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Post by Mara Tenderfoot on Jul 21, 2008 12:13:40 GMT -5
One more round,
I'll come out Swinging
~Mara
______________________________________________________
The lightblue clad pitch black figure paced the ramparts, longbow in paw, and quiver with her blue-fletched arrows. She looked out at the peacefull mossflower, and the young squirrel queen wondered...
How long will it last?
Not many seasons go by without somebeast or another trying to take over the abbey, and Mara wanted her squirrels to be ready to help the abbey.
Having pretty much grown up in the abbey, she prefered to stay there, but liked the little hollow that the squirrels now inhabbited nearby. Though, with such lasting peace, Mara had decided to keep them here....for now.
With a sigh, the silvery scared maid kept walking on the ramparts, placing a black paw on the red stones, feeling the power resting within.
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Post by Ox-eye on Jul 21, 2008 12:36:29 GMT -5
Jumping from branch to branch, Darkin headed towards redwall Abbey. As he approched the edge of the trees he jumped off of one branch caught one higher up and kept moving higher up in the oak he was climbing.
He final reached the top panting slightly, he could see the red sandstone wall just infront of him, he could also see the abbey grounds, but it was the rampart that he was aiming for.
He caught site of a black squirrel pacing the rampart that was just ahead of him. The squirrel looked about his age and from its appearance he guessed that it was female.
With a quick bounding leap he jumped up, caught a higher up branch and used it to send him sumersualting onto the ramparts beside the black squirrel. He turned to look at the squirrel and said "Nice weather we haveing, the names Darkin by the way, whats yours?" He also offered his hand in friendship, to show he meant well.
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Post by Mara Tenderfoot on Jul 21, 2008 12:46:33 GMT -5
One more round,
I'll come out Swinging
~Mara
______________________________________________________
From the corner of one amber eye, Mara saw the flash of red in the trees. Quickly notching an arrow to her bow-string, she held it at the ready.
When the other squirrel, a red male, hopped onto the ramparts, She relaxed slightly, putting the arrow back into the quiver on her back, and holding the bow like a stave lightly in one paw.
"Nice weather we having, the names Darkin by the way, whats yours?"
She took his offered paw with her own, slightly self-concious about the silvery scars running along, not only her paw, but her whole body. Without a trace of a smile, she introduced herself. She rarely smiled, it was just how she was.
T'is very nice. I be Mara Tenderfoot.
She decided against pulling the squirrel queen card, she hated when others would treat her differently because of it. She just wanted to be normal... but she would never be normal. Not just because of her position, but the emotional scars still inside. The walls she had built thick and strong around her heart stopped her from making friends, just having those that she ruled over, as a kind leader, with wisdom above her 16 years, though, as many young leaders, she made mistakes. Who didn't though?
She turned her attentions back to the male ahead of her. He seemed about her age, strong, with a strange white mark on his plume of a tail.
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Post by Ox-eye on Jul 21, 2008 13:17:27 GMT -5
Darkin could see the silvery scars all over her body and could tell from this that she was either a skilled warrior or had a rough time with some vermin at some point in her life, but thought that it was best not to ask.
"Nice to meet ya and even with your scars you still look pretty" Darkin felt slightly foollish for his last comment, but he was just speaking his mind.
"Do you live here at the abbey then?" He didn't think that Mara would live at the abbey, she had the look of a travler, but Darkin thought it better to ask and make sure before he came to a decision.
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Post by Mara Tenderfoot on Jul 21, 2008 13:22:48 GMT -5
One more round
I'll come out swinging
~Mara
_______________________________________________________
Mara smoothed her tunic, and cast her glance back to Mossflower.
"Nice to meet ya and even with your scars you still look pretty"
He had some cheek, saying that to her. Though, he had looked headstrong when she met him. Plus, he didn't know who it was that he was talking to, so she passed it off, besides, he looked embarrassed that he had said that.
"Do you live here at the abbey then?"
Sometimes, othertimes, we, that is, the other squirrels and I, go to live in Reguba hollow. Right now, the queen's decided to stay and help the abbey, it's been to...quite lately.
She was still not telling him who she really was, and she hoped he couldn't tell that she was holding something back from him.
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Post by Ox-eye on Jul 21, 2008 13:32:10 GMT -5
Darkin knew what Mara had said was true, Mossflower was too quiet. He hadn't seen any vermin gangs for quite some time and nor had any other beast he had spoken to. "Who is the new squirrel queen. I think it was a good idea for her to stay here to protect the abbey. Mossflower has been far too quiet lately. I haven't seen a single vermin gang on my way here"
Darkin may be headstrong at times but he was a quick thinker and thought over what Mara had said and came to the conculsion that she wasn't telling him something and he could tell that it was something important and said "Your not telling me something, what is it?"
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Post by Mara Tenderfoot on Jul 21, 2008 13:45:59 GMT -5
One more round
I'll come out swinging
~Mara
_______________________________________________________
"Who is the new squirrel queen. I think it was a good idea for her to stay here to protect the abbey. Mossflower has been far too quiet lately. I haven't seen a single vermin gang on my way here"
She's quite young, you know. She has an old head on young shoulders, she didn't want something to happen to the abbey-dwellers. You havn't seen ANY vermin? No traces at all?
Tha concerned her. Something big was happening. She knew it. She was still hedging, then he brought it up.
"Your not telling me something, what is it?"
She tried to act all nonechalant, scratching an ear with a paw, and playing with her bowstring.
Well... I'm the squirrel queen. I hate when others treat me different because of it.
She offered a weak smile, flashing the stark white teeth that so contrasted her black fur.
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Post by Ox-eye on Jul 21, 2008 16:57:09 GMT -5
Darkin returned her smile and then laughed slightly. "I never would have guessed and thank you for protecting the abbey that i have come to love so much". He smiled at her again. He never would have guessed that Mara was the squirrel queen, but wasn't about to treat her any different, as he now knew she didn't like.
"So how did you come to be queen then?". Darkin was just curious, since he had traveled all over mossflower for nearly a season and hadn't heard any news of a new squirrel queen.
"Fancy a short run around the battlements?". If Mara said yes he would be off before she could turn and run. His plan was to run across the parapet, it would be more dangerous, which was how Darkin like it.
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Post by Mara Tenderfoot on Jul 21, 2008 17:56:18 GMT -5
One more round,
I'll come out swinging
~Mara
_____________________________________________________
Mara noticed that he smiled alot.
"I never would have guessed and thank you for protecting the abbey that I have come to love so much.So how did you come to be queen then?"
The abbey means a lot to me. I practically grew up here. When I was 8 years old...I was traveling with my mother, the current Squirrel queen....and my friends and family, her band. We...we were attacked by vermin. I was the only one who survived. I had to be in the infermery for 16 seasons, they thought I would die for 4 of them. When I recovered, I was still too young to become the leader in my mothers stead, and so there was a temperary leader until I came of age. This year, I became the queen.
She left out a lot of detail, like her real name. That name was dead to her. He lightened the mood though with his challenge.
"Fancy a short run around the battlements?".
With a twinkle in her eye, Mara took off at a run, the slight limp almost not there. She was pretty fast.
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Post by Ox-eye on Jul 21, 2008 18:05:57 GMT -5
When Mara took off before him, it surprised him slightly as he was planning to take off before her. Darkin recovered quickly and sped after her, hopping from each parapet at a fast run. She was quite fast, but it didn't take Darkin to catch her up but he was hard pressed to over take her.
She may have been the squirrel queen, but that didn't mean that darkin was going to let her win. As they rounded the last wall corner of the battlements, it was the last streach to the finsh. Darkin was breathing heavily, but wasn't about to give up.
With an expert leap he jumped into the air and sumersaulted infront of Mara and was just able to keep his balance, when he tried to run after just landing. Darkin may have been ahead of her, but it wouldn't take her long to catch him up and he was nearly at the finish as well.
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Post by Mara Tenderfoot on Jul 22, 2008 10:35:40 GMT -5
One more round,
I'll come out swinging
~Mara
_______________________________________________________
If there is one thing that Mara had overcome from the attack, it was re-learning to run with her limp, and she learned well enough to be quite swift.
When she looked over her shoulder, she saw that he was overtaking her quickly, and he leapt up and flipped over Mara's head. She hoped he'd overbalance when he landed, and for a moment, it almost seemed like he would, but he got his balance and kept running.
Mara put on an extra burst of speed, trying to draw level as the finish line came into few, they were almost even!
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Post by Ox-eye on Jul 22, 2008 10:52:01 GMT -5
Darkin hadn't ran like this this in ages, but even then he wasn't much of a runner and this soon started to tell as his pace got slower and he was breathing harder. He looked over his Shoulder briefly and saw that Mara was now almost level with him.
Then she put on a burst of speed and came level with him, the finish line was just ahead of them, but Darkin couldn't keep up his pace and started to fall behind. When Mara reached the finish, He walked up to her and said "Well done, I haven't ran like that in seasons. Your swift, even with your limp". He offered her his hand and smiled again, but only a slight smile.
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Post by Mara Tenderfoot on Jul 22, 2008 11:17:21 GMT -5
One more round,
I'll come out swinging
~Mara
_______________________________________________________
Mara was just barely breathing heavy, she'd been working on stamina, and was glad to see it pulling off! Though, she was getting tired, her legs starting to have a slight burn. She heard his laboring breaths beside her, and saw him fall behind.
Crossing the finish line, Mara threw her hands up, and offered a small, light laugh. She didn't laugh much, but, it was nice at times to let it out.
"Well done, I haven't ran like that in seasons. Your swift, even with your limp".
Well, when something like that happens, one just tries until they can overcome it. That's what I had to do, you kinda need to relearn everything. Thanks.
She took the offered paw and shook it. She was thirsty, and wanted to have something to drink....
Thirsty? We could probably get something in the kitchen.
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Post by Ox-eye on Jul 22, 2008 12:35:50 GMT -5
Darkin's breathing had slowed down quite a bit but he was still breathing quite heavily. "Your welcome, and how did you get your limp?" When she asked him if she was thirst, he would have declined, but then relised that he realy did need a drink.
"A drink would be nice and mabe we could get some food while we're in the kitchens" He winked at her then, as if to say we will take the food without asking, but in playful kind of way, but he wasn't sure whether she would do it or not.
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Post by Mara Tenderfoot on Jul 22, 2008 13:13:09 GMT -5
One more round,
I'll come out swinging
~Mara
______________________________________________________
Mara stretched out her scared footpaw, letting the kink that can sometimes build after running come out.
"Your welcome, and how did you get your limp?"
In the same attack that killed all I knew, when they helped me get away, I ran to the abbey for help. A javelin pierced right through. Though, I threw it back at them before banging on the gates. The paid the price of one member, while I lost all whom I knew.
Mara started to really live up to her name at the moment, the bitterness overwhelming her like a cloud, making the amber eyes narrow.
"A drink would be nice and mabe we could get some food while we're in the kitchens"
She knew what he meant by the wink. Though she was squirrel queen, she did act like a dibbun at times. Should they? Maybe they'd get away with it. Wouldn't hurt to try.
Maybe...Come on, besides, if anyone challenges us, I could soften them up a little.
There was a glint in her eyes. She remembered times when she was still recovering, they didn't give her the best food that everyone else ate, and she was frequently hungry. She would sneak down and take some food, and if she was caught, she'd put on a slight pout, and say that her injuries were really hurting, and food was the best remedy.
OOC-wanna start that?
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Post by Ox-eye on Jul 22, 2008 13:48:06 GMT -5
After Mara Had related her story to him, Darkin felt sorry for her. She had lost everthing that she had known and loved, the story was similar to Darkins except his parents were killed trying to cross the river moss.
"Im sorry to hear that. I lost my parents as well, it was so long ago i can't remember when it happened, but i can say how my parents were killed. We tried crossin the river moss, they got me across first and then were washed away when they tried to cross"
Darkin got no further in his story as a tear appeared in his eye and he quickly wiped it away, hoping that Mara hadn't seen it. Darkin recovered quickly and smiled at her. "If you would like i can help you find the vermin that killed your family?" He hoped that she would allow him to help her.
"Anyway first things first lets get that food and drink that we were going to get" He winked at her again, knowing that she was going to take the food without permission.
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Post by Mara Tenderfoot on Jul 22, 2008 21:02:23 GMT -5
One more round,
I'll come out Swinging
~Mara
______________________________________________________
Mara knew the look on his face, the Oh, I'm so sorry for you, I pity you face. She hated that face.
"Im sorry to hear that. I lost my parents as well, it was so long ago i can't remember when it happened, but i can say how my parents were killed. We tried crossin the river moss, they got me across first and then were washed away when they tried to cross"
Don't be, I've mourned long enough.
She had no tears left to shed for her her family. Bitterness, yes, but sadness? No. Her heart wouldn't allow it.
"If you would like I can help you find the vermin that killed your family?Anyway first things first lets get that food and drink that we were going to get"
I'd like that. And, where first, the cellers for a drink, or the kitchen for food?
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Post by Ox-eye on Jul 28, 2008 18:35:31 GMT -5
"The kitchens will contain both, they always have a supply of drinks. It saves time haveing to rush down to the cellars, but its mainly there for the kitchen staff as it gete extreamly hot in there at times". He smiled at Mara and then winked at her, as he got into a running stance.
He waited in that position until the message got through to Mara that he was challenging her to another race, that he was propable going to lose, but he liked the challenge.
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Post by Mara Tenderfoot on Jul 29, 2008 11:20:57 GMT -5
One more round,
I'll come out Swinging
~Mara
______________________________________________________
"The kitchens will contain both, they always have a supply of drinks. It saves time haveing to rush down to the cellars, but its mainly there for the kitchen staff as it gete extreamly hot in there at times".
Aye, I forgot about that little fact.
Mara's amber gaze flickered to notice that he wanted another race. She got in position, and took off, running towards the staircase, taking them two at a time.
Come on slowpoke!
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Post by Ox-eye on Jul 29, 2008 16:49:15 GMT -5
Darkin smiled as she took off before he could react. He took off at a short jog down the stairs, leaping off them when he was sure he could land without hurting himself. He landed just behind Mara and took off in pursuit of her. Even though she had a limp, it didn't show while she was running and impressed Darkin how easily she could run without diffuculty.
He caught her up, with some diffuculty and was breathing slightly heavily. He smiled at her as he put on a burst of speed and moved passed her slowly.
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