Marek And Bandit Find One Another In Mossflower Woods

Early morning light appears over the tree tops of the forest. The air is crisp after a fresh rain and slightly chilled but the fox goes without a shirt. Bandit has a thick enough hide these days that he hardly feels the cold anyway.

Leaving his chain mail tunic on a tree branch a little ways away the fox hammers away at a tree with a large metal club with spikes running down the sides.

So far it looks like the tree is winning the battle. The fox takes a moment to catch his breath, leaning onto the club with both paws as he breaths deeply, "How...did he...use this...with one bleeding PAW." The obese guard laments.

Marek follows the noise and then stops a short distance away as he watches the fox curiously before he speaks "Maybe the beast was stronger than yourself Mr. Bandit. There is always beasts stronger than one's self"

The fox stands ridged. On reflex the fox turns, swinging the giant club with both paws. "Marek?" Bandit manages to say before losing his grip and sending the giant club flying for the beast.

Marek barely manages to drop down to avoid a face full of the club and glares at the fox as the club smashes a small tree, the tree falls in sort of slow motion, luckily away from the two before it makes a cloud of dust. "A most interesting way to greet a beast, you need much practice with that weapon"

Bandit, cringes, as the tree falls. Rubbing the back of his neck he says, "Yes, well, I wasn’t about to leave it to Zurrgg's forces and I got it off a badger and...Shut up ok?" shaking his head Bandit continues, "Not that I aint grateful to see a friendly face, but what are you doing here Marek?”

Marek folds his arms over his chest "Staying clear of Zurrgg and his friends, least for now. He is not one to fight on one's own....he also has captives, but seems to grow tired of them as he killed a couple hedgehogs and has Zaram now."

The fox passes Marek a look before turning away from him, "Sorry to, hear that. I just escaped my own jail. I got lucky." Bandit smiles broadly, patting his pudgy stomach as he says, "People always underestimate me for some reason."

Marek smirks, but he also frowns "Something needs done. Zurrgg has taken over Ferravale, as well as the bridge and part of the woods and road. He is chieftain and can't remain chieftain of Ferravale"

"He won't." The fox brushes past Marek. He grunts with some effort as he bends to pick up his club, lifting it onto his shoulder, "He's no different from the other self-proclaimed warlords that drift by here. Bandits, thieves, thugs who think themselves important because fools follow them. This one just happened to get lucky and kill..." Bandit takes a deep, deep breath. "Redwall is only half a day’s journey in that direction. I heading there but, I'm just...not ready." Another deep breath with more looking to the sky, "The village was lost on my watch. And the chieftain killed. I...I'm just not ready to explain how, or why to them"

Marek stands where he is and listens, "I heard Scioto was killed but had hoped it a rumor. I was not there either, me and Zaram was on our way back from a short trip when I saw Zurrgg's horde beasts, and some guards I thought were on Scioto's side, but seems they were on Zurrgg's. It is not your fault Mr. Scioto is dead...its Zurrgg's" As he says Zurrgg he growls.

"Oh no, not my fault at all. Perhaps I'll blame the tea maker for all our troubles." Bandit says sarcastically. His shoulder's droop. "It doesn't matter who's fault it is. The point is it happened while I was head guard. I...even if we run Zurrgg out I'm not sure I can show my face there in Ferravale ever again." He sits down, cross legged in the grass. "Scioto's dead, half my guards are dead. Markus my quartermaster is dead." He seems to want to say more but just falls silent.

Marek is not one for comforting really and is unsure what to say "I can somewhat understand.....we can only hope he has not found Blisa, he is a good fighter and has ways to lock up one's muscles a short while at times." He then asks "Have you see Blisa or any of those beasts that stay around her...the snake perhaps?"

The fox gives Marek an inquisitive look. He was leaning on the skeptical side even before becoming a guard. Reminding himself that Marek is a friend to the village now Bandit shakes his head. "No. I told them not to tell me. I was staying behind to fight Zurrgg. I had a feeling that such a mission might prove fatal...or worse." He leans back on his paws, "Can't spill information under torture if you don't know anything to begin with." He laughs. But it doesn't feel very funny to say.

Marek hmms "Very wise, your smarter than you look at times and also plan well, that was a very good idea Mr. Bandit. And I am sure when this is back to normal...or least as close as it can be, Blisa will let you be head guard again, wouldn’t be surprised if that Marten I seen with him couple days ago isn't the head guard right now."

"K-Kolur?" The fox gags on the name like a cat would a hair ball. "That sniveling little /weasel/. In /my/ office?" It was enough to make Bandit go marching back there and kick his tail. But he would rather not disprove the stoat with his compliments. They...actually made Bandit feel better.

If only a little, "Well, we aren’t going to accomplish anything just by standing here." The fox stands, "I really should head to Redwall, at least report in and let them know I'm alive. I owe the abbey that much. And Blisa may be there." He rolls the kinks out of his shoulders, "How about you? What are you going to do?"

Marek frowns "I am unsure where to go, I am not welcome in the abbey still, then I do understand why. And I am sure your be of great aid to them, not many beasts can escape Zurrgg and live to tell about it. The abbey needs to know Scioto is dead unless they already do...I am sure hi high and mightiness Zurrgg was more than happy to tell them. I ran into a couple rats yesterday mumbling about an eagle so may want to keep an eye out as it wasn’t said who's side it was on"

The fox shudders, "E-eagle?" He glances up as if one might swoop down and gobble him up at this very moment and then tries to downplay it as nervous twitch. "Alright, but don't stray too far. If you need help rescuing your friend...you know where to find me." The fox trots back to the tree, grabbing his chain mail tunic and tossing it over himself. It looks horribly, horribly tight.

Marek nods "And you may want to get better armor as well" He says before disappearing into the woods