To Catch a Criminal (Open)

[Rocky]

Two pools of amber stared through bushes at an innocent beast. A mouse, to be exact, was tied up and her mouth was gagged. The amber eyes turned sharply at the sound of cracking leaves and twigs. A horde of vermin, numbering about 20-25 strode out of almost nowhere, closing in on the mouse. The leader, or supposedly the leader, a male fox walked close to the poor beast and pulled out his sword, a vicious looking sickle-blade. Thunder crack harmlessly over head, as rain began to pelt everything. A finger traced the black fletching of an arrow as the amber eyes took in the scene. The beast flipped his hood up and stood from where he was, pulled out his bow, and fired. The black fletched arrow whizzed harmlessly over the leader's head and took a ferret through throat. The archer charged out from where he was hiding and pushed through the crowd of vermin, and picked up the mouse, and with one slice of his knife, the bonds were cut. The archer pushed the mouse away so she could get a head-start at escaping. The mysterious beast turned to face the vermin, pulling down his hood and said, "I am Zephyr Bladerunner. You are criminals." He c ocked his head to look at the leader. "Criminals must die." Blade pulled out another arrow, and put it on his bowstring and fired, this arrow taking another horde beast through the chest. The leader, being a coward, ran away. Blade shot off one more arrow at a horde beast then charged through them, ignoring the several scratches and cuts he recieved. He pulled his bow taut with another arrow, turned at the horde, and fired. Ignoring the cry of pain, he turned to give chase to the leader.

[Hermie]

While on a trip to gather berries and herbs, Michael Woodshroud heard the sounds of yelling and running, and ducked into the shrubery to avoid being seen. He learned this was the best way to survive- Out of sight, out of mind. He watched as a vermin ran for his life, followed by an archer fox, who carried a mousemaid. For a fleeting second thier eyes met, and Michael decided he had to do something to help, even though it was against his better judgement. Everyone's a hero sometime...
Standing up, he trotted along after them. Thier trail was easy to follow, and happened to be on the way to his home. He quickly deviated from the trail, and took a few minutes to get back home and drop off his harvest. He had no trouble finding the trail again, and followed carefully, keeping his eyes and ears open for any signs of trouble.

[Wildrun]

The creature shrouded by the shrubbery stood aside, his crimson cape whispering as it brushed the foliage. A vermin raced past, looking scared out of his wits--not that such lowly excuses for fighters have any of those, mind you. Watching with boredom on his face and glinting eyes, the stoat tipped his head to oneside as a fox zipped past, in pursuit of the excuse-of-a-vermin.

That fox looked detirmined and hard as steel...

The stoat did not move from his watchign place, though he had no doubt that the fox had seen him. He waited another moment, and the wood was quiet...Another beast rushed passed, following the trail left by the excuse and the fox.

A last second to wait, and no one else came.

Finally, Tataroo Raketail, the Stoat with Red Claws, stepped out of the foliage and turned down the beaten path, heading the opposite direction the fox and others had gone. Presently, he came upon a scen of slaughter and confusion. Cold black eyes took in the cowering vermin--yet more excuses!-- that were left. Stridging swiftly to one of them, he let his cape fall forward to cover the movement of his hands. "The fox?"

The excuse he was talking to looked up, blank, mindless fright in his eyes and surprise registered on his face. Cautiously, he replied with a stutter, "...Y-Yes..."

Tataroo nodded once, cooly, and his scimitar lashed out. Without time for a gurgle or a gasp, the excuse was dead. Tataroo Raketail turn around and stared at the opening to the trail blazed by the fox and others. "That's what I thought."

[Rocky]

Zephyr had another arrow notched on the bowstring, and he was about to fire when he saw it. No, not it. Him. A stoat. Zephyr lost his train of thought and collapsed, tripped, to be exact. The fox fell hard, his arrow shooting downwards to the ground. Groaning, he got up to his feet before the others could chase him. Looking down the trail, no one was giving chase. Then, a lone form came jogging. Zephyr picked up his bow and aimed, then upon closer look, he realized it was a mouse. Smiling, Zephyr gave chase one more for the leader, for he and the leader had many differences. The leader was his own flesh and blood. His brother.

Charging, Zephyr caught up to his brother, but surprisingly, the other fox kept going, knowing the end was near. Zephyr notched an arrow to the bow, sprinted fast then ever, stopped and knelt down, and fired.

His brother fell hard, the arrow in between his shoulder blades. Zephyr walked over, slowly, not taking any chances. Stepping on the back of his brother, Zephyr pulled the arrow out, and notched it back on his bow. "Ye always were clumsy, Jakk." Zephyr whispered, then fired.

[night]

Delta snatched the arrow straight out of the air as the arrow came down at Springheel Jakk. He pulled the fox up, setting him against a tree. He could see that the fox's life was nearing an end. Easing the fox's footpaws down, Delta snapped the back of the arrow so Springheel could rest comfortably until he died.

The Red Squirrel faced the former Juska fox, grinning, but in that smile was quiet rage, daring him to fire an arrow, daring him to attempt to end his life. Delta removed a knife from his crossbelt, licking its jagged tip, another smile playing around his lips as he pointed the blade at the fox's chest.

'Fox, eh. I always went with this statement: 'Only when a beast has done wrong has he earned the name vermin.' You have killed another, and even though I don't know whether he was vermin or not. He looked like your brother.'

His other paw grasped another knife. 'You kill vermin, but you kill goodbeasts. There is only one punishment for beasts like you.' His face deformed in an angry snarl as he pronounced the words. 'Death!'

[Wildrun]

Tataroo Raketail's expression did something it did not usually--it changed. Barely, but it was there. The eyebrows cralwed upward by perhaps a millimeter. Were two beasts about to fight over the name of justice in killing vermin? How tiresome...

Blowing air out of his nostrils and glancing swiftly over his shoulder--as the small clearing he had left a moment ago was quite possibly not as dead as he had left it (although this he doubted)--he counted out the seconds in his head. He knew the fox had seen him, but the squirrel was someone new to contend with. He didn't need to be seen by a squirrel.

Not that'd it make much of a difference. Cooly and calmly, Tataroo flicked his crimson cape back so that this time his paws were clearly visible. With another whisper of leaves, he stepped from the brush and stood on the edge of the small area, in full view of the beasts confronting each other.

He said nothing, but stood, watched, and waited...

[Rocky]

((OOC: Its not Springheel Jakk on the ground. Its his brother, JakK. And, you cant grab an arrow from the air like that. Its physically impossible, but Ill let it slide.))

Zephyr c ocked his head sideways, staring at the squirrel. "Why do you save his life? He'd take yours quicker than you can bat an eye." Zephyr said calmly, keeping a level tone. Then, he fired off an arrow in the blink of an eye at his brother Jakk, the arrow taking him in the shoulder. Then, turning back to the squirrel, Zephyr growled, "Stay out of my way, treeclimber. I have no business with you, so you dont have business with me."

Turning his back to Delta, he faced Tatarro, "Who are you, and what is your purpose here?" Then, Zephyr notched an arow on his bow and aimed it at Tataroo, "Speak, now. Or die."

((Sorry, not my best. In a hurry))

[Wildrun]

((You can grab and arrow from the air if you're a super squirrel, duh! Where have you beento not know that, Springheel? ))

Tataroo blinked his black eyes once, slwoly, and met the glare of the fox. "You seem to be very fast to make decisions."

He flicked his gaze to the treemouse. "You both do."

Then, the eyes settled on the prone fox on the ground. "I'll guess if I don't answer you, I join him?" The fiantest trace of sarcasm laced this statement--for it wasn't really a question--but other than that Tataroo's voice did not change. "Interesting." And he left the question unanswered, instead asking them both, "Allow me to make a guess, and say that neither of you are fond of killers."

[Hermie]

(I realized I misread the post.. You weren't carrying the mousemaid. Oh well.)

Slowly creeping up in the bushes, he decided to watch the goings-on. He liked to be informed of the vermin activity in his home area, and the best way was to see it with one's own eyes. Using his splotched brown and green cloak to keep himself hidden, he sat still and listened. He watched as two foxes, a stoat, and a squirrel parlayed over thier lives. Not having any weapons save his dirk, and not being one to use it as a weapon, he merely sat and listened- until he shifted position, and moved a twig that made the softest of cracks, but still, it gave away his position to the trained ear. Silently cursing himself, he prepared to run if necessary.