markab
•
Traveler
Posts: 70
Likes: 1
Gender: Female
|
Post by markab on Jun 26, 2017 14:17:48 GMT -5
"You ain't gettin' away with dis!"
"My pal," Asil said with blatantly false friendliness, patting the hanging rat on the cheek (avoiding the snap as he did so) and neatly slicing the meager coinpurse off his belt. "Mate. I think I already have."
The tiny campsite on the side of the road, as pristine as anything river rats touched got only an hour or so ago, had become a complete and utter mess. The crackling fire of earlier had become scattered, half-burnt logs and ashes, the spit upon which a fish has been roasting was now lying forlornly in the mud, leaves and twigs were scattered absolutely everywhere like a howling wind had run through the place, and strung up and dangling uselessly in the air with the help of a big oak tree was a single, thoroughly angry-looking rat.
In Asil's defense, it was very difficult to pull off his usual stealing tactics with other vermin.
The rat continued wriggling and yelling insults and curses as Asil pawed through the purse. There weren't even enough coins to be considered a handful, and with the rest he'd managed to scavenge this endeavor hadn't been worth it in anything but a wealth of amusement. Honestly, though, that would do him.
He tucked it into his pack and came back out with the half-loaf of bread he'd taken off the only other water rat anywhere to be found, who was most likely still collapsed in a heap in the middle of the woods. Asil had gotten him right in the throat with the blade of his kukri; no getting up after that.
He took a bite. The bread was stale, but it was food and Asil had eaten far worse. "Gotta admit, mate," he said conversationally as he settled down on the log they'd been using as a seat by the fire, tucking his tail neatly around his side, "I thought you'd have a few more friends than this. Not all that popular?"
The rat spat in his direction and went back to trying to untie the hoop of rope around his ankle with his bare hands. Asil sat back and took another bite.
|
|
|
|
Post by Jess on Jun 26, 2017 14:51:36 GMT -5
Henflick heard the noise a mile down the road, and he instinctively picked up his pace. He had a long way to go before nightfall, and he had been pacing himself up to this point, though it went against his naturally active nature, but that kind of noise was never a good sign in his considerable experience, and however nice it was to be paid for his skills, he was perfectly willing to exercise them for free should the circumstances call for it. The vole had a soul, after all, and he was never going to just stand by while someone else was in danger. His personal experiences were too strong in his mind for that.
His accelerated pace took him down the road at a much quicker rate, and Henflick arrived soon enough at the scene of the catastrophe- well, not quite. He had far too much sense for that; he actually arrived a good distance away from the scene while still being able to gain a fair idea of what was going on, and the vole swore quietly to himself. A fox. He hated foxes with a passion. The vole had always done his best to keep well out of the way of foxes, and the one or two times that he had been forced to come face to face with them had never ended well. There was still a scar at the base of his tail to remind him of that.
Dropping his pack under a nearby bush, he wormed his way out of a few layers of clothing (he had plenty to spare, after all, and it was far too hot to be undertaking physical exercise in that kind of getup) and began to progress closer to the scene, utilising the utmost caution and doing his very best to blend into the scenery. The earthy, dirty colour of his coat and of his fur helped him there as he came closer and closer to the fox.
|
|
|
markab
•
Traveler
Posts: 70
Likes: 1
Gender: Female
|
Post by markab on Jun 26, 2017 15:49:25 GMT -5
Asil didn't exactly have anything on his agenda for the rest of the day and he was pretty content to watch the idiot strung up in front of him fumble with the rope as if getting himself free would somehow be a net positive. Well, in fairness, there wasn't much option for him. Asil had all the upper hand; this was just entertainment before the proverbial final act, which involved his kukri and some 'unfortunate' blood, because he didn't know how long this guy would hold a grudge and he wasn't just going to let him walk away.
He squinted as the rat collapsed back to hanging, huffing for breath. "Think I'm seeing a little fraying there, my friend. You're getting close."
The rat snapped another unflattering word at him, though the effect was somewhat ruined when he was panting hard for breath between each syllable. This time he drew himself up with a lot more difficulty, but Asil hadn't actually been lying about the frayed edges of the plant-fiber rope. He got his claws back to work on it, and Asil swallowed the last of the bread, reached around for the bit of cheese he had left, and put the tips of his fingers atop his kukri.
It was still about ten minutes later when, with a truly thunderous crash considering the silence that otherwise lay thick upon the forest, the rope snapped and the rat's weight drove him straight into the ground. Asil had plucked his weapon, a rusty looking dagger probably not even fit to peel an apple, off him much earlier, and as he twisted around to try and get up he found the fox's footpaw on his throat pressing him into the ground as Asil clapped.
"Well, I had my doubts you'd make it," he said. "Good job, though, way to persevere." The kukri came out, gleaming silver and cleaned completely of the last's rat's blood, though that had clearly been a little premature. He shifted his foot to the rat's chest and laid the edge of the blade up to his throat. Winked. "For that I'll make it quick."
|
|
|
|
Post by Jess on Jun 26, 2017 16:18:49 GMT -5
Henflick frowned to himself as he watched the rat struggling in mid air. He wasn't exactly the world's biggest fan of rats either, although to be honest he wasn't entirely sure why, but out of the two he would take a rat over a fox any day. Foxes would always be to him the animals who killed his parents, and though he admittedly didn't actually know for certain that this had been the case, and even if it had, then there would certainly have been other animals involved, it was a stereotype which he had attached to the animals for so long that he would have trouble in ridding himself of it even if he wanted to.
And seeing the fox before him casually taunting the rat who struggled helpless and defiant despite his precarious position was not doing the species as a whole any good whatsoever in the vole's heart. There was a fire of anger burning in the mercenary's soul, and he was not about to stand by and watch. The small mammal was a hair's breadth away from leaping to his feet and charging in to cut the rope when he heard an immensely satisfactory crash, which signified that the rat's weight had beaten him to it. Henflick let out a breath which he was not aware that he had been holding and prayed that the rat would have the good sense to run for it. Sadly, good sense did not appear to be a defining feature of at least this particular rat, and the vole heaved an inward sigh as he rose to his feet once again and scurried defiantly into the lion's mouth- well, not literally because that would be stupid. He dashed through the undergrowth towards the camp at a speed which even he was not aware that he was capable of.
Henflick didn't realise just how stupid he had been until he found himself with his own sword's blade pressed against the fox's. What on earth had he got himself into?
|
|
|
markab
•
Traveler
Posts: 70
Likes: 1
Gender: Female
|
Post by markab on Jun 26, 2017 16:58:36 GMT -5
Asil made as if to press the kukri forwards.
But he heard the rustle of bushes before he could quite cut the rat's throat open, and his head snapped up to see what appeared to be a vole wearing several coats barreled towards him like a juggernaut, wielding a longsword and looking rather angry, all things considered. Asil could not fathom why a vole would give a single shit about a water rat, of all things, but he slid his kukri up, brought his footpaw forward to press hard on the rat's throat and met the vole's blade as it came towards him with his own.
The rat gurgled and grabbed at his leg, scratching at him with claws that, in Asil's opinion, badly needed a trim, but his thick silky fur prevented most of the damage as he held the rat there and its struggling started to get a little weaker.
He pushed down, hard, and felt something give. "Sorry about that, my pal," he said. "I actually did mean the quick thing. That one's, uh, on your buddy here."
Still applying as much pressure as he could, he wiggled the kukri experimentally, and received a sharp, protesting squeal of metal-on-metal for his trouble. "Don't think I've seen you around before, friend," he said, thoughtfully. "So, uh, what's the deal? Is this guy a pal of yours?" He pressed down harder. The hands had stopped their useless attempt to claw at his legs. "Or. Was?"
|
|
|
|
Post by Jess on Jun 27, 2017 10:25:13 GMT -5
With the benefit of hindsight, Henflick very quickly decided that this had been an altogether stupid idea. He was not at all certain that he had any chance whatsoever of getting out of this situation alive himself, and as for the rat, his chances were looking even slimmer now than they had done before the vole had charged blindly in;not that the rat's future was looking particularly bright even then. Still, there were now two of them in very immediate danger, and as Henflick heard a sickening crunch from the rat who was still lying on the floor, his stomach twisted. Well. That was a pointless exercise.
"I'm not from round here." the vole responded curtly, most of his attention taken up by the two blades locked together in a silent struggle. He would never put it past a fox to distract him in conversation purely for the purpose of taking his mind away from the battle, and that was not a possibility which this vole would ever allow to become reality if he could help it. "And I've never seen the rat before in my life. I just take exception to people losing all their possessions and being murdered just because someone bigger than them happened to come along and feel like a snack."
He was playing with fire there, he knew, but it did irritate him immensely, and he wasn't going to stand here and act like the meek little vole that the fox would no doubt expect.
|
|
|
markab
•
Traveler
Posts: 70
Likes: 1
Gender: Female
|
Post by markab on Jun 27, 2017 12:09:03 GMT -5
"I'm not from round here."
"That right?" The fox barked a laugh.
"And I've never seen the rat before in my life. I just take exception to people losing all their possessions and being murdered just because someone bigger than them happened to come along and feel like a snack."
It got even better. Asil stared at him, snorted. "And what, you just assumed this guy was innocent?" He patted the rat's body with the flat of his footpaw -- and then, as he registered just what had been said, his ears flicked up, curious. Amused. "Wait, hold on one second. He's been hanging there for, uh, something like ten minutes, my pal. Since I took his stuff. Were you just sitting there watching?"
First of all, he hadn't even noticed, which was a little shameful. In fairness he'd been kind of absorbed, but Asil generally operated on the assumption he had at least some concept of spatial awareness. Second, just. Really? He hummed, slid his foot off his dead target so he had actual solid ground should things go south. "That doesn't exactly seem like the moral high ground, mate. Hey, if you thought it was funny too, I won't tell." He canted his head, winked. "And we are -- well, were, in his case -- both vermin. Why not just keep walking?"
|
|
|
|
Post by Jess on Jun 27, 2017 13:06:43 GMT -5
Henflick returned a hard stare for the fox's rhetorical question, still hanging on grimly to the handle of his sword despite the fact that this particular fox seemed to be more interested in exchanging small talk than he was in exchanging blows- well, for the moment at any rate. He did not find it an attractive proposition to stand here and chat casually over the very body of a rat who he had just seen murdered- and yes, maybe it was only a rat, but that rat had been a living, breathing, thinking creature not so long ago, and now it was a corpse. To the vole, that was indescribably wrong.
He did flinch internally at the second, more direct, question, though he still maintained a steady gaze and, more importantly, a steady grip. OK, the vole conceded, maybe he had been guilty of that, but in his own defence, the fox was far bigger than he was, and if he had gone rushing in blindly then anything might have happened. The effect of his actions might only have been to delay the timing of the blind rush, but he had looked before he leaped and that was what counted.
"Excuse me if I don't find death amusing." the vole stated blandly. "Yes, I could have kept walking, but I try not to discriminate."
|
|
|
markab
•
Traveler
Posts: 70
Likes: 1
Gender: Female
|
Post by markab on Jun 27, 2017 14:51:23 GMT -5
"Excuse me if I don't find death amusing."
Asil shook his head. "No, no, I mean the," he wiggled his free paw as though that would get his meaning across, "the hanging thing." He sighed, dramatically. "Not the smartest guy I've ever strung from a tree. I mean, I was sitting right there, what did he think was going to happen when he got down?"
Snickering, the fox nudged the body laying between them with a footpaw. "The killing thing was just, you know, cleaning up loose ends. Nothing personal."
"Yes, I could have kept walking, but I try not to discriminate."
Asil wiggled his eyebrows, as best a fox could. "Sure, sure. So, mate, uh, what are we doing here? Because I'm not quite sure what you were thinking. Running in here to save the...proverbial damsel." He tapped the hilt of his kukri with one claw. "We could stand here all night, if you want. Depends on how badly you want to avenge your buddy here."
|
|
|
|
Post by Jess on Jun 27, 2017 15:17:44 GMT -5
Henflick was confused. He had literally just said that he didn't find death amusing; why on earth would he find an attempt at hanging to be any funnier? Ah well, people were strange, and that was especially true of foxes. "You've hung a lot of people from trees?" he enquired casually in regards to the other animal's comment, taking a moment to catch his breath- that dash had taken rather more out of him than he would care to admit to anyone.
"Loose ends? What, blackmail gone wrong, kind of thing?" The vole's hope was that if he kept the fox talking for long enough, the bigger animal would be too distracted to decide that he looked like a loose end too.
The mercenary tilted his head. "I don't go for damsels. The screaming gets on my nerves." Sweet mother earth, was he making jokes? He certainly hadn't picked the best time to develop a fox's sense of humour. "As for standing here all night; while I didn't exactly have any other plans, I would like to get some sleep."
|
|
|
markab
•
Traveler
Posts: 70
Likes: 1
Gender: Female
|
Post by markab on Jun 27, 2017 16:12:02 GMT -5
"You've hung a lot of people from trees?"
Asil considered this for a moment. Stealing from vermin tended to be a bit tougher than woodlanders. They were just far less trusting in general. And after what had happened to his town he -- well, found every cruelty amusing, but particularly those against any beast vaguely resembling the corsairs. "Well," he started, drawing the word out. "Don't get me wrong. Not a ton. But you know, us vermin tend to be a little," he clicked his teeth together, "tougher to rob. And meaner about it."
"Loose ends? What, blackmail gone wrong, kind of thing?"
"My pal, let me say it again. Vermin." He wiggled his fingers. "Maybe you heard, but our mutual friend here was not at all happy about this little....accident. And, being perfectly honest, I don't think he'd be too happy to find his companion dead in the bushes. So here's the solution to the problem: I kill him, and he doesn't get some misplaced ideas about revenge, and everyone, uh, left alive, is happy."
"I don't go for damsels. The screaming gets on my nerves."
Asil chuckled. "Could've fooled me. Only went after this guy because he was the strong silent type, or because you wanted to try your jokes out on a fox?" Well, not entirely true. He clicked his tongue. "He did have a mouth on him, though. Considering the situation. Should've spent a little less wasted breath on bad insults and a little more time thinking things through. This was practically a service."
"As for standing here all night; while I didn't exactly have any other plans, I would like to get some sleep."
He twisted his kukri a little, scraping the blades' edges together again. Considering. But Asil wasn't really a fighter -- he was an opportunist, and there was no opportunity when your potential mark was completely aware of what you were capable of and staring you right in the face. Nor was he particularly interested in putting a ton more effort into a fight when he'd gone out of his way to avoid them during his whole escapade.
"I won't stop you, mate." He grinned sharply, baring a bright array of teeth, but he wasn't lying. This wasn't personal, and if there was going to be a fight Asil would've expected it to happen already instead of the vole practically encouraging him to talk his head off. "You're not the one I meant to rob. Yet." He slid his kukri's blade down the vole's, using its inner curve as leverage to push the other backwards. "Maybe keep an eye out, though. There are all sorts of beasts in these woods. They won't be all as nice as me."
|
|
|
|
Post by Jess on Jun 27, 2017 17:00:34 GMT -5
Henflick raised an eyebrow but forbore to comment, instead choosing to once again focus his attention on the minor pressure being transferred through the blade of his sword. He did not want to allow that pressure to grow too much greater. He had been on the wrong end of a sword and come off the worse only three times in his career so far, but none of the three had made him at all inclined to repeat the experience. Infection could be rife on weapons that were used often, and any weapon wielded by someone who was capable of defeating Henflick in a fair fight was one which was used very often indeed. He had been laid up for weeks nursing a swollen leg the first time, and that was when he had sworn never to allow it to happen again. But of course, the vole had sworn the same thing the second time, and the third. He was not exactly riding atop a winning streak.
"Good job I ain't planning to rob you, then." he responded levelly. "And I could hardly miss hearin' him shouting; that was what brought me here in the first place. Noise that could wake the dead. And honestly, do you really think a rat o' that size would have any chance of revenge against you?" He understood that logic was often an optional extra for vermin, but really, this particular example was utterly ludicrous. The fox had just killed the rat by standing on him, for heaven's sake!
"Strong silent type? Him? We talkin' about the same rat here?" The vole couldn't believe his ears. He had heard the rat from miles down the road, and his hearing was by no means the best around. "Heard him yellin' blue murder from the Southern Fringes!" Not that that was where he had been coming from, but the fox didn't need to know that.
Henflick was ready when the blade twisted and the metal screeched, countering with a twist of his own which brought the two swords back into their former position. He tensed, ready for action, expecting a fight, and then... he relaxed.
"Well, no point me sticking around now, is there." he muttered.
|
|
|
markab
•
Traveler
Posts: 70
Likes: 1
Gender: Female
|
Post by markab on Jun 28, 2017 0:53:27 GMT -5
"Good job I ain't planning to rob you, then."
Asil eyed him, and snorted. "You don't say. Rushing in valiantly, sword drawn, to save a rat you've never seen before? You don't seem like the type."
"And I could hardly miss hearin' him shouting; that was what brought me here in the first place. Noise that could wake the dead. And honestly, do you really think a rat o' that size would have any chance of revenge against you?"
"Oh, he was hardly that loud." Well. He'd only been really loud for the first minute or so, but since the vole had apparently been camped out just watching Asil could well believe he'd been close enough to hear. "Not for long, anyways. A bit of an overreaction, don't you think? I wasn't hurting him. He was doing that to himself." Not that he really had room to talk, considering, well. The last several minutes. Most of his life, if he was being honest. "And look, like I said, loose ends. I don't know how many friends he had left. Not that he was a particularly charismatic fellow."
Asil looked the vole over again. He seemed to be wearing a handful of coats, but as things were, compared to a fox? Not many things were taller or bigger than he was, and if it was a badger or wildcat he was confronted with -- well, he wasn't stupid. "Even if I did, considering your, ah, stature, that seems a bit of an odd thing to say, hm? You don't leave things to chance in this line of work."
"Strong silent type? Him? We talkin' about the same rat here? Heard him yellin' blue murder from the Southern Fringes!"
"Oh, now you're just being dramatic." He waved a paw. "And contradictory. Is this, then, not about damsels in distress, however ugly or masculine they might be? Or do you just have some compulsive do-gooder instinct? Just worried about the big scary fox claiming another innocent victim?"
Now a few pawsteps away, Asil shouldered his kukri, flashing the vole a toothy grin as he appeared to mutter something under his breath.
|
|
|
|
Post by Jess on Jun 28, 2017 12:45:25 GMT -5
Henflick bristled as much as he was able to with his short stature. He took exception to being insulted on account of how he looked, and just because he looked warlike and actually was a mercenary, everyone seemed to assume that he was the scum of the earth. Why that was completely eluded him, but he had generally found it simpler just to avoid telling anyone what his occupation really was. "Look 'ere, mate." he started, somewhat more belligerently than he might have considered advisable. "If I was plannin' on robbin' you, I'd have more sense than to charge in and start wavin' a sword at someone who's bigger than me." He had, in the past, found it necessary to relieve someone more fortunate than him of a few of their possessions, and one thing which had emerged from the experience was that, what with his stature and everything, it was sensible not to engage in actual conflict with the victim whenever possible. "And anyway, what d'you mean, 'the type'?"
The vole frowned at the next question. "Never havin' been hung from a tree, I couldn't comment." he responded sharply. "I gotta say, if someone took it into their head to tie a rope round my neck then I'd probably kick up a bit o' fuss as well." More than a bit, he reflected darkly. The other party would never know what had hit them. Certainly, they would think twice before attacking a small vole travelling alone for a second time.
But Henflick had to concede the sense of what the fox was saying. Chances were not good things. If there was a chance that something might go your way, then there was also a chance that it could go against you. One had to ensure that things were certain to go one way or the other. For the rat, it had been the other- but for the fox, it had very definitely been one way.
"Like I said, pal, I don't touch damsels in distress with a long stick. Too much emotion in the background. The rat? Yeah, he was a little upset, but after, he'd've either punched you or run. Last time I was stupid enough to go near a damsel, she just hung 'round cryin' all over me and sayin' how wonderful I was. Nearly got caught meself." The vole was curt and to the point. He was not playing nice with the fox, because he was a fox. And would very likely kill him if he saw any benefit in it.
|
|
|
markab
•
Traveler
Posts: 70
Likes: 1
Gender: Female
|
Post by markab on Jun 28, 2017 15:12:20 GMT -5
"If I was plannin' on robbin' you, I'd have more sense than to charge in and start wavin' a sword at someone who's bigger than me."
"Well, yes, I would certainly hope so." He shrugged, splaying his paws wide. "Though there are....those types. One of whom would probably have started swinging at me already. Good to know you're not completely devoid of sense, despite what your, uh, earlier actions would suggest." He grinned. "And they're usually vermin, too. Ah, what I could get up to if I was a mouse."
"And anyway, what d'you mean, 'the type'?"
"It's not obvious?" Asil chuckled. "Oh, sure, we all do things to survive. Sure, half the beasts around have stolen once or twice in their lifetimes, maybe you're one of them. Far be it for me to judge. It's necessary. Though...funny how it stops being necessary when it's their neck on the line."
He'd been the victim of quite a few robbery attempts himself. Most of them had been tiny vermin packs, the one memorable occasion a hedgehog of all things who'd actually gotten away with it, but Asil had actually had more grudging respect than irritation for that particular caper. Ah, the value of underestimation. He'd definitely learned something from that one. "Anyways, pretty easy to peg a career thief from someone who's not, if you know what you're doing. And let me tell you, my pal, I've been the victim, and perpetrator, of everything in the books." He wiped an imaginary tear from his eye. "Had some fun times. And some not-so-fun ones."
"Never havin' been hung from a tree, I couldn't comment. I gotta say, if someone took it into their head to tie a rope round my neck then I'd probably kick up a bit o' fuss as well."
"Around the neck?" Asil laughed. "That's just execution. Where's the fun in that?" He yanked at the hanging rope; the tree made an ominous creaking noise as he pulled it down. "I'll concede the hypothetical point, though. A bit of squirming if you're being strangled alive? Sure, our buddy just did that himself. Not from the rope though. I had that one around his foot. Rats. Just don't watch where they're stepping, do they?"
"Like I said, pal, I don't touch damsels in distress with a long stick. Too much emotion in the background. The rat? Yeah, he was a little upset, but after, he'd've either punched you or run. Last time I was stupid enough to go near a damsel, she just hung 'round cryin' all over me and sayin' how wonderful I was. Nearly got caught meself."
Asil cackled, genuinely amused. Too good. He ran into something like that on the side of the road, he was more likely to knock them out and sweep up all their stuff for himself. "So, what. Only okay for vermin, now?" He waved a hand. "I get it. Less emotions, less fuss, right? Oh, I learned that one a long time ago."
|
|
|