|
Post by Celebes on Feb 22, 2019 14:18:59 GMT -5
\_GREAT BEASTS OF OLD_/
Book 1 Hunters
W18, W. Crystal Snowflakes
The Rogue was coming. Like many before, and many after. He would come, he would fight, he would slay. But ultimately he would fail. This much the Abbey Council knew. But how many children of Mossflower would die in proving this inevitability? How many would die in sieges of seasons not yet come? It was time to stop the bloodletting. It was time to find a champion. One true warrior, so Great in power and glory, that would crush the Rogue and deter all others from ever challenging Redwall. A mouse with a magic sword could be dismissed as a mere nuisance by an ambitious warlord. But the iron hooves of a Great Beast would be deemed impossible to conquer. A Great Beast must be found. Not for this battle alone, but so that our children’s children will never know war.
- Wheatberry, expedition recorder.
|
|
|
Post by Celebes on Feb 22, 2019 14:22:48 GMT -5
Starlight Ambush
. . .
**It was a dark night. Would be silent too were it not for the gurgling serenade of a nearby nightingale. In the moonless gloom Celebes paws were wearing raw from their nervous rubbing along the shaft of his harpoon. His apprehension had created the first casualty of this makeshift operation, a pretty sizable splinter. The otter needled the wooden shard stuck in his paw with his teeth, trying to keep his eyes up. At least the pain kept him awake. A snap cut through the air. Immediately, the call of the nightingale was ceased. Celebes forgot his splinter. He preferred to fret over what had caused this latest disturbance to the night air. Isaiah maybe? Fumbling with a branch as he stood at his own post some distance through the trees? The fire? Maybe a log shifting in the dying bonfire, originally piled high to help illuminate the wooden surrounds, but now rapidly fading away. An enemy? It could have come from a vermin lurker slipping on a twig. The otter guide hadn't been supportive of this plan. Yes, they knew that they were being followed. That had been confirmed more than once by a distant vermin who failed to get out of sight quick enough when somebeast in the party made a quick about face. And yes, they had known for some nights now that their pursuers had a habit of spying on them at night. It was unsettling. But trying to fight these cads in the dark seemed to be asking for a tragic mix-up between allies. How could he tell the difference between a friend or foe when all that could be made out was a shifting outline? By the time the stranger spoke it it may be too late. But the mood in the camp had become increasingly restless over the past few days, and Celebes had begun to accept that fact that some members of the party were simply never going to get good sleep if this problem wasn't confronted. They had to discover what they were facing.** Yer silence otter, or yer life is mine.**An icy shiver started down Celebes' back, stopping at the point of a blade tickling his spine. The venomous whisper game from somewhere below his ear, suggesting his assailent was shorter than him. A fact that probably kept the blade at his back rather than pressed into his throat. A small comfort.** Move it, slow like.**The shock of the moment froze Celebes thoughts in place. Without orders from up top his paws obeyed the outside prompt.** Into the trees. 'way from yer fire.**The curt order rattled his brain, returning a bit of life to Celebes' thinking. His thoughts began to move with this paws. He was being captured, that much he knew. Otherwise he'd have been slain outright. A nice thought. He hadn't been disarmed yet, perhaps his captor didn't want to risk the noise of the heavy polearm dropping. Did that mean his captor was the only bandit? Or were other Redwallers being captured? No matter. Celebes still had one paw free.
The blade dug deeper, as if it had sensed the otter's seditious thoughts. Celebes didn't care. If the bounder was behind him then he wouldn't be able to see Celebes paw as it moved towards his belt. Thank fashion. A signal arrow lay tucked away, courtesy of that crafty fox Thorn. The otter didn't have to know how it worked to know what it did. A simple wooden shaft that forsook its arrowhead for a strange vial tied to the end, which flared with an immense light when broken. The brute was forcing him towards an oak. They would pass close enough.** Your lucky me other mates didn- YEEAAH!**Celebes' paw and signal arrow had slammed into the hard oak bark, with immediate reward. A terrible white light split the night, illuminating a wide circle of forest with noonday light. Celebes was blinded. But his mouth still worked.** Mates! OVER HERE!
|
|
|
Post by Barkfur on Feb 22, 2019 19:16:39 GMT -5
**Thorn thought he heard rustling from his part of the camp, and then unshouldered out his crossbow, one of the better parts of his arsenal, and nocked an incendiary arrow to it. A simple mixture, sulfur, vegetable oil, and mercury, two of which Thorn was running low of. Thorn was an avid chemist, but his supply of sulphur and mercury was running low, and to replenish them was one of the reasons he'd accepted the quest
Thorn then noticed a strange looking creature a good length away from the camp wielding what looked like a katana on a stick slink through the forest. Thorn let it go, as it might be scouting. Thorn then checked his crossbow for any blemishes, just in case. All of a sudden, chaos broke out.**
Mates! OVER HERE!
**It was Celebes, apparently in trouble. Thorn then saw a bright flash. One of his signal arrows! Thorn rushed in the direction and saw the vermin that he let slip away holding Celebes hostage. The creature apparently was temporarily blinded,and Celebes had wriggled free. Thorn decided to give Celebes enough time to recover, as his signal arrows occasionally made himself see spots**
You, Vermin, drop your weapon, or i'll knock you inta' next week.
**Thorn shouldered his unloaded crossbow and unsheathed his hammers. The vermin seemed to recover by now and gave a haughty challenge in a strange accent.**
You think you're able to beat Genji the quick witted tanuki? I'll be leaving your death to be long and painful.
**Thorn swallowed hard, and assumed a defensive crouch, and the Genji vermin lunged, and he parried. He then assumed the offensive, feinting and slashing, but he never seemed to land a hit, as the tanuki's polearm seemed to be everywhere, spinning, blocking, riposting, the polearm was very annoying. Suddenly with a quick twist of his wrist, Genji landed a cut on Thorn's shoulder. A haze of pain overtook Thorn, and he just managed to shout at Celebes before rushing the tanuki in rage.**
GO GET THE OTHERS! I'LL HOLD HIM OFF FOR A WHILE, THEN I'LL CATCH UP!
**As the Bronze of his hammers clashed with the tungsten of the tanukis weapon, Thorn noted it was suicidal to do such heroics, but at least if he died, he would be remembered as the fox who held them at bay.**
|
|
|
Post by Isaiah on Feb 23, 2019 21:58:41 GMT -5
**A shooting star flared across the night sky, blinking out of existence almost as soon as it had begun. A disheveled mouse clung to the crook of an old oak tree, hidden in the pitch black silhouettes that stood against the stars. From his vantage point, Isaiah could make out the dull glow of a dying campfire with Celebes standing sentinel. Somewhere across from him another member of the party too would be hidden in the treetops, nimbly and silently gliding from branch to branch. Not possessing the agility of a squirrel, Isaiah had chosen his spot with care. Despite the thick foliage of the area, the mouse had a clear line of sight to Celebes, who was probably in the most vulnerable spot of the party members. Isaiah's eyes strained against the dark, his ears perked and on high alert. He hoped that he didn't mistake a friendly silhouette for a hostile one, or worse, hesitate on downing an attacker.
Somewhere on the forest floor, a twig snapped.
Isaiah tightened the straps of his sling around his paws, letting the aged leather crack and groan. He let the tension grow, and then released it. The mouse was nervous. Below, Celebes started moving, and Isaiah froze. It wasn't natural movement, of that much Isaiah was certain. Slowly, the mouse slipped a paw into a cloth pouch at his waist, fingering a flat pebble. He could make out the vague shape of some beast behind Celebes, but there wasn't enough light for Isaiah to get a clean shot. Isaiah groaned inwardly. Thankfully the vermin plan hadn't been to slaughter first and ask questions later, but Isaiah had no idea how much time Celebes had. He had to get closer.
Fur matted with sap, Isaiah peeled himself from his resting spot against the tree with a modicum of difficulty. Reaching into his tunic pocket, the mouse coated the soft pads of his paws with a layer of chalk dust—a gift from Burfle. Celebes had moved out of Isaiah's line of sight now—he had to act fast. Before there was a chance to second guess himself, Isaiah leaped from his nook to a thick branch that extended from another tree a good two mouse-lengths away. The bark scraped painfully against his paws, but purchase was not hard to find. Not caring if he made some sound now, Isaiah roughly pulled himself up, scanning the brush below for signs of Celebes. Isaiah cursed under his breath. It was too dark.**
Mates! OVER HERE!
**A star seemed to explode almost directly beneath Isaiah, and the mouse was forced to shield his eyes momentarily. The light vanished but Isaiah had already locked on to the pair of beasts below. Crouching above, Isaiah let his sling start spinning above his head as Celebes gained distance from his assailant. All he needed was a clean shot.**
You, Vermin, drop your weapon, or I'll knock you inta' next week.
**Thorn came barreling through the trees out of nowhere, engaging the vermin as Celebes recovered his footing. They exchanged blows, hitting hard, though it was too dark to see who was winning. Isaiah kept spinning his weapon, all senses trained on the spectacle below. There was a loud clash of weapons and then the duelers below backed off for a second, licking their wounds.**
GO GET THE OTHERS! I'LL HOLD HIM OFF FOR A WHILE, THEN I'LL CATCH UP!
**Isaiah had his shot. He didn't hesitate. The stone whipped forward towards the vermin, and Isaiah heard it clunk.**
Don't be stupid, Thorn! I'm here to- **Mid witty one-liner, Isaiah half toppled, half jumped from his perch, falling a good few meters and landing unceremoniously next to a battle-worn Thorn. Twenty paces away, bushes rustled. Isaiah heard shouting and caught a glimpse of a red fox tail.**
We should leave. There's more coming and I don't know how many.
|
|
|
Post by Barkfur on Feb 24, 2019 8:37:27 GMT -5
**Thorn was beginning to tire, and he just was about to resort to some foul play when his opponent was laid low by a well shot slingstone. Thorn had no idea who shot it, and ready to fight to the death,but the sharpshooter presented itself to him. **
Don't be stupid, Thorn! I'm here to-
**Just as Isaiah stumbled out of a tree, sheathing his hammers, Thorn cursed at himself for being less cautious, as he could've killed Isaiah. Nevertheless, Thorn was grateful for the mouse's companionship, but Isaiah then jolted Thorn back into reality. **
We should leave. There's more coming and I don't know how many.
**Thorn nodded, then flipped on his steampunk goggles. Since his dibbun days, these goggles had been a fashion accessory, but he had taken countless hours of experimenting on the lenses to make them more sensitive to light during times of night, henceforth making a primitive version of night vision, but it had a few flaws, like blinking out at times, and the lenses being very delicate. Thorn had solved the latter problem by adding a protective covering of ordinary glass, but he still was worried about the performance.
Thorn tried to adress the problem at hand with a bit of fox logic. There were vermin, and vermin aren't exactly the sharpest tool in the gatehouse, and could be led into a trap......wait a second, to bait the trap, we'll need a decoy, and if a decoy-THAT'S IT!**
Aye. Gather the others and get back on the trail. I'll leave a bright surprise for our vermin friends. T'will only buy us two days at most. Once you're about to leave, come and get me. I'll be at the eastern edge of the camp if I finish. If not, than go without me.
**After explaining his plan, Thorn waved Isaiah away, then began to work on his decoy. Once he crafted what looked like a very scruffy squirrel, he set the traps. First caltrops around the decoy, and a large rope snare. He then trudged over to the eastern edge of the camp, and unshouldered his shortbow, nocked an arrow to it, and waited.**
|
|
|
Post by Celebes on Mar 4, 2019 10:09:28 GMT -5
**After the flash had gone off, Celebes struggled to keep oriented. The burst of light had destroyed his carefully nurtured night vision, and all the otter knew was to put some distance between himself and the screaming combatants. Celebes counted four distinct voices, friendly and less so, carrying through the air. He had no intention of being in the path of any of their blades.
It was not long before Celebes was able to spot the camp's fire through the dark haze of his obscured vision. Figuring the risks of going to such an obvious location were less severe than those associated with wandering through the dark, the sea otter stumbled towards the dying blaze. Thumping down on a stump that some woodlander had been using as a stool earlier, Celebes nervously stuck a paw around to his back to feel where his would-be captor's blade at been jabbed. No moisture. Just the slightest of nicks in his tunic. Celebes let out a grateful sigh.
Continuing to blink rapidly, Celebes oriented himself towards the forest where he had come from, listening for the dying sounds of battle. He still had his harpoon with him, and he braced it into the ground in a posture that looked much more menacing than he felt. It was around this moment that Thorn came working through the trees, shortbow in paw. Celebes spoke up in quick, hushed tones.**
Are they still coming, matey? D'you think we can catch one and get him to talk?
|
|
|
Post by Burfle, Brookfill & Madrigal on Mar 7, 2019 7:52:49 GMT -5
*As per the plan, Brooky lay near the bushes just a short ways away from the campfire, bundled up in her cloak. After all, on the off chance that their enemies might assume that the Redwallers were unaware of the danger, it was important to keep up the appearance of a regular campsite.
The otter was tense underneath her cover, trying to stay alert despite the warmth of the fire. It didn't help that she had her face towards the light as well, meaning she was barely able to see anything except dark shadow beyond the orange glow. She had to rely on her ears, and hope that her companions would be quick to sound the alarm if anything was amiss.*
Mates! OVER HERE!
*She perked up at the sound of Celebes' shout, and the flash of a bright light in the woods beyond the fire. Shaking off the drowsiness and springing into action, Brooky rolled herself towards the cover of the bush. She grabbed her javelin from where it was resting close by, and tried to blink away the afterimage of the fire from her eyes.*
GO GET THE OTHERS! I'LL HOLD HIM OFF FOR A WHILE, THEN I'LL CATCH UP!
*She heard a further voice, which sounded like Isaiah joining Thorn. Her grip flexed on the pole of her javelin. If she was going to be of any use then she needed to find some way of helping out the group. Checking her surroundings she pinpointed some of the landmarks that she had noted in daylight and began to move her way around the side of the camp, a short way from the circumference, her eyes scanning the foliage for any signs of friend or foe, mumbling to herself quietly.* C'mon, somebeast has to show their face eventually.
*The sounds of trudging pawsteps behind her caused her to whirl around, javelin at the ready. Just a quarter way around the campsite from her position she saw Celebes stumble in and slump down on a log seat. With half an eye out still for any of the enemy, the otter backed her way towards her companion. More foliage rustling signalled the presence of another. A quick glance over her shoulder was all it took for her to recognise Thorn however.*
Are they still coming, matey? D'you think we can catch one and get him to talk?
*Reaching the log, Brooky crouched down on the dirt next to the other otter, sparing him a quick nod before turning her gaze back to the outside of the camp.*
That sounds like it could be a good idea mate. What tools do we have to make a good trap to catch somebeast?
|
|
|
Post by Barkfur on Mar 7, 2019 17:47:57 GMT -5
Are they still coming, matey? D'you think we can catch one and get him to talk?
**Celebes had a fair point. Getting the vermin to talk could result in the acquisition of the red rouge's plan, and maybe find out why the vermin were tailing him. A rustle in the clearing made Thorn turn and pull his bowstring taut. It was the formerly unconscious Genji, conscious at last, slipping into the woods, unaware of Celebes' recent suggestion, perhaps to report. Thorn was used to changing plans and was thankful that Isaiah was in a ten pace range. Calling him over, Thorn began to explain his tweaked plan.**
So mates the plan goes like thi-
That sounds like it could be a good idea mate. What tools do we have to make a good trap to catch somebeast?
**Thorn paused at the interruption, turned and found Brooky sitting on a nearby log. Thorn was suddenly relived that he had already set up a snare along with a decoy, and launched right into his plan.**
So here's the plan. I've already set up a trap, snare included from my previous plan. If we were to hide and a vermin gets snared in my trap, we ambush the others and drive them away, then make our prisoner talk. Sound good?
|
|
|
Post by Isaiah on Mar 26, 2019 2:45:43 GMT -5
Are they still coming, matey? D'you think we can catch one and get him to talk?
**Isaiah grimaced, his fall from the branch above doing no favors for his already travel worn and battered body. Surrounded by members of his party, Isaiah felt secure enough to let his guard down for a moment, rubbing a tender bruise on his left arm. Somewhere in the forest a bush rustled, and Isaiah tensed up just as quickly as he'd relaxed. The fur on his neck bristled as his right paw tightened around his sling and his left danced about the dirk at his waist. The worst part was, he wasn't even sure the movement hadn't just been a bird, or his comrades moving about by the campfire. Had the fox tail he'd seen just been a trick of the light? Either way, the mouse remained uneasy. Their position wasn't ideal.**
So mates the plan goes like thi-
**Thorn materialized from the darkness, and Isaiah nearly jumped out of his skin in shock. The eccentric fox was a puzzle to Isaiah, and that annoyed him just the tiniest bit.**
That sounds like it could be a good idea mate. What tools do we have to make a good trap to catch somebeast?
**Isaiah opened his mouth to speak, but Thorn was already there, talking fast and with an energy that did not betray the lateness of the night.**
So here's the plan. I've already set up a trap, snare included from my previous plan. If we were to hide and a vermin gets snared in my trap, we ambush the others and drive them away, then make our prisoner talk. Sound good?
Wait, how did you... Did you rea— Are you...? **Isaiah mumbled into nothingness, then just nodded. This fox had setup a trap in the time it'd taken the mouse to lick his wounds. Was he getting old? Isaiah grimaced again, he didn't like that thought. He was just tired. But that wasn't an excuse either, the mouse needed his head in the game if they were to survive.**
Right! **Oops, that was slightly louder than he'd meant. His voice dropped immediately to a whisper.** Is there a place we c'n hide? I'mma bit worried they might've gotten a bead on our position with that whole star—explosion... thingy.
Also, uh... What do we do about... **Isaiah jerked his head towards where the fallen body of the vermin who'd captured Celebes lay still.** We take him?
|
|
|
Post by Celebes on Mar 28, 2019 12:02:35 GMT -5
**As his companions drew in close, Celebes joined Brooky in looking outwards to the forest. After Isaiah had entered the ring of light, little else continued to move. Either they're ambushers were long gone, or really good.**
Is there a place we c'n hide? I'mma bit worried they might've gotten a bead on our position with that whole star—explosion... thingy. Also, uh... What do we do about...We take him?
Yeah matey, and sitting by the fire ain't doin' us any favors either. But if anybeast out there is watching us, they'll just see where we're headed right away since we are so lit up. Once we're out in the trees, they'll have night vision, and we won't.** Celebes said in a low voice, before quickly adding a suggestion.** I almost think we should just stay here where we can at least see them come while we question him.
**Celebes was naturally eager to agree to question the duffer who had just tried to knife him, and feeling sufficiently recovered from his daze, suddenly stood up. The fellow hadn't ended up too far from the lights of the camp, and the sea otter impetuously strode over limp rat. Grabbing the vermin by his nape, Celebes gave a grunt as he drug the surprisingly heavy soldier into the relative safety of camp, ears perked for any movement around him. Eventually, and with no foul play attempted by any vermin that were still lingering about, the sea otter deposited the unconscious rat unceremoniously before the fire.**
Lets see who he works for. Thorn's snares should keep his mates busy for a bit if we do need to run.
|
|