On The Move Again Part Two

Characters: Fira, Aikuen, Kentar, Will, Mayuel, Odilo

Location: North Path

North Path

The group of two otters, two stoats and a rat finally makes is back onto the North Path and they walk southward along it without incident for some time. A mouse trails behind them having been lost in though when they'd started moving again.

Kentar wanders along, Garnet right next to him with her arm around his waist and his arm around her shoulder as they talk quietly, lagging a bit behind Aikuen, Will and Fira on purpose.

Will is in the lead wanting to put enough space between himself and the lovey-dovey otters as he can and still be with the group.

Aikuen is in the middle of the group, with Fira standing next to him. He cant help but whistle as his footpaws hit the ground, following the rat. Glancing back he mouths to Fira, and she smirks and shoves him the the shoulder, and he laughs.

Mayeul is traveling at the rear, with a small sack tied on a stick on his shoulder behind him. His old footpaws are feeling the wear and tear of the long march south, although he is able to keep up. He constantly looks behind him, at every sound. Recent events have made the mouse quite paranoid, although he is skilled at hiding it and keeping his cool.

Kentar keeps his words low, hoping what the otters were laughing at wasn't what he was saying to the stoatmaid, or what the stoatmaid is saying to him.

Will stops where the path forks, the main path continues south and a smaller trail leads back east. He knows which way to go but stops for a bit anyway and waits for the others to catch up, after all they'd been walking a long time.

Both otters stop in front of Will. Aikuen takes a quick glance around, "No sign of hares..." He stretches in the air, and it pops his back, "Ahhh... Feels weird not being by a stream or an ocean... its too quite now..."

Will grins, "We'll pass th Moss River before the week's out, don't worry Pa."

Mayeul agrees, too quiet... he catches up to the rest, "I think perhaps we should send one of us ahead when we next make camp... to travel just off the path to scout for dangers. I don't like this place, and we had trouble on the way up..."

Kentar looks to Mayeul. "You're telling us. I was captured by Hares around here." he says, chuckling before going back to his conversation with Garnet.

Aikuen looks back to Kentar, "Once again im sorry!" He takes off one of his recently filled canteens and drinks. Sighing he says to the mouse, "If you volunteer, go for it mate, and Im gonna rest my footpaws..." He sits down with a flop and rubs his paws, "I would go myself... but as no one will let me forget... i get lost easily..." He scoffs a bit.

Odilo is being as quiet as he can... he stays completely still, upwind and in the trees... he's even fashioned himself camouflage to aid his hiding. He doesn't want to take chances - he knows Mayeul knows he's following... For now, he listens, and moves only when they are out of hearing of him.

"Only in th woods though," the rat pipes up, "Ya think somebeast is followin us Mayeul?"

Kentar chuckles a bit at Aikuen and then sits down on the side of the road near the otter, joined by Garnet.

Mayeul shrugs, "I mean the dangers up ahead... but, as a matter of fact... I /know/ somebeast is following us. I heard him a while back, making a rustle in the bushes. I know exactly who it is, moreover. I'm not entirely sure of his intentions, though, which scares me." He keeps his voice down, almost at a whisper.

Mayeul adds, "/I'll/ go up ahead while you camp... it would draw him safely away from you all, who have nothing to do with this."

Will nods, "We used to have trouble with beasts attackin us a lot but Pa chased em off."

Aikuen rubs a claw in his ear, then nods to the mouse, "Be safe mate!" He stands back up and Helps Fira to her feet as well. He smiles to Will, "And each of them was a narrow escape, i might add..."

Kentar shakes his head and slowly stands. "I'm going with you." he says.

"What? No... why?" He frowns, looking at the others, "Although I'm sure Aikuen can take care of all of them, you would just be a welcome challenge to this beast. He's a trained soldier, and I'm sure he doesn't have a problem killing a stranger..."

Mayeul suggests, "I could at least try to reason with him... if he sees me unarmed, it may put him off an offensive."

Aikuen shakes his head, "I wasn't planing to go with you mate... Though i am a retired, sort of... trained soldier... i will not attack, any more..." He mumbles what he said earlier, "Protect and defend those who cant themselves..." He puts an arm around Fira, and gives a squeeze.

Will asks, "Who is this beast that's following us? He from Ruingate?"

Mayeul sighs, "If you wish..." He lowers his voice, "You can follow deep in the foliage while I pretend to be off the path, just visible to him..." He turns to Will, "He is a fellow tribesman of mine, left Redwall with the rest of us to found the Priory. I had a feeling he was just following me to carry out his orders...

Odilo can't hear what they're saying, but it doesn't look right... as if they're planning or plotting. He tracks /every/ beast with his eyes, making sure none double back and catch him by surprise. He'll wait to see what they do, and react accordingly. Meanwhile, he sits still...

It takes a minute but the rat can only come up with one possible beast that fits with what the mouse said, "It that tree-rat isn't it?" he says very quietly. He is not pleased by this thought.

Aikuen scratches his head, more interested in the last part the mouse said, "Orders?"

Kentar nods at Mayeul's words to him before hrming. "I'm going for a walk" he says rather loudly before vanishing into the trees, making himself invisible, watching the group, but also watching his surroundings...just incase.

Mayeul nods, "Yes, Odilo. As for the orders, I'm pretty sure they are either to kill me or to cut out my tongue. They come from my former king, after I decided to defect to the abbey. Longer story behind all of that..."

Odilo doesn't like that he can't see the stoat anymore... where did he go? Odilo squints; at least he's on the other side, he thinks. He squats lower, just in case he's in a position to be seen...

Aikuen smiles a bit, a motions for Fira to sit down, and he does the same, "Being hunted eh? Sounds like fun!" He chuckles and continues, "Well were here to protect yah if need be... us wanted criminals need to stick together..." He chuckles lightly, before coming silent.

Will looks from the mouse to Aikuen and back again, wondering but not speaking.

Mayeul smiles, "Yes, well I appreciate the help... I feel guilty though, I admit... it's not right to leech to your group in the hopes of safe passage, when this whole ordeal has little to do with you all..."

Will looks the mouse over closely, "Where were you that had a king?" he asks keeping his voice low should any tree-rats try to listen in.

Mayeul answers, "I've gotten that a lot... /our/ kingdom is a hidden one, and you haven't heard of it for a very good reason... which is precisely the reason defecting and other such treasons are treated without the slightest mercy..."

Aikuen snorts, "As long as you help us gather food, and provide a sword arm... You not leeching, just supporting us on our trip back..." He looks to Will, and listens at Mayeuls answer

Will nods, "Oh. Just was wondering." He looks at Aikuen as if to urge him to say something, hopefully the /right/ something.

Mayeul nods, and sticks with the group until they decide to stop again, "Where did Kentar go, again? He worries me..." The mouse chuckles, thinking he's probably alright if he's wandered ahead and not behind...

Aikuen looks to Will and squints, obviously dense enough not to get it. He sighs and says to the mouse, "He is off in his own world right now... He will call us if he needs us" He tilts his head and finally asks, "I don't think you are from Ashurah... are you? They don't take kindly to treason either... apparently I have a small army after me... The most untrained beasts I have ever seen..." He chuckles a little bit.

Finally! Will leans against a tree mutting, "stupid otter," under his breath, though smiling.

Mayeul looks back at Aikuen, "Oh yes? Well we have something in common then... No, not from there, I'm from a place close to a great Inland Lake. The lake itself is still a popular place for vermin, so we don't venture there often..."

Kentar is sitting now in the grass on the other side of the road then Odilo, eyes locked over in that direction, still keeping himself hidden, paw on his rapier, more then ready to attack anyone if he needs to.

Aikuen scratches his head, "Inland lake?... Ive seen that on a map before... didn't know there was anything there, or even around there..." He hmms, and settles in by the side of the road, "Well if that... Odilo, comes around here... ill be there standing beside yah... And i expect you would do the same for me..." He smiles some, "Just watch out for beasts in blood red uniforms, there all rookies... but there is a lot of them..." He holds out his canteen, "thirsty?"

Mayeul accepts the offered drink, "Very, thank you friend..." He accepts the canteen, tipping it back and catching a stream of water before tipping it up again and handing it back, "That's good... surprisingly refreshing... yes, it's somewhere around there - half underground, half covered by forests... it's beautiful, though, and quiet. Very quiet."

Aikuen takes the canteen back and hands it Fira, "Sounds great... Except for the underground part... and the forest... and the quiet..." He frowns, "Okay it sounds just awful to me, but anyway why did you defect or cause treason..." He smiles and slaps his knees, "And too get the ball rolling ill tell you what i did!" He has gone over this so many times, what he did is actually funny to him.

Mayeul chuckles, "You seem very eager to relate your part, so I'll let you go first..." He pauses a second and looks around behind him, thinking he's heard something. When he's satisfied it's nothing, he turns back to Aikuen and the others, "We should remain cautious, even while we're telling stories."

Aikuen looks around,nods, and whispers, "It was after the second Vermin war of the island, the enemy had won. And the mighty Lord Skig usurped my kings power. but we never stop fighting him. eventually he told us to go into his army or suffer the consequences. Out of three thousand beasts strong... only one did. We started an underground rebellion against him, and they choose me as there leader. We had planed to kill the king while he slept, and i was on my way to the castle to do it... When i was knocked out, thrown on a boat and taken to Mossflower..." He breathes deeply, "It turns out the beast who had knocked me out, was my own followers, they were trying to save me... the one beast who turned ratted me out, and they had an ambush waiting for me..." He stops and takes a deep breath.

Mayeul seems impressed, "Quite a story, Aikuen... I don't envy the war part, though... I've marched with an army, but one that's hardly seen full-scale battle..." He sighs, and relates his part, "I suppose it all starts with my time at the vermin prison in the far eastlands... my whole family minus my younger brother were incarcerated there, made to work and starve... a nobleman came with a smaller army of squirrels, Nidlorf the king I was talking about, and freed us. We had to hide because of the vermin who chased after us, threatening to kill us even long after we had escaped. That's how we've been living, and then when I heard news of my brother I went north towards Redwall. He... he died shortly after I arrived... he was attacked by an owl that had been rampant in the area... Nidlorf had a traveling son... who was murdered near where we are, and I later found out that my younger brother slayed the beast responsible for the murder. That's why he came north, to meet my brother. And drama ensued."

Mayeul finishes, "My brother's dying wishes were for me to live out the life he couldn't at the abbey... which of course, was in direct conflict with Nidlorf's orders that I pay my respects and leave with him."

Aikuen eyes pop open at the story, "What a yarn matey, So your being hunted because you didn't go back..." He shakes his head, "And there on the same country as Redwall... At least Ashurah is across the ocean..." He pops his neck and asks, "So have you fulfilled... or at least tried to do your brothers dying wish?"

Mayeul sighs, "I could only fulfill his wishes if I lived a normal, peaceful life at Redwall... which is looking rather doubtful. The truth is that I look up to him - his heroics and self-sacrifice - and I look at myself and wonder if I could ever do anything he would do."

Aikuen kisses the top of Firas head, as she has fallen asleep on his shoulder. He looks back to Mayeul, and whispers more quietly now, "Why not? If you believe you can do what he did, then i don't see why not..." He smiles and lightly chuckles

Will sits slumped against the same tree he'd been leaning on having slide down it to sit under it, now asleep. His ears still twitch a bit from time to time as though they were not asleep yet.

Mayeul nods, "So much death, though, to get where I am... and seemingly no way to get out of it. Nidlorf is not the kind of ruler to stop until I am either dead or give up and live out the rest of my life under his watchful eye."

Aikuen looks up and shrugs, "You could just kill him..." He says this without a single change in his voice, like he means every word.

Mayeul looks down at the ground, "You heard the beginning of my story though... he saved my entire family... I... No, I wouldn't..."

Mayeul adds, "He's the reason I'm still here, some part of me is still his loyal subject... even with how he's changed since that day. Power corrupts even the most noble and righteous, I think..."

Aikuen snorts, "He is trying to kill you... Though, yes he did save your entire family, but now he is trying to kill you, do want to be loyal to king like that?" He breaths deeply, this is getting him riled up a bit, "The nobility can kiss my furry rudder... When the power corrupts, time to remove the power... No matter what they did too you in the past" He smiles evilly.

Mayeul nods, and sees the logic in Aikuen's statement, but just can't bring himself to do it or even be involved. He'd shame his family, not that he already hadn't... "I'll figure something out. Perhaps something will happen to him... he's trying to kill a very dangerous fox, I think - one can only hope."

Aikuen brows cross, "Fox?! What fox? Not the one that killed... Ekho..." He glare at the mouse.

Mayeul nods, "In fact, didn't we meet outside the abbey about the same fox? I'm sorry again for your and Riverdale's loss... but yes, the same."

Mayeul shrugs, "I guess that's another reason to keep him alive... he might actually succeed in killing that monster, if he doesn't kill Nidlorf first..."

Aikuen scratches his head, and remember, "Oh thats right!" He sneers, "Look like your king and I have a common enemy. Let him get killed... or even better... let them kill each other!" He chuckles and slowly places Fira on the ground. He stands up and takes off his pack, and drops it on the ground.

Mayeul still has somewhat of a problem with that... even though... "Heh... I guess I shouldn't be telling you of all creatures this... but at one time, I considered giving up on my conscience and helping that fox find Nidlorf. I convinced myself that I wasn't /directly/ involving myself in Nidlorf's death... but that was a lie. I guess that made Nidlorf a bit angrier...

Aikuen takes out the tarp and lays it out on the ground, "Well if he is anything like my king... When he found out that you wanted to kill him, he'd put a price on your head so fast..." He chuckles, and picks up two long stick, and shoves them into the dirt.

Mayeul chuckles as well, exhaling and inhaling the cool air, revitalized in getting all these things off his chest, "Yes, you would be correct. He had another squirrel, um... Lei...lah? Try to kill the fox... I think that didn't work out, though, the fox turned her against him."

Mayeul adds, "She wasn't one of us... and honestly, I don't even know why he'd pit her against such a fearsome predator... seems a bit cruel, don't you think?"

A light breeze blows by knocking a pine cone free from a tree. William is not pleased when said pine cone connects with his skull. "Ow!" The rat ducks down and glares up at the trees before looking around for what hit him. "Stupid pine cone ..." he kicks the offending object hard and it bounces off another tree and comes back toward it's attacker, "Damn it!" The rat ducks behind Aikuen to escape the vengeful pine cone.

Aikuen completes the Lean-to, and starts to pull out Bedrolls, "She was the beast I was looking for... I needed her to save Ekho...too late now..." He shakes his head, "Don't know why... Kings are idiots, I suppose..." He chuckles at the Pine cone incident, "Being beat up, by flora, eh Will?" He pats Will on the shoulder.

And that bounced pine cone hits a certain sleeping stoat in the bushes near Will. "Ow! Bloody thing..." He groggily picks up the pinecone and chucks it towards Will, not realizing it. He slowly sits up and yawns, then stretches. "Did I miss anything?" he asks, standing out of the bushes.

Mayeul doesn't want to think more about it, and just lets the cool night cheer him up somewhat... he knows it won't last. "I suppose I'll make my way farther along, with or without Kentar. Hopefully I can talk some sense into Odilo..." He passes Will, "And you be careful, okay? Heh..." He waves at the others before entering the woods and making his way parallel to the path.

Aikuen watches the flying Pine cone, and laughs, "Apparently its a magical pine cone that is telling you 'wait for the otter to make camp, before sleeping'..." He nods to Mayeul, and continues to roll out the beds.

"Ye-ahhh! Don't throw that at me!" the rat dodges the pine cone which stops when it hits another tree. "I already got hit by that thing already!" The rat puts a paw to his head where he'd been hit, it's not a bad cut but like any head wound it bleeds a lot. "Ow," the rat winches a bit as he touches the spot and pulls his paw away. "Ok, no more kicking pine cones or napping under pine trees." the rat grumbles.

Kentar rubs his eye then opens it. "Oh...Sorry.." he smiles. "My bad." The stoat chuckles getting out and laying -right- next to Garnet. "Maybe you shouldn't sleep until there's a tent or something up" he chuckles.

Will scowls a little at the stoat and goes to dig out a burrow for the night, because there are no pine cones underground.

Aikuen holds back at smile, when Kentar comes in a lay next to her. He rolls out the final bed, and goes over to Fira. Slowing picking her up in his arms he takes her to the bedroll and lays her down. He sighs and kisses her on the cheek, before going to his bed, a bit of a distance away. He lays down and says, "The tent was up... you guys weren't under it... that was the problem..."

Kentar Grins. "Well. I suppose if no one uses the tent, maybe I could use it?" he asks, grinning.

The rat really wants to comment but since he values his life he keeps his mouth shut and keeps digging.

Aikuen rolls over and looks to Kentar, "Eh... Why?" Its currently houses there packs, and probably smells at the moment.

Kentar shrugs. "Its cold outside." he says, yawning some.

Aikuen rubs his face, "Its not that cold... But if yah wanna sleep with the packs... go right ahead... i wont stop yah." He also yawns, and rubs his face again.

Will smirks, "I don't think it's /why/ he wants to /sleep in the tent/." He is quick to duck into the burrow he's dug for safety.

Kentar frowns and chucks a rock into Will's burrow. "Oh be quiet. I actually get quite an itch at night on the ground. Its why I'm up half the night."

Aikuen he looks to Will's hole then back to Kentar, "Then go ahead and sleep with the packs... But i warn you... they stink horrible! Id rather have a itch, then smell my pack any day..." He chuckles, pushing what Will said out of his mind.

Kentar shrugs. "I'd rather get sleep then itch all night long." he says, yawning before crawling into the tent. "Meh. Smells like you Aikuen. I'm used to it already" he hides into the tent before he has anything thrown at him.

The rat chuckles to himself despite his head injury as he beds down for the night.

Aikuen doesn't throw anything at him, instead he sniffs himself and shrugs, "I don't get it..." He sighs and leans back on his bedroll, watching the stars in the sky. And soon snores emanate from the older otter.

Kentar peers out and laughs, unable to help himself. He just lays into the tent and drifts off to sleep. Again.