Amarro and the Eviction Notice

Abandoning his studies for the present, Caddock steps into Cavern Hole, hoping to find some leftover food to sate his appetite with. He's gone without a meal until night, as is his custom when he's working, and is just now beginning to feel the pangs of hunger blossoming in his stomach. Strangely enough, he'd left the abbey library in a much better condition than it should be, the fox having tidied it up and put the books back where they belonged after he and Amarro were done with their late-night conversation. He's left his cloak, hat, and gauntlet in his room today, the abbey being quite warm despite the chilly night air, and he stifles a yawn, the product of too many nights with too little sleep.

Having been given information from a few enterprising dibbuns, Amarro heads into the cavern hole followed by two big otters in order to locate Caddock and hand him the letter that she'd received earlier from the abbot. The item in question is rolled up in her right paw and she grips it somewhat forcefully. Upon seeing the fox in the cavern hole she abruptly halts and says, "Ah. There you are." She feels awkward about this and her regular, formal way of speaking is gone.

Stopping his hunt for a meal, Caddock turns about and spots Amarro, feeling a little less animosity towards her after he'd explained his plight. He leans back against the edge of a table and nods a greeting to her, one ankle crossed over the other, the fox appearing rather relaxed. "Good, there was something I wanted to talk to you about." He doesn't even give her a chance to talk, just starting to babble on. "I was thinking, since I'm here, I might as well consider the food I've been eating as payment and work the guard rotation. If you think arming me is still a bad idea, I could keep watch from the ramparts; a fox's eyes are far superior to a hedgehog's or an otter's." He gives a small shrug, than continues. "Your call, it's just an offer."

Amarro taps the rolled up letter on her left palm and takes a deep breath. With a few steps she is level to him, so tense that every movement is rigid and stiff. "Actually, I have something here for you." She holds out the roll of paper to him. "It is from the abbot." The two backup otters take a few steps forward, prepared in case something should happen.

Suddenly noticing the two otter's on standby, the fox's eyes rove over them, looking to see how well armed and armored they are. He's got a nagging suspicion that he's not going to like whatever's in this roll of paper. He unrolls it and begins to read, his ears flattening to the top of his head as he does so. When he's done, his fist clenches around the parchment and his eyes close, and the fox appears to be counting, very slowly, to ten. When he's done, his eyes open and he lets the crumpled letter fall to the floor. "So, I suppose the two otters are here to ensure I leave peacefully?" His voice quavers as he speaks, as though he's having trouble resisting the urge to shout.

"I am hopeful that they will not become necessary." Amarro keeps her paws down at her sides, in what she hopes will be considered non-threatening. "I am truly sorry that it had to happen this way. It was an...accident." She sighs. "Of course you will be given time to collect your belongings and your weapon will be returned to you at the gatehouse."

Caddock lifts an eyebrow, glaring at Amarro, his voice becoming a fair bit more stiff, the strain still present in it as he forces himself not to shout. "I fail to see how banishment can be an accident, but I can see one thing. I was clearly a fool to put any trust in you last night." Caddock's paws fumble with each other, the fox bending each finger until it cracks, no doubt an idle habit.

Amarro already feels terrible about the whole sorry situation but does not back down. "I am sorry you feel that way. Now, I must request that you collect your items and prepare to leave. If you require their assistance I can send these gentlemen behind me. They are quite good at packing."

Caddock stares down his muzzle at Amarro, nose pointed up over her head as he lets out a sneer. "If you think I'm going to let any of your... /minions/ touch my possessions, you've got another thing coming. There is one thing that I would like to know first though: how was this accidental?"

Amarro deeply regrets the slip of the tongue she'd allowed earlier. She closes her eyes and sighs. "When I went to the abbot to request help with...your situation, I did not realize he would be so quick to write a letter authorizing your banishment." The squirrel shakes her head and meets the fox's irate gaze. "I asked if he would be willing to accept a /sincere/ apology for your actions but the Father Abbot would not hear of it."

The story has little effect on the fox's steely gaze, his eyes still hard and unforgiving, paws clasped behind his back in an almost military manner as he listens to Amarro's story. He takes some time before he speaks again. "I see... I see. Well, I stand by what I did, and I wouldn't have given even a fake apology for it. That little lout insulted me to my back, and a good dip in the pond was precisely what he needed. I shall now retrieve my things. Are you going to escort me out when I'm done?"

Amarro nods. "Yes. We will wait for you at the gatehouse. You may take your time." She pauses. "To a point." Behind her the two otters shift their weight impatiently, eager to see this fox out of the abbey.

Caddock sneers at the sight that the otters present, shaking his head. "I don't intend to take long at all, just make sure those two don't wet their fur out of excitement, would you? I don't want there to be another mess for you to blame on me." Turning on his heel, Caddock stalks out of Cavern Hole and up to his dormitory, collecting up his things and then heading to the gatehouse as discussed.

---Gatehouse---

Amarro is sitting at one of the tables with her boots propped up. Behind her, still vigilant, the two otters await somewhat quietly with only a few words shared between them every now and then. Amarro is clearly deep in thought, her gaze vacant. In front of her boots on the table is Caddock's sword, ready to be handed back to the fox whenever he arrives.

The door to the gatehouse isn't opened so much as it's kicked in, the fox clearly having had time to stew in his anger a bit while he was collecting his things. He's reoutfitted in his cloak, hat, and gauntlet, no doubt wearing the outer clothes just to grind the nerves of the two otters Amarro's flanked by. He strides up to the table and holds out his bare paw, clearing his throat. "My sword. I'm going to need it."

Amarro doesn't bother to move very quickly and slowly shifts both boots off of the table, allowing them to land on the floor with a rather loud thump. She grabs the sword off the table and holds it out to the fox but keeps a tight grip on it so that even when Caddock grabs it to take it he won't be able to pull it away from her. She wants to keep his attention for a few moments longer.

The fox's paw closes around the scabbard and he moves to snatch it away, but upon finding that Amarro's grasp is quite solid, he snarls, speaking rather slowly with barely contained rage. "Let... go... now!" His voice is low, and his eyes lock with Amarro's. Well, she has his attention, his extremely irritated attention.

"Be careful. Get home to your family." Amarro pauses, considering what she's about to say. "And you probably shouldn't come back, regardless of what the abbot's letter says." She holds onto the sword for a few more moments before releasing it.

The mention of his family and the warning is like a slap to Caddock's face, and he actually starts back, his grip faltering on his sword. It takes him a moment to speak again, and he heaves out a heavy sigh. "Look, squirrel, don't pretend that you care about what happens to me. My research isn't even half complete, and without it, I..." he shakes his head as his voice strains, clearing his throat, momentarily at a loss for words.

The otters are growing bored and one of them pointedly opens up the door to the gatehouse revealing a dark, moonless night. A few leaves blow into the room, herded along by a stiff breeze. "I'm sure you'll think of something." The squirrel says, coldly, her earlier helpfulness diluted by the fox's harsh response to her warning. She looks up past him towards the otters and nods causing the one not holding the door to approach them.

Taking a deep breath, the fox doesn't move for a little while, then takes hold of his sword, fixing it back onto his belt, his eyes cold as ice as he stares at Amarro. He leans onto the table, leaning in close and saying in a low, dangerous voice. "I want you to tell your abbot something, like the good little servant you are. Tell him that the abbey has managed to make a new enemy. Let him know that his new enemy is Caddock the Steelpaw, and that it's quite an achievement to make an enemy of a sellsword."

Amarro returns his gaze with a cold, steely one of her own. "I'll be sure to pass the information on. And you, fox, be aware that if you ever return here I will act first and ask questions later. There will be no negotiations in the entryway next time." The squirrel reaches up and condescendingly pats his cheek. "Now you have a safe trip home and kiss those kits hello for me." She winks.

The fox bristles at the pat to his cheek, and there's a harsh hiss as he sucks in air through his teeth, rearing up, glowering down at Amarro. "No... no I don't think I will. I do not leave for home just yet, squirrel. Should any of you spineless cowards at the abbey wish to find me, I'll let you know right now where I'll be. I shall set up camp at Saint Ninian's. It seems like a fitting place for one such as me to stay." He slams his gauntleted fist down on the table, cracking the wood from the force of the impact. "I want you to know that I haven't forgotten this, and I'm still quite close by!" He finally starts to leave, moving to the door, grabbing the otter by the door by the fur of his neck and pushing him into his companion, then slams the door behind him, departing the abbey and starting off towards Saint Ninian's in the dead of night.

Amarro watches bemusedly as the otters recover from Caddock's abrupt departure. Somehow that whole goodbye scene was rather satisfying. "Well, that went well." She says, paws on her hips. The otters stare at her crazily and leave the gatehouse, leaving her alone with her thoughts and a broken table.