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Post by Lucan on Mar 2, 2011 14:35:10 GMT -5
Sluagh did not respond to Egger's friendly bump on the shoulder for a few minutes. He watched the stoat closely, his eyes narrowed. His rising ire abated somewhat, for he saw nothing in the stoat's expression but good cheer. The ferret reminded himself that it wouldn't do to lose his temper with a beast that was supposed to be under his command, as he had almost done before. Ryfar's command, anyway, but it seemed the boss preferred to delegate. Instead of a biting retort or an aggressive move, Sluagh responded with a curt nod. "Aye, an' don't ye be forgettin' that."
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Post by aurethius on Mar 2, 2011 15:05:13 GMT -5
Egger nods happily, grinning like an idiot.
"Yessir! Not fer forgettin nothin, I am! Be! Forgettin nobeast am I! Ah..."
He pauses, caught up in the grammar confusion.
"In any case, whaddaya fer thinin Ryfar's got planned fer us, Sir? I ain't heard nothin about any raids, so I'm figgerin he wants to lay low. Anythin on the horizon fer us?"
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Post by Lucan on Mar 3, 2011 10:41:14 GMT -5
Sluagh could almost admire the way Egger's attention could shift from one idea to another. In any case, he gave the question serious thought before replying. Indeed, what was Ryfar planning for them? From what Sluagh had seen so far, it seemed the black fox was bent on laying low and recruiting as many vermin as possible into his already sizable force, while at the same time acquiring a workforce. As for any plans the boss might have for the Savage Shadows beyond building up their numbers, Sluagh so far hadn't come up with a solid theory, but it wouldn't do to let his ignorance be known. He gave Egger a long, cool look. "That's infermation the boss don't want goin' beyond the officers, recruit. Ye'll find out when he sets his plans in motion, I daresays". Yes, cool authority with a touch of mystery should do the trick.
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Post by aurethius on Mar 3, 2011 12:01:59 GMT -5
Egger nods happily, glad that there were things going on above his head. Unlike many creatures capable of complex thought, Egger was pleased that there were things too important for him to know. It meant somebeast smarter than he had a plan.
"Well I'm happy fer that then. Still, I can't keep me belly from rumblin'. Last good meal I got were a fish." He shakes his thick head, not really a fan of the fishy, scaly beasties of the water.
"What's the preference ah yer palate, sir?" he asks, not aware of the dark comedy in asking such a dangerous beast what his favourite food was!
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Post by Lucan on Mar 3, 2011 12:13:02 GMT -5
Sluagh couldn't conceal a small grin of satisfaction to see his mysterious manner had worked so well, but the triviality of Egger's next question dragged an involuntary snigger from him. He mulled over the question briefly before answering, however. "Salmon. Ain't had a good roasted salmon in seasons," the ferret added with an unconscious wistfulness.
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Post by luryaa on Mar 5, 2011 23:21:12 GMT -5
Darkeyes Basalt was watching. He narrowed his obsidian black eyes, reflective and cold, and flicked his stubbly fine-haired ears, straining to hear the words the pair spoke. It looked as if they were a stoat like himself and ferret, yes, now he was sure of it. He wound his slender white body about the base of a tree trunk and flexed his shoulders. He was pure creamy white, with a short muzzle and deep, cold black eyes, hence his name. He whipped his flexible white tail around him, his snaggle-toothed smile playing across his features. Darkeyes wrung his paws behind his back, and casually walked up to them leaning against a tree near their spot.
"Hello," he purred smoothly, almost daring to be dangerous.
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Post by Lucan on Mar 6, 2011 11:45:20 GMT -5
Sluagh went from wistful to alert in a flash, as he heard a sinuous purr to his left. His keen eyes immediately locked onto the newcomer, a stoat like Egger. But whereas Egger's demeanor suggested bumbling amiability, every inch of this beast's posture whispered of danger and cunning. Sluagh was not surprised he had not realized the creature's presence before now, though that didn't prevent self-disgust from igniting in his thoughts; for the first since he had come face to face with Ryfar, here was a vermin that might be just as perilous as himself, if not more. "Hello yerself," the ferret responded guardedly, feeling it would be unwise to get on the wrong side of this stranger.
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Post by luryaa on Mar 6, 2011 12:56:37 GMT -5
He nodded slowly at the ferret's reply, as cold and efficent as always. "Me name's Darkeyes Basalt, an' I'll be a looking for someone to serve to. Ya know anyone who's got a spot in the ranks for an extra officer, mate?" Darkeyes implied silkily. He was not stupid, he knew the dangers of talking so ignorantly to a fellow vermin wether or not they were in an army but he did not care about being enslaved. He was an escape artist and a skilled warrior with his shortsword and bow and arrow, and he knew he had little to fear.
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Post by aurethius on Mar 6, 2011 12:59:53 GMT -5
Egger's first instinct was to look down at his whetstone again, as some new, startling voice echoed through the cave. Luckily, Darkeyes was a bit more visible than the slinking Sluagh, and Egger's eyes widened with brief recognition. The simple stoat had good ears, and had heard of this particular member of his own species.
"Ghostfur!" he declares, using the nickname a pair of rat recruits had invented for the death-white stoat. Immediately he snaps his jaw shut, only now realizing he had spoken aloud.
"Err, hello Sir." he covers, assuming that just about everything else in the camp was higher ranking than he. He introduces himself. "Recruit Egger, Sir."
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Post by Lucan on Mar 6, 2011 13:10:44 GMT -5
Sluagh shifted his gaze from Egger to Darkeyes, trying to gauge the situation. The newcomer had enquired after officer positions, and that suggested he was indeed a newcomer, but Egger had recognized him and even come close to saluting. So what was going on here? Was it Egger's inclination to subservience coming into play here, or did the other stoat have reason for passing himself of as a recruit? Sluagh decided it would be unwise to ask questions, lest his uncertainty be exposed, and instead decided on a middling route. "There's ever a place in th' ranks fer anybeast that can think on 'is paws an' deliver a good kickin' should the situation require it," the ferret responded dryly.
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Post by luryaa on Mar 6, 2011 13:12:43 GMT -5
Darkeyes laughed tonelessly at the name that Egger had said aloud, and replied in an almost humored tone, "'Fraid not, mate, mah name's Darkeyes Basalt. Recruit!" He suddenly repeated and narrowed his pure back eyes, so alarmingly dark against his white body, continuing in a scathing, controlling tone, "So you are in a band or an army, I suppose? How nice." Darkeyes whipped around his head to focus on Slaugh; the ferret had replied to slow for Darkeye's liking, he would deal with that later. He curled his lip and turned back to Egger, replying in the same controlling, authorative note, " So, my friend, what is the flag you serve under?" Perhaps it was not gramatically correct or the best question to ask, but he was vermin. After all, what could you expect?
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Post by aurethius on Mar 6, 2011 13:26:54 GMT -5
Egger knew the answer to this question! This was a quiz, a test, and danged if he wouldn't pass!
"I'm in the Savage Shadows, unner Ryfar, Sir! An this here's me superior Officer!"
Granted, the Savage Shadows hadn't quite been divided up into squads with an officer assigned to a batch of recruits, but Egger liked what he had heard about Keensight, and liked what he saw in the ferret even more. If he could get people to assume he was in Keensight's crew, then maybe that would happen.
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Post by luryaa on Mar 6, 2011 13:35:38 GMT -5
Darkeyes again nodded slowly, smirking slightly at Egger. "I see." He leaned back against the tree and fixed his gaze pointedly on Slaugh."Officer, eh? Well then, you mind tellin' me what you're band 's planning to do? You too, Egger my friend, if you know." He looked down and drew out his shortsword, absently drawing it across a stone in his paw.
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Post by Lucan on Mar 6, 2011 14:59:28 GMT -5
Sluagh surveyed the smirking stoat stoat coldly. Darkeyes' manner was irking him no end; the sheer amount of insolence he must possess, to stroll casually into a campsite of armed vermin, draw a weapon, and make demands of an armed officer, was astounding. Sluagh stood up with a fluid grace, his dark eyes glinting warningly from under the hood of his cloak. In a voice that was as chilly as his gaze, Sluagh replied to the stoat's question. "And why, pray, should the Shadow Tyrant's officers share their plans with every wanderin' rascal as comes strollin' into camp? If ye're that curious about our plans ye can take it up with th' boss himself." The ferret motioned towards the darkness of the cave at their backs. "I'm sure he'll be more than happy ter fill ye in," Sluagh continued, his tone tinted with veiled sarcasm. "Who knows, ye might luck out and get him to hire ye if he's in a good mood."
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Post by aurethius on Mar 6, 2011 15:34:14 GMT -5
Egger takes the cue from Keensight, but was a little more willing to be diplomatic about it.
"Aye that, but I think ye'll appreciate that we've got a mind fer 'Clearance Levels' round 'ere." he nods, having recently learned that term. He hopes he used it correctly.
"But ah, folks 'ere have heard ah you, Mr. Darkeyes. Said you was a spirit ah somethin what died years ago. Ye are... ye are alive, ain't ye?"
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Post by luryaa on Mar 6, 2011 18:53:59 GMT -5
Darkeyes immediately assumed his former position, drawing the smirk off his face. He gently slid his shortsword back into its sheath attached to his belt, bowing his head." I am sorry to offend you." He replied softly, pulling his head back up, paws twisted together behind his back. " I have only interest in your plans to see if I am worthy enough to join or if I think it would be better to go lone. I have been thinking about it, I haven't seen many parties I'm too interested in."
He now adressed Egger, replying bluntly," Ah well, I am lucky so yes, I am still alive, and otherwise my hand would've passed clean through my blade when I sharpened it, wouldn't it?"
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Post by aurethius on Mar 6, 2011 19:23:04 GMT -5
Not wanting to interrupt Darkeyes' response, Egger speaks breifly.
"Well, I did have a sword go through me paw once, but that's cuz it dun stabbed through it. Naw, you look real 'nuff Sir."
He nods, confident in his assessment that Darkeyes was indeed alive.
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Post by Lucan on Mar 7, 2011 12:12:30 GMT -5
Sluagh only nodded curtly when Darkeyes apologized, and relaxed his stance slightly as the weapon was sheathed; however, his mind was as focused as ever on the stoat as he tried to deduce the newcomer's true intentions. So, he had been wandering around the campsite or the area immediately surrounding it long enough for talk to spread about him, had he? Sluagh supposed it made sense, if he was truly trying to get a feel of what their band was like before he joined. Sluagh concluded that the stoat probably wasn't lying about his intent to join the Savage Shadows, but felt he ought to stay alert around him all the same; this one was different from the bumbling rank and file.
In spite of his misgivings, Sluagh listened with some amusement to the debate on whether or not Darkeyes was a wandering spirit, and felt a contribution on his part might be valuable. The ferret wasn't naive enough to hope it would provoke some sense of amiability in the stoat, but if it helped reduce any animosity his remarks might have stirred in Darkeyes, then it was worth a try.
"If ye are plannin' to strike fer officer, that's a good story t' let spread about," Sluagh remarked, smiling slightly. "The rank 'n' filebeasts are a pretty superstitious lot by and large. Ghost, that gets respect, even fear. A little mysticism here 'n' there keeps the lunkheads in line, from what I seen."
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Post by luryaa on Mar 8, 2011 18:49:08 GMT -5
Darkeyes smiled slightly back at Slaugh, his short stubbly ears gently flickering as the words reached his ears. "I'da suppose so, unearthly creatures sure t' scare some o' them recruits." He snorted and rested his elbow on a jutting rock near the tree base he was leaning on. Darkeyes stood up and moved over a few paces to a large stump, sitting down on it.
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Post by aurethius on Mar 8, 2011 19:48:50 GMT -5
Egger rubs a paw against his chin. He wasn't sure what 'superstitious' meant. Heck, he wasn't even sure what 'normal stitious' was, but if he was a rank'n'filebeast, then he was either normal or super 'stitious'.
"Whate'er the case may be, yer 'ere now, Ghostfur. Ryfar's been out fer weeks, tryin to gather folks. I'm fer thinkin he's got somethin big on the horizon, but wit Mossflower bein as deserted as it is, we're all pretty stalled."
The stoat nods sagely.
"If there ain't nothin to hunt, the hunter goes hungry."
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Post by luryaa on Mar 8, 2011 22:00:49 GMT -5
Darkeyes again nodded mutely, tapping his paws on his knees as he scoured the land with his dark eyes, tail draped lazily over the stump. He blinked as if surprised at something and began to untie and redo the knot on his belt and sheath, waiting for a sound to fill the void.
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Post by Lucan on Mar 12, 2011 14:38:19 GMT -5
Sluagh considered Egger's words. Mossflower had indeed grown quiet and deserted since the Savage Shadows had begun to assert their presence in the forest; the ferret surmised that the woodlanders must have realized the way the wind was blowing, and summarily decided to get as far away from the growing peril as possible. However, was there really nothing left to hunt?
"I wouldn't know 'bout that," Sluagh said ponderously. "There's one warren left fer the hunter t' track down - 'ccept it's less a warren than a pit o' snakes." The bowbeast's voice took on an unusually urgent tone. "Ye don't think Ryfar's schemes might involve th' Abbey, do ye? Th' one built o' red stone?"
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Post by aurethius on Mar 12, 2011 17:03:25 GMT -5
Egger shakes his head.
"Abbey's too dug in fer us. Just gut outta winter, still got stores ah goodies. May be cowards, but lots cowards with lotsa arrers makes me a stoat pincushion."
He finishes his clumsy scraping job on the old axe, and puts the 'whetstone' back into his pack.
"But ey, if there be one warren left, let's make it the last one inna forest. I ain't fer sittin around doin nothin, learnin nothin. Y'know where it be, Sir?"
He looked to 'Ghostfur' as well, wondering if his fellow stoat might be interested in a quick raid!
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Post by luryaa on Mar 12, 2011 19:43:30 GMT -5
Darkeyes smiled, but shrugged sadly. " 'Fraid I dunno where it 's, mate." He looked questioningly at Slaugh, paw twitching toward the bow and arrow slung over his shoulder, a mischevious grin playing across his muzzle, waiting patiently for an answer from Slaugh.
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Post by Lucan on Mar 16, 2011 12:03:50 GMT -5
Sluagh passed a forepaw in front of his eyes wearily. "No, that's what I'm tryin' ter tell yez. Th' woodlanders will 've gotten wind o' us by now, an' they'll all have scarpered, either out o' the woods altergether or to th' last place they feel is safe, an' that's the Abbey. I can't fault their reasonin', neither. Yer right about one thing, th' Abbey's too big a fish ter fry - there's fierce beasts there."
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