Hey, even bodyguards have backstories...
Ferravale Tavern:ICly, this morning.
Darkwatcher the fox. Ferdinand the ferret.
The tavern is busy, full of rowdy beasts. It is so loud and crowded that few would notice quiet Ferdinand sitting by himself in a corner. That is, except his fellow guards. A group of about 6 of them enter the tavern and make a beeline towards him. Laughing gruffly, a big, muscular fox jostles the ferret guard, making him spill his tea. "Hey, Ferdinand, how's it like working with Blisa? Or, should I say, /Blitha/?" the guards laugh as Ferdinand winces in the pain that comes from being made fun of.
Darkwatcher drifts in and takes a seat near the group, silently observing and grabbing an ale as he passes by the bar, sipping quietly at it as he watches.
A female rat leans on Ferdinand's shoulder, sweetly saying, "What's the matter, stupid? Can't you talk right?" the guards guffaw again, and a sly-looking male rat shoves Ferdinand over in the booth, knocking his drink over and spilling it all over his lap. The guards laugh, then leave their victum, moving to the other side of the tavern, laughing and joking at his expense. Ferdinand sits up and begins to wipe lap off with a napkin, blinking back tears all the while.
Darkwatcher shakes his head in disgust and moves over to Ferdinand, sitting down next to the forlorn guard. "Scum. Their brains are all in their mouths. You okay?"
Ferdinand nods. "Yeah, thure." he winces at the lisp, and a tear really does escape his eye, but he quickly wipes it away and goes back to scrubbing his shirt with the napkin. "That'th--that'ththth...why Blitha yelled at you for thaying 'if you're having trouble communicating'. The'th...Shshsh....e'th uthed to beathtth making fun of my lithp." he smiles humorlessly. "Why did they have to inthitht on calling it thomething thothe who have it can't even thay?" he shakes his head and sets his cup back upright.
Darkwatcher shrugs "That's life, mate. It makes no bloody sense...They're idiots for mocking it, but there's not much you can do about it overall...Dunno. Just is stupid to see them being such punks about all of it. 'sall."
Ferdinand rolls his eyes. "It'th not jutht life, ath you thay." he snaps. "I had to leave my family beacuthe I wath thunned by them becauthe I wathn't good enough to be the Cheif's thon." he looks down at the tabletop, then raises his gaze to meet Darkwatcher's. "Maybe I'm not really all that thmart...ththmart....sshshsthmart....thee, I can't even talk right..." he slumps back in the booth and stares at the wall, pain, sorrow, and anger the emotions showing plainly in his face.
Darkwatcher sighs and leans back in his seat, not saying anything, just listening. Sometimes that's all that's needed.
Ferdinand looks at the mercenary, sighing. "Am I? Blitha ith alwayth telling me otherwithe....ith alway telling me the oppothite....but I'm not thure..." a waitress slips by, leaving the ferret a new tea, for free.
This is very much a work in progress...thanks for reading!
Groups:
