindness...No, she had to force kindness most of the time. The walls she had built around her heart thick, and unyeilding...like the walls surrounding the abbey. Her amber eyes turned away from the outside world as she heard an unfamiliar, gruff voice. It just sounded like vermin scum. She was about to hiss out a warning when she realised he could barely see, and was asking if she was alright.
She relaxed, slightly, but still wary, but, if he was dangerous, he wouldn't be in the abbey. And it didn't look to her like he could get in in any other way.
Begging your pardon, sir, I hope I did not wake thee pray?
It took a lot for her to say the words, it had been a long while since she had dared speak to any other then her kind...She barely spoke with the abbot! Still, she beat around the bush, why would he want to know that she had been having a nightmare?
Yes...that was all it was...a nightmare...It wasn't worth bringing up to anybeast. Why would they care, anyways?
That was just how Mara, any show of kindness was lost on her...for now. Someday, somebeast will break through her walls, and she will be Naomi again...Someday...
|
|
|
|
Post by Rasthur Grassrunner on Jul 18, 2008 17:07:44 GMT -5
Wake him? Rasthur gave a slight smile, forcefully amplifying his amusement. He didn't sleep much during the night, at least he thought it was the night time. He wasn't so sure any more, the only way he could determine if a day died or had been born was by the smell of the meals. His ears twitched slowly, he wasn't just listening to what she said, but rather how she said it. The whiskers at the tip of his muzzle worked in unison with his ears, from what he already gathered, this one was a squirrel, a female and if word was to be believed, a young one.
"I ain't no sir." He replied again just as roughly as before, it was another mark on him from the past; as much as his tattoos and his scars were.
"And don't concern yerself with m'rest." He almost hissed back, but he bit his tongue. Living with the abbey beasts and following their....Unusual customs wasn't easy. But he owed them his life and this was more than a fair trade.
|
|
|
|
Post by Mara Tenderfoot on Jul 19, 2008 18:55:34 GMT -5
One more round
I'll come out swinging
~Mara
_____________________________________________________ Mara noticed him smile, and wondered what on earth he had to smile about. She never smiled...in fact, she didn't think she even knew how to anymore. She didn't like how he was investigating her, his ears and nose working to figure out who she was. A slight snarl appeared on her maw. She just wasn't getting into this whole...friendly thing...still. And by the sound of the foxes voice, neither was he. She limped over the the unkempt bed. She'd learn to live with the limp, and was almost as good with it as before. Her speed had diminished, but she could still climb. When the spear had pierced it, it had ruined some of the muscles...Bah, who needed to be perfect anyways? OOc-bah, their getting shorter eh? |
|
|
|
Post by Rasthur Grassrunner on Jul 23, 2008 23:18:29 GMT -5
((XD...Darn you modern television! Slowly killing my creativity =P))
Another wave of focus came over Rasthur, who'd of thought that it took his hearing, smell and logic to replace his eyes? His senses worked quickly, alongside his mind, painting a picture as best he could. But with each picture, the strokes grew weaker, he had only his memories of what 'colour' was or what smooth or rough surfaces looked like. Her stride was different, not as smooth and rhythmic as most beasts, a step, a pause then a thump was what his ears found.
"They cut ye up bad then?" He inquired out of nowhere, as if she could hear his thoughts let alone push aside his sudden forward question. He saw no real purpose for secrets, it was just another guise for shame as far as he was concerned and shame was another form of voluntary blindness; refusing to acknowledge a part of oneself at the fear of others. Only another set back.
|
|
|
|
Post by Mara Tenderfoot on Jul 27, 2008 20:46:37 GMT -5
One more round
I'll come out swinging
~Mara
_____________________________________________________
Mara finished making the bed and listened to the foxes words.
"They cut ye up bad then?"
She turned around quickly, bushy tail inches from him, coming to rest behind her.
Ya, they did. But you shoulda seen the other beasts.
She let out a small, sarcastic laugh. Compared to the loss of the squirrels, the vermin barely lost any. It made her mad. She just wished that her mother was still here, with her, guiding her.
Now that she was squirrel queen, she had been wishing that all the more. What would her mother have done in her place? She wish she knew.
She forced the painfull memories down again, putting them behind thick walls.
|
|
|
|
Post by Rasthur Grassrunner on Aug 1, 2008 17:59:43 GMT -5
Rasthur smiled again, less forcefully this time. It was quite ironic they both had a façade of friendliness although the fox's was a lot more thinner and easier to see through. Lying was never a priority to him, he had no reason to be friendly. But he simply did it for the sake of those whom had taken him in.
There was this odd sensation in his throat, he had never felt such a thing in his life. The Abbey beasts had described it to him as...Guilt.. Was this the result of seeing the aftermath of the work of his brother vermin? He had killed before, claimed a lot more lives than he was entitled to without so much as blinking. Repentance is harder in practice than in theory he mused.
"Such a tale ain't uncommon...These be.. dangerous times." Rasthur smiled lightly, the feelings of guilt slowly eroded but it would leave it's mark on his mind for some time.
|
|
|
|
Post by Mara Tenderfoot on Aug 2, 2008 11:13:48 GMT -5
One more round
I'll come out swinging
~Mara
_____________________________________________________
Mara's amber gaze swept towards the hall, wondering if anyone had heard the moment of weakness, her voice had cracked in the memory of what had happened. She'd never let emotions get to her before.......
He snapped her out of it.
"Such a tale ain't uncommon...These be.. dangerous times."
No, and that's a fact. They need to be stopped.. Her voice dropped here to a dangerous growl, her face showing her anger, the scars showing up more prominant... And I wanna be the one to stop them.
|
|
|
|
Post by Rasthur Grassrunner on Aug 4, 2008 0:58:15 GMT -5
"Yore gonna stoppit?" Rasthur grinned, which turned into a chuckle which in turn morphed into unbridled laughter. He was fairly aware of what her tone entailed, she was quite serious about the matter. But the old fox didn't doubt that she would try what he did doubt was whether she could succeed.
"Such spirit." He eventually managed to wheeze out after his fit of dry laughter, mentally cursing himself for revealing the capability to be amused; it always left him in a helpless state. Rasthur felt his way to the bed and seated himself on the side, still leaning on his walking stick for support as he thought of what to make of this young squirrel-maid.
"Everybeast wants t'change th' world." He replied sagely, truth be told he at one point in his life wanted to change the world to what he deemed to be the better.
Though of course, the tribal outlook that he held onto so tightly in what seemed to be a previous lifetime ago was small; seeing not much further then the horizon of the mountains and the stars of their various gods.
|
|
|
|
Post by Mara Tenderfoot on Aug 5, 2008 18:21:29 GMT -5
One more round
I'll come out swinging
~Mara
_____________________________________________________ Mara hated how he mocked her, and her lip curled into a silent snarl. Yes, I'm going to stop it!When he comented on her spirit, she let out a small, sarcastic laugh. It's not like many others have such. At least I'm TRYING to make a difference!Not many others could attempt what she wanted. Most would be to gutless, the cowards. Mara hated Cowards. |
|
|
|
Post by Rasthur Grassrunner on Aug 6, 2008 23:19:42 GMT -5
Again the old fox nearly laughed, instead opting to smile. His ears couldn't really comprehend what they were hearing, such naivety. One beast can't change the world, Martin the Warrior didn't, many Badger rulers have tried and failed. He certainly had failed, along with his entire tribe.
"Trying?" His smile broadened, creasing his cheeks slightly, what was the point of trying when it was fairly obvious that you would fail? Why try to squeeze water from a rock?
"Fight the ocean and you will drown." He eventually muttered, he didn't object to defending the innocent and all that other nonsense that these beasts spurted on about, but eradicating evil entirely? Unlikely, after all shadow can only exist where there is light.
|
|
|
|
Post by Mara Tenderfoot on Aug 6, 2008 23:28:38 GMT -5
Mara closed her eyes at what he said. It made her feel like a naugty dibbun, making her think that she was just a niave little Naomi once more..........No! Naomi was DEAD to her! She looked out the window, and felt a strange feeling tugging her to just, leap out.....end it all here.
Without thinking, she moved, as if in a trance, towards it, her gate slow, the limp prominant. She moved, and suddenly....she stopped....What was she doing.
Well mate, our ways part here.
She looked out the window, and threw her legs over the sill....She raised her paws, and started to climb......
|
|
|
|
Post by Rasthur Grassrunner on Aug 14, 2008 0:45:00 GMT -5
"What nonsense ye be-" Rasthur could barely finish his sentence, the sounds of movement were unmistakable. He strained his ears further, she was moving, away from him. But where? The door was the other way...A smooth breeze bristled his fur slightly and then quickly stood on end. The window? What could she possibly be after?
It finally hit him, an escape. Something he had pondered in the past when he discovered his lack of eye-sight but eventually turned down as the old fox had realized that he could now see the world from a different angle.
"And what good would that do ye?" He hissed harshly, "Dyin' ain't gonna solve anythin', it won't make them stop." The old fox relented in his berating and pondered the mind of this maiden and what she could possibly be thinking.
"Don't be such a coward." He eventually spoke in a more calmer tone, "A few moments ago ye were tryin' to prove me wrong." On one paw, Rasthur could really care less if another life was lost from this world. Life would go on, beasts would mourn and carry on with their life.
But on the other, for some inexplicit reason he wouldn't let her do such a thing, what did this maid do to make him care about her? At least to this degree. They had only met, not much more then a soldier would meet the enemy.
Despite seeing life from a whole different perspective, his eyes were still playing tricks on him.
|
|
