Marek is alive!!! Oh, yeah, and he knows stuff about Zurrg's personality. But that's a trivial matter ;) (A Ferravale log)
FV:Tavern
Outside a sign swings on a rusty creaking frame above the doorway of the tavern depicting a faded painting of what appears to be three rather rich looking skeletons slumped over a table around a black chalice, perhaps such a thing could be taken as a warning but it doesn't appear to work on the locals. The noise within on a normal day is usually heard before the door is even opened and only rises in volume when one actually steps inside.
There are the typical qualities of a tavern within, from the bar to the chairs and booths and the odd drunk who never seems to move it's the little details which encourage a patron to pay his tab if he likes his fingers. One look at some of the staff or customers might give the impression but the room is decorated to the fiercer tastes with bones, mostly skulls cropping up here and there to fill a gap on a shelf or decorating the walls above the doorways, fireplace and bar, a pair of axes joining the one over the fire with some signs that they've been yanked off to join in a fight a couple of times. Some of the comfier chairs are lined with fur and very rarely one might be found with a few pointed bits of bone to decorate the back. Despite the looks there is entertainment and fun to be had, some form of music usually played on a small stage in the corner and at least one bouncer usually tries to keep the peace while beasts gamble, drink and be merry.
A small door behind the bar leads out the back to the kitchen and cellars while one wall has been opened up in a wide arch to increase the space off into the next room where what seems to be a wooden fence with gates on either end has been set up as a fighting pit as further entertainment and something to bet over.
Exits: [UP] Stairs, [K]itchen, [F]ighting [P]it, [Out]
Stoats: Marek, male.
Cats: Blisa, female.
Ferrets: Ferdinand, male.
Foxes: Valerie, female.
It's the busy time of the day and even though someone was healing they got up, mainly cause there was a report a cook almost burned the kitchen down. The stoat is in a hooded sleeveless blue cloak, hood up as he walks around where drinks are made and taken out. Least the fire hazard is gone now.
Blisa enters the tavern, closely followed by Ferdinand and Valerie. The cat looks to be in a mild panic. "Are you sure the rumours can be trusted?" The ferret shrugs as they come up to the counter. "I have no idea...do you thmell thmoke?" The trio frowns, and the feline calls out, "Hey, is everything okay back there?"
The cloaked beast nods as a rat says "'Tis now" He gets a glare and walks away "Sorry sir..." The cloaked beast sighs deeply and shakes his covered head muttering something and limps towards the front slowly.
Blisa raises an eyebrow. "Well, I'm glad it's okay, now....are /you/ alright, mister? That limp looks awful." Valerie sits down and orders tea for the 3 of them. Ferdinand sits on the other side of the cat, who has managed to scramble up onto a barstool.
Marek looks over at them and nods as he sits down. He seemly seems to be deciding something as he keeps his head down for now. No one is around really that could cause trouble though.
Blisa bites her lip, then slides down and walks over to the disguised stoat. "I hope everything's really alright, Sir; if there are any problems, please let me know I'm....I know the Chieftain very well, so I can alert him to anything that's wrong." Meanwhile, the ever suspicious Ferdinand has come over and is watching the stoat closely. Valerie is paying for the tea; she's a Healer, not a Warrior, so she's just worrying about refreshments at this moment in time.
Marek starts to get up and stand, he starts to speak and loses his footing as he falls on his bottom. He groans and goes to slowly stand, any offered help is accepted as he slowly looks up at Blisa. "Well...Mr. Scioto is your father." He says in a quiet tone. Its been a while since he has been in his tavern, much too long and he can't stay hiding forever, he is no coward and if Zurrgg is around so be it, he will stab the wildcat with a dagger.
When Ferdinand sees who it is, he definitely offers help. Blisa just stares at him. "M....y...you're alive?" A smile breaks over her face, and she goes to give the stoat a gentle hug. "I was told you were dead!! I'm so happy to see you!!" Valerie comes over with the tea, sees what's happened, and immediately puts the tea on the table. "Do you need some help?" She asks, slipping into Healer mode.
Marek nods "I live and was in hiding. I would forgive Mr. Scioto it was agreed it be best if I was...thought dead. I am still healing but a couple times I came close to making my death true"
Blisa gestures for them all to sit; she thinks the stoat had better sit down. "I'm glad that you're back! Have you....been informed of what's happened recently?" Ferdinand adds as he sits, "Our Mathter Healer, Jathe, wath murdered by Zurrgg." The young cat gets a broken look on her face as Jase's name is mentioned. Valerie dishes out the tea. "Would you like some?" she asks the stoat. "I will get you a cup if you'd like."
Marek sits, well that explains why he has not seen the cat, "Dead? ...I am so sorry, I will help hunt down Zurrgg and slay him." He pauses and nods. "Tea is...fine"
Blisa sniffs and takes a sip of her tea to hide her trembling lips. As Valerie goes back to the bar to get another cup of tea, Ferdinand starts to rub the cat's back. "You need to heal up firtht, pleathe. We don't want you dying for real on uth." He pauses as the vixen comes back over with another cup and a pot of tea, aswell as a jar of honey. "But any and all help would be greatly appreciated. Latht time I heard, he thtill had your crothbow."
Marek grins at this, "My crossbow is not in his paws any longer, seems he dropped it when he was attacked and a beast who helped me got it back." He frowns "But I am unable to use it right now, as to who has it right now that's for me to know"
Shrugging, Ferdinand picks up his tea as Valerie sits down. "You can keep that thecret; 'tith of little conthequence." Blisa, having calmed down now, sets down her tea and says, "I got word a few weeks ago that DoraRose's son and a Dibbun from the Abbey were both kidnapped by Zurrgg. Dora's son was rescued, but it seems that the Dibbun has yet to be returned." And then there are the Vikings messing everything up...
Marek starts sipping tea once he has some "A dibbun? What de....why would Zurrgg want a dibbun for? He sooner just kill dibbuns, has to be a reason"
Blisa bites her lip as she thinks. "I think.....I think Butterclaw said he was a badger. Maybe he's somehow related to the Winters clan? I'm not really sure." Ferdinand just stays quiet. He doesn't know much more than that. Valerie starts digging in her herb pouch for some random reason.
Marek starts coughing on his tea and drops the mug almost. He clears his throat, "A...A badger cub?! That's NOT a good thing whether he is related to anyone or not. Zurrgg will want to try and brainwash it.....train it, make it some living weapon, we can't let that happen, he can not keep that badger cub"
Blisa's eyes widen, and Ferdinand leans forward, setting his cup down on its saucer. "Are you thure?" "It doesn't matter if he's sure!" the young cat exclaims as Valerie offer the stoat a clean hankie. "We have to save him, and stop Zurrgg once and for all! It's not worth the risk of if he's right or not. He have to act as soon as possible....right?" she turns to the stoat for affirmation.
Marek frowns "I...seen Zurrgg in Send Valley. He hates badgers as he helped poison a small tribe of them. If he has a cub and that cub is alive still, and Zurrgg escapes say...a few seasons, the badger won't be the same, it will be some sort of living weapon trained to kill anything its told to. Badgers are not to...nice to make an enemy of trust me"
Blisa looks sorrowful, but it quickly turns into a firey rage. However, she keeps control of herself, which may be even more frightening than when her anger gets loose. "We have to help him! And fast! And beast who would do that to a Dibbun is nothing more than a Monster who needs to be stopped at all costs." Ferdinand looks very troubled. "Perhapth we thould alert the Abbey; I hear they are having to worry about another invading army, but they thould be kept up to date about what the wildcat probably hath in mind, thince the Dibbun ith one of their own." "Do we have any idea where Zurrgg might go? This horde -- which thank Heavens and Seasons seems to not be interested in us -- has probably blocked all the pathways leading North, east, and West," Valerie adds helpfully.
Marek thinks "Zurrgg is not a fool, he will hide somewhere, unless" He frowns "Unless he has already left but at least we know he didn't go north. That's where this horde from the sea is supposedly."
Blisa drums her fingers on the table top. "I hired a mercenary that I know to track him down; perhaps I should offer him as much gold as I can to get the Dibbun back home safely, first and foremost..." Ferdinand nods. "That would be good. The more beathtth we have out thearching, the better."
Marek nods "Even if that's all they do is find and return the dibbun. But Zurrgg is also gathering friends"
Blisa purses her lips. "Then we will just have to get Redwall to help us....if they can, and if they don't get overtaken by Northmen." she slumps and glares at the table top as if it's to blame for all this junk.
Marek frowns, "I think some from the village may of jioned those northern vermin, there was talk of it in the tavern earlier." He nods "But if we gather together we are strong, alone we are not"
Blisa bangs her fist onto the table. "The traitors!! If they show their faces around here, so help me, I'll feed them to my snake!!" She means it, too. Ferdinand smiles wryly. "He'd enjoy that...and you are very wise. A houthe divided againtht itthelf cannot thtand; together, we will thtand thtrong."
Marek nods "Then we make sure we are ready, don't go looking for him alone...that sort of thing."
Blisa peeks up at him. "I was actually not planning on hunting him down, this time." Ferdinand's grumble of "for onthe" is ignored. "I agree with the whole 'sticking together' thing...although if those Vikings come here, I think it would be best to flee South. We don't have the defenses to protect ourselves from them."
Marek nods "May be best. Zurrgg is a lot less dangerous than these others seems. Redwall would let....most in" He looks away "Not me though and I still do not blame them."
Blisa goes to hold his paw. "You're changing, though, and that's what counts. Hopefully the Abbey won't have to worry about falling to these.....Northmen, but I fear that it might...." Valerie looks sad. "We could go to Southsward if worst comes to worst..."
Marek frowns and then glares at the floor "No, we should only run if we have to and we could come to the abbey's aid. This is my home and I am not about to lose it or lose the only friend I have in Redwall to those...those things if they come, or to Zurrgg either"
Blisa smiles crookedly. "That works, too. I'm sure DoraRose would make her family leave if they needed to, but you're right, we should take as many precautions as possible." Ferdinand nods. "Perhapth we thould pack our thingth, jutht in cathe." "Basil wouldn't be allowed to be in Redwall, either," Valerie points out. "Perhaps we could hide in the ruins of old Saint Ninian's church, if necessary, for a while." Little do they know that that's where Zurrgg is, or at least was....
Marek shrugs "I do not know what is best, maybe Scioto needs to have a meeting"
Blisa nods. "I think it would be best. Daddy needs to know what you've told us." Ferdinand nods in agreement. Valerie pours more tea. "Let's talk about something else for a while; how're you doin', Friend?" she asks the stoat with a smile.
Marek nods as he stands, with help he can get elsewhere "Ok...slowly we go find Mr. Scioto....now rather than later"
And so the go to try and find the Chieftain. Valerie will help the stoat if he wants it.
Thanks for reading!
Groups:
