Ruining two lives in one day

Location: Grasslands, Mossflower Woods.

Characters Involved: Benar, Drexor, Gero

With the trail cold and proving difficult to follow Benar has followed Gero's orders and loped away from the camp, out into the grasslands, loping along, bow knocked and eyes alert. He stops by a small stand of trees and swings himself up into them scanning the horizon for any signs of life.

Drexor Is wandering the grasslands, looking for pray! The stoat is walking though the grass, dagger spinning around in his paw as he goes. He passes by some trees, should be coming into Viewing range of Benar now. "Come out...come out, wherever you are

Benar freezes in place nad grips the brnach, shaking off the urge to do as he's told. He quickly draws arrow to bow and points it at the stoat. "Stop right there vermin... I have some questions I need

answering."

Drexor stops right there! He glances up And Grins widely. "Ah...you have questions Eh Squirrel?" he asks with a smirk. "Well then...Lets Answer them shall we..." There's a grin that's evil as all evil planted on his face right now. "What are they!?"

Benar frowns down the length of the arrow at Drexor, keeping it aimed at his chest. "Have you seen a

redwall novice in the here-abouts? Held captive of a vermin... it is my duty to see him brought safely back to Redwall Abbey."

Drexor laughs. "Nope...I Haven't seen any Redwall beasts since my last killing" he grins. "So...Nope!" the stoat then grins. "Now...why dont you put that bow away hrrm? Its so hard to talk with an Arrow pointed at me..."

Benar trembles, no no no no... but he's laid the bow and arrow to one side and folds his arms, tail bottling as he tries to cover it. "Fine... we'll talk stoat.. .what Redwall beast did you kill? How dare you stand there and mock me with it."

Drexor eyes the Squirrel for a moment. He just put down the bow...that surprised the stoat quite a bit. "Ah...I killed a small mouse...Father of two or somethin'...I couldn't hear over the screaming" he laughs.

Benar reaches for the bow, picking it up and starts to draw, "Die stoat... just die!"

Drexor grins and Flings a poison dagger at the squirrel. It doesn't even hit him, just lands in the tree before Benar. "Leave the bow down!" he growls.

Benar's tail bottles, he barely blinks in fact he almost gets off a shot but then the stoat speaks and with a feral snarl the squirrel drops it it from suddenly locked and numbless paws.

Drexor's widen in surprise. "He put it down again..." oookay, this squirrel has just succeeded in freaking out Drexor. "come down here and fight like a real beast!"

Benar growls, he snatches the dagger from his belt and an arrow and leaps out of the tree, lightning fast aimed at Drexor's chest. The fact the squirrel just did as told and is leaping to fight the stoat should keep him off balance enough so he can connect and knock him over.. he hopes.

Drexor whoas and parries the the dagger, but falling over. "S-s-stop!" he shouts. He's scary, He's strong, he's cruel, but all in all he's just a big scaredy Cat

Benar snarls and backs off fromt he stoat, keeping on all fours and growling. The grey squirrel with braids has all but gone feral as he stands still trembling.

Drexor slowly sits up and...watches. "Did you just...actually stop?" he asks, looking totally baffled. "Sit down and throw the dagger that way..." he points away from them both, watching to see what happens.

Benar arches his back and then with a scream hurls the dagger away and sits down. His body seems

to act without a care of what he might actually want to do.

Drexor watches the dagger get hurled away. "Wow..." he stands. "Roll over..."

Benar rolls over, just falls onto his back and rolls right over onto all fours and stands there. Staring up at Drexor, the enraged anger has gone from his eyes, resigned obedience grating in its place.

Drexor watches then starts to laugh his head off. "wow! Your fun Squirrel...May keep you as a pet to do tricks with" he laughs. "Whats your name?" he asks, still laughing hard, wiping tears away from his eyes.

Benar shudders and glares, "I am Benar Amarroson."

Drexor slowly stops laughing. "Benar eehh...." He grins. "Soo, Benar....How would you like to become my servant!?" A better Idea is forming in the back of his mind.

Benar grunts, "I'd rather go back to the abbey... Stoat. Or back to my friends... I don't serve vermin any more."

Drexor smirks. "Maybe...you can" he grins. "Where are your friends?" he asks

Benar growns, "We are encamped about half a days march back east... searching for the Novice we

spoke of."

Drexor starts to laugh. "Oh so Perfect!" He grins. "Who's leading your group?" he asks.

Benar paws at the grass and shudders, "Novice Gero is leading the group... Look if you are making me your slave.. just get it over with."

Drexor grins. "Unlike you, I dont take orders" He grins. "Since i'm on my way to the mountain's, I want

you to Send...Novice...Gero...Into the woods...lead him far then abandon him..." The stoat laughs.

"Ah...Make up some sort of story about finding something or something..." He nods. "Let no one know you ran into me...Nor that you're taking orders from me" he grins. "And make sure that beast...gets

totally...lost"

Benar groans and places his paws in his muzzle, "Yes... master..." he grates out unhappily. "why!"

Drexor laughs and starts to laugh. "Oh...Yes Master...oh I like that..." He grins. "I'll be looking for you in the Future" he starts laughing Evilly. "because he's a redwall beast...redwall beasts are no good...getting them lost and homeless is the best way to dispose of them!" he then starts laughing

again. "And...When you Return to the abbey...look for me In the Black Gull...I think i have more use for you! ahahahaha" he laughs.

Benar draws a deep breath and hangs his head, "What do I say to Gero! He won't be lost forever! Someone will find him when he doesn't coem back to the abbey! You would rob me of my new home!"

Drexor grins. "Thats the whole point, you see...having some beast in the abbey would be a great

benefit to me" he grins before thinking. "Tell him that you found something in the woods and you want him to look" he nods. "That should do it!"

Benar says, "Yes master.." he says sullenly, glaring at him, "I'll see to it master..""

Drexor ohhs and laughs. "Master...Oh I like you!" he grins..."Master...Master Drexor...has a good ring to it hmm?" He smirks. "Good good..." he then waves away the squirrel. "And...When I send word for you, I expect you to find me...understood!"

Benar presses his muzzle to the dirt, "Yes master." his voice is hollow now, no emotion as seasons of supressed training rises to the fore-front of his mind. "I obey master."

Drexor watches. "Oh you'll be fun in the future, I can tell...Goood...And remember Squirrel. Tell no one I exist!"

Benar says, "Yes sir... I will tell no one you exist sir.""

Drexor grins. "Good...Now Go slave...I'll see you soon" he starts laughing loudly as he continues on

his way.

Benar jumps up, collecting dagger and bow and lopes off across the grass, tears rolling down his muzzle as he goes.

Afterwards, At Camp....

At camp, its quiet. There's not many beasts up and about right now. Some are catching up on their

sleep, and others are just staring at the sky. Gero however, is wandering around by himself, waiting for Benar's return.

Benar walks in from the grasslands, the squirrel is frowning at a point beyong the mouse novices head, ears laid back as if thinking about something. Looking somewhat pensive."

Gero looks over at the right moment and smiles when Seeing Benar. "Anything to Report?" he asks.

"Any vermin? Anybeast who may have taken Antioc?"

Benar scrubs a paw through his head fur then shoulders his bow. "I think I've found something Novice

Gero... but you will have to come with me. I want a second opinion."

Gero Hrms a bit and nods, getting his bow, his arrows and setting them over his shoulder. "Alright...lets go...what is it?" he asks, making a motion for Benar to lead him.

Benar seems tense, his tail bottled out as he leads gero out of the camp, heading towards the woodlands. "You'll see when we get there Novice Gero... and i am sorry."

Gero hrms some and frowns. "What are you sorry about, Benar? You didn't do anything wrong..."

Benar smiles sadly at the Mouse and points, "This way." he leads the way into the trees slowly, paws padding on the grass as he leads the way on. "Just follow my tail"

Gero shrugs and follows. "So...what is it you think you've found?" the mouse asks with a hm.

Benar shakes his head, not explaining anything, just leading the mouse deeper, there is no sight of the sun down here under the winter canopy of bare branches. It is drear and cloudy and the squirrel leads Gero deeper and deeper into the woods.

Gero sighs a bit. "Fine fine, i'm sure I know when I see it" says with a Hrm. The Mouse novice follows, a little nervous about what Benar found, scared that it may be antioc, dead or something.

Benar is being recalcitrant enough and refusing to discuss it so it must be something pretty major and rather nasty. Walking in front of Gero he stares ahead, hiding the tears leaking down his muzzle. He's about to ruin everything... his new life in Redwall... the lot... all because... because of... He cannot even voice it in his mind.

Gero follows before stopping. "Benar...Tell me what you found...." his worry is getting the better of him. "What...what Is it?" He asks

The grey squirrel looks around, the clearing. They are deep enough in the woods now.... it should be

impossible for an u nskilled mouse to find his way back to safety. He just hangs his head and whispers, "Please... please remember wot I toldd you the other day... I am so sorry... Gero..." he sounds heart broken, the last word a whimper before he scales a tree and scampers away out of sight.

Gero looks confused for a moment. "Sorry...sorry about..." then it Dawns on him. "no...Benar!" he looks around. "Benar Get back here!" he looks around, Drawing an Arrow and shooting it in the

Direction he left. "BENAR!!!"

Just silence reigns up there in the trees, Benar is gone... out of sight, back to the edge of the forest to collapse in a heap and claw at the ground. Crying.

Gero looks around and...turns around a few times, trying to Determine where he came from. "Why..." his chances of getting home now were slim to nothing. No food...no healing supplies...only a bow, and about Ten arrows. "BENAR!" he calls out once more. "Savannah...." he falls to his knees, punching the ground. "I'll get home...I promise..." He sighs before looking around again and sighing, slowly standing and heading east, thinking it was west.

Benar claws at the dirt and calms himself down, shuddering and shaking. He raises his head, considering... trying to think. Did the stoat order him to not go back! He is sure he didn't... if he didn't... if he can muster his strength he can go back!"

Gero is lost beyond all doubt now. He had no idea where he was, why he was lead so far, nor why he didn't pack food or water or anything like that. The novice sighs before getting to work on building a Shelter. There's no way he'll be able to continue onward today, and get a shelter built at the same time...When everything is done and made, he sits by his fire...and cries.