Going On An Adventure
Characters: Kentar, Christopher, Robin, Garolyn, Wilco, William, Amethyst, Tagger
Location: Outside Ferravale
Outside Ferravaleide
The day has just started. The sun is high in the air, and the birds are singing. Kentar, Christopher, and Robin are all packed up, AND ready to go! But of course, as always, rats are being rats, and otters are being otters. Tagger wasn't ready yet, and had to go off to pack more things. And the rats don't want to go. Kentar is sitting on the ground, elbow rested on his leg, head resting in his paw, waiting impatiently. Robin is strumming softly on his lute, humming a tune, and Chris is just walking back and forth, wanting to get on the go, unsure of leaving his bakery in the hands of Syla, and some unknown weasel.
Garolyn is on time, by her schedule, anyway. That may differ in the minds of the stoats, but if that is the case, they can very well keep it to themselves! Garolyn has a strict policy against being late, and this is the first in forever she has been late to anything, so she is in a bit of a mood. She comes jogging down the road from Ferravale at a steady lope, a bag hanging over her shoulder and banging against her leg. She has not yet put both straps on, and probably will not do so until it is time to go. The bag is smallish, and contains only a few necessities. She has her veil still on, but has taken the chain off and replaced it with a soundless cloth cord. Her jewelry has all been taken off, as well. This ferret is ready to travel! Her boots and gloves have been polished to a dull shine, and her cloak drifts behind her. She slows to a stop in front of the stoats.
Not all the rats wanted to stay behind. Wilco comes running down the path her cloak billowing out behind her like a cape as she tries to reach her relations before her parents can catch up to her. Under the cloak she has a pack full of all sorts of things a dibbun is likely to pick up. Amy and Will follow behind their dibbun. They may not want to go along, but they will see the others off. Will wouldn't mind going that much, but Amy would and he doesn't want to leave her behind as he has in the past. Wilco rushes past Garolyn and tries to takle hug her stoat cousin Chris. "Hey," she greets him, "When are we leaving?" Will and Amy are to far back to hear her.
You room-page, "There rats are here."
Chris blinks when he sees Garolyn, smiling brightly at her. "Hey Garo!" he says, giving a wave. "Glad you made it." he teases, his eyes widening when he turns to spot Wilco about to tackle him, falling over onto his back with a grunt. "Oof! Heya Coby..." he smiles, giving her a hug. "As soon as Tagger gets back." he laughs, patting her back, sitting up. Rob and Kentar only laugh at the younger stoat's position. "Haha...now you know what its like." Kentar smirks.
Garolyn grins slightly to herself as the dibbun runs past her. So cute! Her ear, the one with the many now-empty tiny holes, flicks back. Wait- the little rat is coming? News for her. She thought /all/ the rats were staying. She nods in response to the wave, seating herself on a fallen log on the edge of the road, next to the group of stoats. "Kill him, Coby!" She calls playfully at the dibbun as the rat tackles the stoat. "Where /is/ Tagger?" She asks, curious, of anyone who cares to hear.
Coby wants to come along. Wether she will get to reamains to be decided. The rat dibbun wiggles her claws and tries to tickle Chris. "I have you now, Chris!" she laughs. Amy and Will finally catch up to the group after a while. The older rats are used to running anymore. It would really do them both some good to go, but Amy is quite set against it. Will guides Amy to sit on the log and sits with her between her and Garo. "Are yew alroight, Chris?" the potter asks his younger nephew.
Christopher pretends that the little dibbun has him. "No! No, somebody help! I've been captured by a rat! This trip has already started out so badly! WOE IS ME!" he even pretends to cry a little bit before he laughs, going to pull the rat off him and stand up, holding her in his arms. "Yeah, I'm fine. Thanks." He smiles at Amy, glancing around for a moment. "Are we ready?" Kentar is quick to pipe up. "No...Tagger still hasn't shown up yet." he grumbles.
Off in the distance. There is a light clink clink heard off in the distance. Just a subtle clink. Nothing too noisy. But it gets louder and louder. Then, down the road. Being Fashionably late, is the one. The only. Tagger G. Tazan. In the ottery flesh. And he is decked to the nine. He wears his armor, minus the plate for his feet and paws. Across his back is an assortment of things. One, Bastard sword. One uber long stick. A quiver full of red arrows. and a large metal shield covering it all. Slung over his shoulder is a large duffel looking bag, his haversack of sorts. When he sees the group off in the distance he chuckles, "Damn. Late again" as he catches up by running. The clinking becoming a loud continuous metal rustle. He soon makes it up to everyone before smiling wildly, "Sorry im late! Had to bury my house!" He looks to Garo and gives a wink.
Coby ergs when she's lifted up. She's a bit small for her age, but isn't used to being picked up by larger beasts. "Whoa. Hey, put me down, Chris," she says wiggling in the stoat's grasp. "I'm ready to go," she says in answer to the stoat's question. Will tilts his head at the dibbun's comment. "Where are yew goin' to?" he asks her. "We're staying ere. Remember?" he informs his daughter. Wilco goes limp in Chris's paws. "You don't have to go. I can go with the stoats and they can watch me and everything," she pleads, "I'm old enough." Coby is sure she has a chance, after all her parents were both living on their own when they were much younger than she is. She waves at the clanking otter as he comes into view. "Uncle Tagg," she calls, "Resue me from this stoat!" Amy turns her head at the sound of the otter. "Did yew pack enough, Tagg?" she asks the young otter. Wot yew need t make so much noise fer?" Will smiles at the otter. "Yew are such a Oi don't know wot. Otters don't usually make such a rackett when they walk about. Wot sort trainin' they give yew et Camp Willow?" he teases.
Garolyn waves at the older rats as they share her log. "Hello Sir, Mam." Turning back to watch Christopher get attacked by Coby, she laughs aloud. "Chris, ye have to fight back! Cannot let the little one get away with this!" She would never actually pit two creatures against each other, but where the creatures are related, and having fun, it does not hurt to encourage both of them. Can it? She hears Tagger first, and then sees him, and her laughing continues. "The entire forest for kilometers around will here ye, Tagger!" She gasps out. "Way to travel in style!" She stands up from the log, waiting to help with anything or at least give the otter a hug. "Ye are /going/ to drop something..." She mutters under her breath. Well, maybe he wont. They shall all see!
Kentar glances up when he hears the clanking, blinking at the sight of the otter. "What in the seasons?" he then just starts to laugh at the sight. As does Rob and Chris. "What are you wearing?!" Robin laughs, packing his lute across his back with a laugh, shaking his head slowly before speaking again. "Alright, are we ready to go, or what?" Chris smirks a little at Wilco before setting her down. "If you two don't want to go, we can take care of Coby." he says. "Rob's a dad. Dad's a dad...and we've got a walking suit of armor to protect us." he nods.
Tagger smiles as he doesn't really seem to be all tired from running that short distance. Though he is breathing through his mouth instead of nose, "Noise? Oh!" he chuckles shaking slightly, making his armor rustle, "That. Eh. At least im not wearing everything. Its pretty quiet considering..." he laughs when ask if he packed enough, "Probably not. Left most of it back at camp. This is just my needed essentials!" he grins giving the ferret a big ole hug in return, giving a quick peck on the cheek, "I aint gonna drop nothing. I glue everything on." he gives another wink looking back at the group. Looks like is is gonna carry everything he brought. He packed light, "I'm wearing armor! My armor! I'm an armored otter!" he grins and places his paws on his hips taking a deep breath before looking to Coby, "Oh no! Ill save you me wee lass!" he chuckles slowly walking over.
Amethyst hmms. "From th sound of 'im yew might be needin' t dibbunsit Tagg still. No beast'll ever mistake 'im fer 'is dad. I didn't know a otter could make so much noise just by walkin'," the blind ratwife says. "Kentar's gettin' up in seasons now an Rob hasn't th best record fer raisin' dibbuns so far as I've heard. An' I know th girl ain't got enough sense t care fer 'erself yet. Don't know 'ow thet happened." Will shakes his head at Amy's comments. "I'll be fine, Mum," Coby whines as she continues to bargin for permission. "Please, Papa. I won't cause anybeast any trouble. I haven't been anywhere except the village since I was a babe. You an grandad used to travel everywhere. You told me. Why can't I?"
Garolyn listens to the family go back and forth for a bit. She cannot add anything- never having been to where they are going, she cannot say how friendly the creatures are, but she knows she will not be focused on the dibbun, and will feel terrible if the little mite dies or gets wounded. "Ye may wisht to rethink, Coby. This could end up serious. We may /need/ this walking suit of armour." She stands next to Tagger and goes to throw an arm about his shoulders. She is starting to like the idea of bringing along a dibbun less and less.
Kentar almost seems offended, only able to grin though. "Hah...seasons huh? Just a number! I'm as young as I feel. And I feel great. I'll take care of Little Cobby!" Cobby? Haha, no no, silly stoat, that's Coby, but none of the stoats correct him. "Well, that's not Rob's fault." Chris says with a little growl. Nobody needs to remind poor Robin of how Thane turned out. "Things happened that were out of anyone's control..." Rob says, though sadly. "Besides, I don't intend on letting anything like that happen to Eden, or Jolee.." "Besides, I'm sure that I could take care of her! I've done some dibbun sitting for you two lots of times." Chris smiles. "Everything will be fine!"
Tagger also wraps his arm around her waist, "I'm a good walking piece of metal, or so I've been told." he grins and listens to them talk. He is not in this. As much as he wants to be, But he does interject, "It will probably be dangerous. Can never tell. But i will protect her, or anybeast as much as i can." He is Tagger the Protector for a reason! He smiles, "Though. I'm not much for dibbun sitting." he smirks.
William chews on his bottom lip. On one paw Coby has a few good points as do the stoats. On the other Garolyn also has a good point. The trip could be dangerous. He and Amy only have the one dibbun and aren't likely to have any more. "Oi may regret this, but it looks like we're comming along. ...... Though yew may need to wait a bit while Oi go hunt up some beast t watch my shop." Amy scowls. "Wot?! Are yew two gonna jus run off an leave me ere. I can't run th shop ....." Will cuts her off, "Has leaving yew behind ever worked out?" he asks not waiting for a reply before continuing, "No it hasn't. We are all going with our family on a trip an some other beast will watch th shop soon as I find 'em." This being said William gets up and walks back toward the village. Knowing it may take a little while to find a beast he can trust his shop to he tracks down a gaurd to to inform the cheif that he will be away before he settings things in order so he can hurry back to the group.
Christopher tilts his head a little bit and laughs a little. "Hey, get Syla to do it. She's watching the bakery, but all she has to do is bake in the night, put things out in the morning, and make sure the weasel, Stan, doesn't take anything..." he nods. "She can watch your shop too I'm sure!" Chris calls out as Will starts to walk away. "Anyway. Hear that, Coby? We're all going!"
Garolyn shakes her head minutely. Bad idea, guys. But it is not her place to object, so she does not. She leans into Tagger just a bit, not minding the cold armor. "Who is Stan?" She inquires, not daring to ask anything else. She is too put off about the fact that now a dibbun and a blind rat are coming along. Not that she does not like their company! But she feels like it just adds more danger to the trip. It also makes the wait to go longer.
Tagger hmms quietly to himself. Having very similar thoughts as Garo, but he is a little more vocal, "I hope with all the fishes in the sea, that this trip will be... Ahem... uneventful..." he whispers so pretty much Garo, and those good with hearing could here. But he still has a grand ole smile on his face, but then he facepaws with his free paw at the mention of Stan, "Ah Jeeze. Stan. He was a weasel that Kentar won in a game of dice. Don't worry its not slavery. The stoats are paying him.... Funny. He actually warmed up to the idea of being a baker..." he laughs tapping his foot anxious to get this show on the road!
Christopher nods his head slowly and smirks. "Yeah, but dad never did tell him that he che-OW!" Chris grumbles, rubbing the side of his head after Kentar tossed a pebble at him. "Don't give away your dads secrets, son! Its rude." he grins, standing up slowly, picking up his cane and tapping it on the ground several times. "I wish he'd hurry. I want to get GOING!" Kentar grumbles out now, though only gets a pat on the shoulder from Rob.
Garolyn nods sagely at Tagger. "Aye." She whispers, and then laughs lightly, politely, at the stoats. "Well, it could have worked out worse." She ignores the comment from Christopher- if she is not meant to know that Kentar cheated, then she will not say a thing! But she will never play dice with the creature, either, that is for sure. She keeps a paw about Tagger, but raises her other paw to check her claws idly, of a common thought with the others- they already should have left.
Amethyst grumbles to herself. She really doesn't want to go along, but her husband isn't giving her any say in the matter. "Buh, but I get seasick. ..... There better not be any boats on this trip," she says as she sulks. Wilco almost can't believe her ears. "Yay! I get to go!" she cheers. Amy nods a bit when she hears Tagg. "Indeed. Yer uncle seems to think it a worse idea t leave me be. Least if we go he might not think t jump off another cliff," she grouses. Will must have heard Chris's suggestion as it doesn't take him too terribly long to return. The rat has a pack on his back. His sword and sling are on his belt as usual along with a canteen. He carries two more canteens with him. One he passes to Amy and the other he passes to Chris to put in Wilco's pack for her.
When Kentar sees that Will is returning, he almost jumps for joy. Finally, everyone's here. "Alright! Lets go already!" he then smirks at Amy's comment about boats, deciding to lie. "Don't worry, Amy, there's no boats..." he says before mumbling. "Not for a few days anyway..." hoping she doesn't hear that one. Rob grabs his pack, and his father's, both going across his back, making sure the lute goes on top of them before he does a quick head count. "Alright! Are we ready?" he asks, glancing to Tagger and Garo mainly.
Old Stone Bridge(where Mossflower and the North Path meet)
Tagger is ready to move his butt! He is just about say something. Most likely something silly. When the rat returns and he grins, "Uh! About time! Like. Forever!" he smirks as the otter probably made them wait the longest. He uses his free paw and gives the stoat and thumb claw up, "Ayeaye Capi-tan." Ah he does know they have to get on a ship of some sort, "I am ready to move it. Move it. Got everything i need, right here!" He smirks and gives the ferret a little squeeze. Though only subtle. When they start to walk off, Not off into the sunset, but it will do. Tagger looks around at all the goodies of the forest, kinda glad to get rid of all the same ole scenery from before. When they arrive at the bridge. Tagg gets excitable (as he does) as he lets the ferret go and runs up ahead. Clanking all the live long day. Otters get drawn to water, like bugs are drawn to light.
Garolyn nods and withdraws her arm from the shoulders of Tagger, smiling faintly at the squeeze as they head off. She slips both her arms through the straps on her pack, and the slight noise of sloshing water can be heard if you listen hard enough. She tugs the knots tight and steps out. Her nerves are all tingly- it has been forever since she traveled with a group. And that time did not end very well. Since then, all her wanderings have been done alone, and she is not used to having the shared duty of looking out for other creatures. She shakes her head, grinning again beneath her veil as Tagger runs up ahead like a little kid. She calls out playfully, but quietly, too, "Watch ye do not fall in, Tagger!"
Chris can't help but pipe up when Garo warns Tagger off the water. "You'd better worry about someone pushing you in, rather than simply falling." he laughs, shaking his head slowly. He adjusts his pack, making it tighter as he crosses the bridge. Kentar lags a little bit before he catches up finally, putting his cane on his back, just behind his pack. "We need like...a walking song or something." he nods. "Hey, Rob, know any good ones?" he asks. "OR anyone else for that matter?"
Coby stays near the middle of the group. This is the first time she's left the village and she isn't sure what will happen on the trip. The dibbun switches between walking with her parents and walking with the stoats every so often. Amy continues to grumble quietly to herself as they walk. "Can't keep an otter away from water," she says hearing the river rushing under the bridge even before they reach it. "Eh, 'ow would a shrew song do ya?" Will asks nudging Amy lightly. "If Rob doesn't know any better songs, Oi know Amy knows a number of songs."
Rob was about to speak before he smiles, laughing. "I don't really know too many upbeat walking songs, but I'm sure that Amy can think of something. After all, I did learn from the best and while the best is here, I'm only second best!" Rob believes he's a lot better than Amy. But that's the stoat ego he has, stoats being the supreme being and all. Chris just laughs and pats Rob on the shoulder. "Nah, you're both just as good!" And the reply from Kentar of course is a jab at Amy. "Don't insult him, Chris, jeez."
Rob was about to speak before he smiles, laughing. "I don't really know too many upbeat walking songs, but I'm sure that Amy can think of something. After all, I did learn from the best and while the best is here, I'm only second best!" Rob believes he's a lot better than Amy. But that's the stoat ego he has, stoats being the supreme being and all. Chris just laughs and pats Rob on the shoulder. "Nah, you're both just as good!" And the reply from Kentar of course is a jab at Amy. "Don't insult him, Chris, jeez."
Tagger is the first one on the bridge as he pears over and take a big ol whiff of the water, "Mmmmm. Nothing cold snow melt to fill a river!" he chuckles plopping his rear (with a loud clank) on the side of the bridge, so he can watch the group approach. When the group arrives the otter is seen tapping his claws on the bridge watching for them, "I fell in. And it was cold. But i got out. And now im dry again." he snorts and laughs loudly, and smiles, "Oh aye! A song! I'm a fair singer..." he snorts as he as a voice similar to his dads, not pretty "Eh. Ill just listen and tap my claws then" he grins.
"When did th ole stoat turn so bitter," Amy asks Will loud enough that the stoats can hear. Will sighs and nudges her in the side again. "Behave. Yew weren't too nice t Rob earlier an yew ain't much sweeter dispositioned than Kentar is most th time yerself." Amy doesn't say anything to Will. The ratwife pulls out her lute and starts to pick at the strings. "Ill sing you a song of the river-o, Where the waters clean and clear, And the long fast Guosssom logboats go. Weer the shrews that know no fear, So bend your back and use those paws. From the graval bank to sandy shores, Your cares and woes will dissappear, Just sit paddling here. Guossssssom...........Gusssssssssom! Ill sing you a song of the river-o, It belongs to me and you. Oer deeps and shallows well both go, With the finest Guosssom crew, When other creatures bound to land Will not feel half so free and grand, Or know the water shrews great skill. So paddle with a goodwill. Guossssssom..........Guosssssom!" The strings of the rat's lute continue to vibrate with the last note for a moment after she's stopped strumming them.
Coby doesn't catch the ill intent in Kentar's words. "My Mum's the best lutenist in the world," she says proudly. The dibbun sings along with her mother. She has not inherited her Amy's singing ability, but what the she lacks in talent she makes up for in eagerness and volume.
Kentar laughs and shakes his head slowly. "Oh, Amy...don't worry about it." he nods. "You're good...just not as good as my son is all." he smirks a little bit, seeming to walk just fine without a cane. The stoat slightly sways to the beat as he moves over the bridge, smirking a little at Amy's song. "Careful now, we might all shrink and turn into shrews!" He laughs. Chris only sighs and shakes his head, leaning over to whisper to tagger. "If anyone asks, we're not related." he motions to his father, smirking a bit at the otter.
Tagger smiles at the song, as its one he has heard before! He claps his paws along, jumping back on the bridge and slightly hopping around Garo in a jig like fashion. Damn he is hyper. Someone calm him down! He hums the song then at the end throws his head up and says, "Loooooog-a-Loooog! A-whay!" As that's the way the Gousim finished it, as far as he remembers. He grins and looks around, "What?" he laughs and looks to Chris, "Dont worry. /I/ wont ask!" he smirks.
Wilco of course has to mimic the otter. She's starting to become attached to the otter, though she still prefers Chris over the other stoats. "Away!" she cries as she tries to copy her uncle Tagg. Will laughs at his brother and daughter's high spiritedness. "Oi don't know which'll wear out first th dibbun or th metal otter ere," he chuckles. Amy shrugs off Kentar's remark. "Robin is quite skilled, for a stoat," she says, now in a slightly better mood.
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