Scioto finds Bandit is back home

Another day dawns on the village of Ferravale. The storm last night has left the air crisp and fresh. The road is still caked in a fine layer of mud. Despite this beasts are in full swing today, going about the road in front of the tavern as they travel to their jobs or the market place. It is still too early for the tavern to open yet there is already at least one beast here.

The beast is a fox, a brown furred beast caked with mud and leaves. His otter hide vest is torn and soiled. The pot bellied fox lays stretched out across a bench in front of the tavern, under the awning of the building. He is fast asleep with his tongue hanging outside his mouth and his paws clutching a bottle of ale tightly to his chest.

Scioto happens to be walking up to the tavern, he is still a little tried as he seems to not of sleep too much last night for what ever reason. He shakes his head as a boot sinks into a rather thick bit of mud and walks on to the door and stops as he stares at the beast on the bench and walks over to get a closer look at the beast. He can tell its a fox, or maybe a pile of mud with a fox tail. He clears his throat to see if there is a response from them or not.

A grumble stirs from the fox. He mutters something about Eel's coming to eat him and curls himself into a tight ball, "No...no...not the eels...must...swim...faster..." Bandit whimpers in his sleep and his tail begins to twitch back and forth frantically. With little warning the fox sits up shouting, "NO! NOT THE LETUS! ANYTHING BUT THE...oh." The fat fox squints as he looks over the land scape, the road, at Scioto. Then promptly curls back into a ball and falls asleep again.

Scioto arches an eyebrow at the fox and now he knows whom it is thanks to the voice, he clears his own and speaks "There is no eels in the village Bandit." He has a controlled clam to his voice as he speaks and folds his arms over his chest, "Where have you been Bandit, do answer the question while I am still in a fair mood"

The fox closes his eyes and lifts up his head to shout, "Oh come off it Scioto, can't you see that I'm sleeping here?" The fox's eyes snap open, "Scioto!" At once the head guard leaps to his feet, and imminently regrets it. The fox sits back down, clutching at his head, "Gaaaaah...that...that was painful. Scioto, you won't believe where I have been..." The fox looks down to the bottle still in his paw and quickly hides it behind his tail. "Er, um...this isn't what it looks like!"

Scioto good eye narrows dangerously at Bandit as he looks at the ale and then at the fox, "Oh, do explain and it best be good. My week has been very, very annoying. The only good note is my daughter is safe and sound."

"Yesh." The fox taps his claws together tentatively. "My week has been...my week has been..." the fox rubs at his temples, "Please don't glare so loudly Scioto, my poor head can't take it." One arm on his lap he looks up, "I...I found Marak's home village. I also ran into Irinevok. He was on the bridge, just out of town. I tried to fight him off but..." The fox let his gaze fall to the ground. "I kind of maybe sorta threw myself into the river to get away from him..."

Scioto just stands thee and stares, he then calmly takes a deep breath"You..wanted to get away from a mouse? Why did you throw yourself into the river and what does Marek's old home have to do with this. I could care less where he use to live, he lives in this village now. "

"Oh, I wasn't scared of a mouse, I was scared of the dozen other beasts trying to kill me at the time." The fox leans back on the bench, legs crossed, arms speared out over the bench, "I was hoping to find some...clue to Irinvok's thought process. Maybe if I figured out why he burned that village to the ground then maybe I could figure out where he would be going." Bandit shrugged, "For all the good it did. In the end it looks like Blisa was rescued either way." The fox pauses before adding, "How is Blisa?"

Scioto listens carefully to what is said and nods before he answers "She is fine from what I can tell, your have to ask her yourself next time you see her"

Bandit breaths a sigh of relief. Slowly he stands to his full height, "That's all that matters in the end. If I may sir, I have more to report but I would rather do so in a fashion a bit more...dignified." The fox spreads out his mud soaked arms and examines himself, "And I'm pretty sure I should probably stop by the healers...just for a quick check up...that eel bite is killing me..."

Scioto nods "Well lets hope it doesn't kill you. There is healers in the infirm, sadly I still need to get a Master Healer but I am working on that and may have a beast who could be the Master Healer but I have yet to fully speak with them. Also a good bath and a new outfit would be good as well. We can discuss any other news later."

Bandit salutes. Picking up his bottle of ale he begins to stumble away from the tavern and the cat. "Not one of my finer moments..." the fox admits to himself as he wavers back and forth as he walks. There was work to be done still but, dang...it felt good to be home...

Scioto watches the fox walk off and then heads into the tavern just as its opening for the day.