To Escape a Slaver or Two [Rocky/Open]

[Eastpaw]

Tampa paused by the river, panting. She dangled her footpaws in the cool running water and sighed. She’d been running all night, surely she could rest now. She felt her back gingerly, the fresh weals on top of the half-healed ones on top of the really old and healed scars were bleeding, seeping slowly through the tattered remains of her tunic.

Tampa growled, even though their drunkeness had let her escape, she would still get them for that. She would heal and regain her strength, then go back and make them wish they had never been born.

A splash in the river up stream, and Tampa removed her footpaws hastily, retreating from the edge. “Who’s there?” She hardened her voice, refusing to show any sign of fear. At least in her voice.

[Varjak Juskarak Taggerung]

Heh.

'Calm down.'

The lean ferret leaned on her spear, watching the other creature with lazy eyes, chuckling slightly. Today she was in a good mood, all the better for the beast who sat on the streambank. And, the best thing, was she had learned how to speak like any average creature. She grinned, feeling the smile spread across her furry face, twitching the paw on the spear.

Suddenly, the young ferret burst into laughter.

'I've been watchin' ye all of one hour, and you don't even notice?'

Zakura Salixa Rath moved forward, offering a paw for the other beast to shake. 'Zakura.'

[Eastpaw]

'Calm down.'

Tampa stood still where she was, watching the ferret. She had been too slow to react last time, and she did not want to be taken by surprise again. And this time she had no weapons at all.

'I've been watchin' ye all of one hour, and you don't even notice?'

The other creatures laugh startled Tampa, and she set her feet firmer, relaxing from her about-to-run stance slightly. “I’m no woodsbeast, ferret.” She said simply, smiling wryly and a touch bitterly.

'Zakura.'

The otter eyed Zakura’s paw but didn’t take it. “Tampa Tiderunner, they call me.”

[Rocky]

"Dont trust that beastie, there." A voice called. A hooded creature walked up to the two creatures, and revealed himself to be Skipper Rocky. "She's dangerous, that ferret." Rocky warned. He held a cautious eye on Zakura and walked over to Tampa, "Skipper of Otters, ma'am. Call me Rocky." He said, holding out his paw for a pawshake.

Then, with his other paw, he made a sharp, piercing whistle, and about 30 otters all came out with otter javelins, and swords. "Id watch ye'self, ferret." Rocky warned. "These otters'd kill you if you harm me, them, or this pretty ottermaid." He said, and turned and winked at Tampa.

OOC: Writers block... *sad face*

[Varjak Juskarak Taggerung]

She's dangerous, that ferret.

'And a tree root isn't?' She asked sarcastically, motioning to the nearest tree to the hefty otter, a basswood. 'I'll even volunteer my knife fer you to fall on if you want to trip over it.'

These otters'd kill you if you harm me, them, or this pretty ottermaid.

Zakura half groaned, half laughed. 'Ye' don't know how many times I've heard that.' Her eyes narrowed. 'I'm afraid that otter there can't swim with a spear through her chest.'

(Short post.)

[Rocky]

"You're first remark didnt make sense, vermin. You'll volunteer your knife for me to fall on? Thats your problem. Youd give up yer weapon... Pathetic." Rocky growled.

'Ye' don't know how many times I've heard that.'

"Would you like to hear it for the last time before you die?" He snapped. "If so, hold your tongue, and dont threaten anybeast here, or Ill dig your grave myself."

[Varjak Juskarak Taggerung]

The thin ferret observed the otter with obvious distaste. 'Aye. I don't see a shovel.' She smiled ruefully. 'By the time you dig it with you're paws, I'll have stabbed you in the back and made a run for it. And has it ever occured to you that not all ferrets are vermin?'

She stood as the words raced through her mind like a freight train, listening and replaying it in her head. She could guess his reply. It would go something like 'Not all, but you are.'

[Rocky]

"Maybe it has occured to me... Maybe it hasnt... But either way, vermin are vermin. And you would not have a chance to even strike me. You're an excuse for a ferret. Heck, Ive eaten things scarier than you. And you see that otter over there? Lightly built one?" He asked, then called him over, "Meko, c'mere." The otter he called over shrugged and jogged over. "Meko here can run you down in an open field. 'E's one o' the fastest around these parts, also, he's a better fighter than me. So watch your tongue, unless you wont be wanting one."

OOC: Dont post after me... Wait for Tampa.

[Grath]

"Dont trust that beastie, there."

Tampa swung half around, facing the new creature, hoping that he wasn’t a threat.

"She's dangerous, that ferret." Rocky warned. He held a cautious eye on Zakura and walked over to Tampa, "Skipper of Otters, ma'am. Call me Rocky."

Tampa hesitantly put her paw in the otter’s outstretched one. “Tampa Tiderunner.”

"Id watch ye'self, ferret." Rocky warned. "These otters'd kill you if you harm me, them, or this pretty ottermaid."

Tampa rolled her eyes, a starving, beaten otter like her does not a pretty ottermaid make. She released Rocky’s paw and stood watching the two as they bantered words back in forth. Either the Skipper had encountered the ferret before or he’d heard of her, Tampa was sure, and they did not seem on friendly terms. However, Zakura had not made a move to hurt her as of yet, and Tampa was thirsty. So she walked past her to the river, where she bent down and got a drink, filling her empty belly.

[Varjak Juskarak Taggerung]

Meko here can run you down in an open field. 'E's one o' the fastest around these parts, also, he's a better fighter than me. So watch your tongue, unless you wont be wanting one.

'And I've heard better threats than that, riverdog.' She covered her face with a paw, then shot a lopsided grin at Rocky. 'I was planning to be in a good mood today. But you sort of wrecked it.'

She turned to watch Tampa walking over to the stream, shooting a glance at Rocky. She followed the otter there, sitting down on the rocks a good distance from Tampa and Rocky. Dipping her paws in the stream, she called over to Rocky. 'Going to kill me now, riverdog?'

[Rocky]

"That's amazing." Meko snapped sarcastically. "Too bad we ruined her mood, eh, Skip?" Meko said, laughing slightly. "Aye, mate. A real shame, eh?" He said, deciding to laugh slightly. After a minute, he calmed down and watched Zakura move towards the river. "Why would I kill you? You aren't doing anything wrong. I have no reason to harm you." He said calmly, still not taking an eye off of Zakura. "Meko, make sure she has no exit." He whispered to his friend. Meko nodded, "Already done. You missed the nod I gave to Jeron." Rocky slowly nodded, "Good." He said.

OOC: Writers block

[Varjak Juskarak Taggerung]

Meko, make sure she has no exit.

The young ferret's sharp ears picked up the silent whisper. Acting as if she hadn't heard it, she nodded, but her agile mind was already devising a plan to get her out of here. Looking up to the sky, Zakura flashed her knife under the cloak she was wearing. With any luck, her best friend would come and help her out of this mess.

Already done. You missed the nod I gave to Jeron.

Her ears had been on high alert since the first whisper, and the first whisper of panic stiffened her muscles. Really fair,she thought bitterly. About thirty against one.

[Grath]

[Here goes with the maiden in distress! I really cannot wait until she isn't starving anymore. ]


'Going to kill me now, riverdog?'

At the moment, Tampa really didn't care who killed who. After her fast the previous day and the exercise she had forced upon herself the night before, she felt a little light headed, and things began to blur, the voices running together.

As the water hit her stomach, a roaring hunger woke and let itself be known, and things began to darken around the edges, still kneeling on the bank, Tampa slowly keeled over and fell into the river.

[Varjak Juskarak Taggerung]

((Slight G-Mod here, if you want me to change it I will.))

Zakura noticed the otter's fall with alarm. In a minute, she was on her paws, grabbing the otter by the back of the neck and hauling her out of the river. Laying her flat on her back, Zakura scooped up water in her paws and flung it at the otter's face, pawful after pawful. Stupid riverdogs couldn't do anything.

((short post, sorry))

[Rocky]

"Idiot!" Meko shouted at Zakura. "Dont throw water on her like that!" Immediately he rushed over, moving his arm, signaling her to stop. Skip's eyes widened as he saw she was unconscious, and if not for chatting with Meko, Skip would've been over there in a flash.

"Zakura. Stop." Skip called calmly. "Make sure she's getting enough air." He called to Meko. Meko nodded and pulled out an extra shirt from a pack, rolled it up, and put it underneath Tampa's neck, then held her head with his hands.

Skip jogged over there, apologizing, "Im sorry for Meko's sudden outburst... He..." He trailed off, not finishing his sentence for other reasons. He bent down to hear if Tampa was breathing alright. "Light breath." He muttered to no one in particular.

"Tampa." He said lightly, trying to get a response. "It's Skip... Wake up."

[Eastpaw]

Tampa’s hitting the river did nothing to wake her from her unconsious state, and neither did Zakura's hauling her up by the neck and throwing water in her face. As Meko placed the shirt under her neck, she started coughing, her autonomic nervous system kicking in to get the water from her lungs.

[[Yeahhh… not much I can say. Just be sure to put her on her side so she doesn’t choke or drown ‘erself. ]]

[Rocky]

Rocky half smirked as he noticed Tampa coughing up the water. Heck, at least she wasn't choking on it. He walked over and gently lifted her forward, and patted her back, hoping to get the water out of her system, "What happened there? You faint?" He asked, conern in his voice. "Need a hand up?" Meko asked, offering his paw to help her up.

OOC: Sorry about the length

[Eastpaw]

"Yeowtch!" Tampa sat up as straight as she could, arching her back away from Rocky's patting paw. Through the tattered remains of her tunic one could see fresh weals on top of half-healed ones on top of old and healed scars were angry and sore-looking.

"What happened there? You faint?"

"Or something." Tampa muttered, accepted Meko's paw and standing, swaying slightly. It was hardly noticeable. She hoped.

((its ok))

[Rocky]

"Im sorry." Rocky mumbled. "So what happened? You a runaway? Or you come from a brutal family?" He asked, showing slight concern for this otter he never met before. Before allowing her to answer, he asked yet another question, "Where you headed? Me and my crew are headin' for Redwall. Care to join us?"

OOC: Again... Sorry about the length

[Eastpaw]

"Im sorry." Rocky mumbled. "So what happened? You a runaway? Or you come from a brutal family?"

Tampa smiled in recognition of his apology and opened her mouth to answer his question, but he swept on, continuing in his monologue.

"Where you headed? Me and my crew are headin' for Redwall. Care to join us?"

Tampa broke into a grin. "Yes! I'd love to go there! My mother told great stories of Redwall and the otters of Mossflower..." she trailed off. A mischievous lit suddenly lit her eyes. "But this is not quite how I meant to meet you. Whoohahahooo!" She giggled, a picture in her minds eye of a neat young otter meeting the otter crew, next to the picture she represented now. Tampa clapped a paw over her mouth,but still giggled behind it. "D'you have any food?" She asked, knowing she was probably crossing into hysterics.