The Transporter part 3

The road goes on forever, the party never ends. Spriga and Co continue to expand Siro's smuggling operations through...unusual means.

Being night fall the run through the mines is uneventful when there are no miners to run into. The mining camp itself is all but deserted save for a single light in the forebeasts shack which is built into the wall of the valley above the mine entrance. It is dark outside, perhaps midnight give or take a few hours. The air has a humid chill to it.

Spriga looks around and asks, "So, where is the place we drop off these birds I hope haven't gone and spoiled 'emselves?"

"We meet Siro out back behind the tavern." The lizard replies. He seems unfazed about leaving Elena behind. Even if she got eaten by the lizards it would just be one less annoying vermin in the world for him. Trsk leads Spriga down the muddy streets. Even a town like this needs to sleep every once in a while. The streets are as deserted as the mines.

Spriga follows him and says, "I hope I can make that deal and get back the fox. It would be a real wether day tryin' to explain her death to Siro."

The pair of smugglers reaches the Fat Dragon Saloon. Trsk waves for the stoat to come to the cellar door. Setting aside his bag for the moment he pulls out a key, unlocks the door. Grabbing his back he walks in. The cellar below is a small room. Dirt floor, wood ceiling, racks of meat hanging on the walls, barrels of ale in the corner, and an empty wooden chair with rope laying around it.

Spriga asks as she enters the cellar, "Well, where is he then? Or do we jus' drop the booty here?"

"I'll go let him know we are here." Trsk says as he tosses the birds to the side, thankful to finely be rid of its weight. The lizard takes the stairs up to the top floor. Several moments pass until the door to the stairs opens again. The tall monitor lizard appears, highlighted by the light of the tavern. He is wearing a grey tunic and black cloth vest with red fringes. The beast takes the steps slowly casting his arms wide, "Spriga! You're back! And with the wood pigeons. I must say...I am impressed."

Spriga nods and explains, "though Elena was waylaid, we haves to go back and get her...but yes, I made it, a proper seabeast makes sure her promises are carried through."

Siro raises an eyebrow, "Who? Oh! One of the vixens...the fat white one right?" The monitor lizard crosses his arms, shifting his weight to one side. Down here in the cellar he has to haunch over slightly to keep his head fins from brushing the ceiling. "What did she get herself into now? The militia just...up and left this morning. One moment there are guards keeping the strikers from the mines and then suddenly 'poof'! Every militia beast just dissapears back up to their camp up north!"

Spriga empties out her pack to show the birds where all there, "That is really strange. I wounder what could have caused them to have been recalled. Still, makes getting the other three packfuls a lot easier, at least."

Spriga room-pages, "Why did that happen? It couldn't be bacause what's her name, right?".

Siro shrugs, "I don't know. Heard rummors of a patrol near the bridge being attacked but otherwise nothing." He narrows his eyes at the stoat, "Now what kind of trouble is Elena in?"

Spriga explains, "She's been imprisoned by lizards, the one Trsk here keeps going on about. They captured her, and its not like whe are armed."

The monitor lizard lowers one eye and widens the other, very much like another beast would raise their eyebrow, "Wait...hold up a second there..." he rubs at his eyes, "Lizards like Trsk? You mean the underground lizard coloney that Trsk keeps babbling on about? That's just a myth!"

Spriga shakes her head, "Do myths kidnap people?"

The heavy set lizard thinks about this for a while, still rubbing his eyes. "There...really are lizards under the city..." His eyes widen slightly as he realizes he has been living over a large scale, possibly hostile colony for most of his life. "I...need a drink. Now do you mind telling me /how/ she got captured by lizards? How did you get past the militia?"

Spriga explains the whole affair to him over a pint of Black Seagull ale, adding that the hoped he didn't mind losing a few birds so the trade route could stay open.

The reptile drinks his fill of wine then wipes off his maw with his shirt sleeve. "I see...that all makes sense now. You entered on the bridge, the militia followed and found the coloney. I heard some nasty rumors that their local leader has ended up missing. This...spells trouble." He rubs at his chin, "Fine good work Spriga. Fine good work. You...should lay low for a while. The last thing I need is some militia goon seeing you here in the tavern."

Spriga nods and says, "But the agreement was that they would behead that fox if we did not come back with the goods in about three days. I have an agreement to honour, I'm afraid."

"It would be better if the lizards did take care of her for us." Siro says outloud. The monitor drinks another sip of wine and sighs, "You're right of course...can't afford to lose this deal. I don't know what is up with the Militia. They may hide out in their camp, or they will come back in force. Reguardless they don't appear to be leaving any time soon...so take what you need to seal the deal."

Spriga nods and gets up, telling Trsk, "We are heading back to camp to get another shipment of woodpidgeon so we can pay off your former pals. Get to it landlubber. We'll sleep at camp and bring over the brown beast."

Trsk nods his head, "Yes ma'am." The lizard scampers off togather supplies, Siro watches him leave and chuckles, "Looks like you got Trsk to shape up and not back talk to takin orders. That is...also impressive." He smiles at the stoat, "Make this deal happen and I'll make sure to double the pay I promised you."

Spriga nods to Scio, "Well, thank ye kindly boss but no need ter do that. I'd be much more obliged if you, as a return favour, signed me off of all slaving contracts. Them's just too much trouble, if ye ask me."

The lizard pauses then laughs, "Done. I...havn't actually ferried slaves in a long, long time. Woodlanders here are too upity about it, vermin too poor to buy them. Only person who would buy em is the owner of the mine and he's got workers out the wazzo...at least did. Miners went on strike today after you left. It's been pretty hectic."

Spriga laughs out loud as she packs herself a waterskin for the trip back, "Funny, that's what I told the guards as a fib to try to get them to leave us alone!"

The lizard laughs too, "Funny, about that. Be thankfull you ran into those lizards. The militia are going to be too busy to bother coming after you. Which is good...cause my employees with bounties on their hide makes my life difficult...I don't do well with difficult." He takes a sip of wine and laughs again. "Now get going."

Spriga asks Trsk, "Are ye ready landlizard? We need to move our tails and get going!"

Trsk pops his head down from the stairs, "Ready when you are!" The lizard has a couple of new back packs behind him. It's going to be a long walk back to camp, but at least the gates are no longer guarded. And finaly...beasts actually believe Trsk was once a lizard king...

Spriga heads back to the mines, singing, "Who's a salty seabeast with no ship? I am! Who's the best corsair anyway? I am!"

After redirecting her course to the city gates, now completely unguarded, the lizard and stoat find themselve back in the valley, and eventually back to the camp site. Well into night by, probably early morning now, Xia is fast asleep. The camp fire burns low, finding the brown furred vixen laying up against a log, feathers spread about her sleeping form and swollen stomach. The pile of wood pigeons has been lessened somewhat.

Spriga signs and goes to sleep on the pile of grass, saying, "I should be glad any are left. Are there enough for three more hauls still?"

The lizard stretches and yawns. "It looks like enough to stuff a legion of Xia foxes." He curles up into a ball next to the fox, "Hey Spriga...thank you for...for believing that I was telling the truth."

Spriga is, unfortunately, already sound asleep. Too bad.

The lizard watches the stoat with a disappointing glance. He finely shrugs and falls asleep himself, even with Xia's snoring.

The next morning Trsk groggily opens his eyes to sunshine. THe forrest is covered in thick fog, mostly driven away by the camp fire. The vixen appears to be up and stroking the fire and waves to the lizard, "Mornin sunshine."

Spriga wakes up and yawns, catually asking Xia, "How many birds did you eat? We need enough for two more runs plus paying off a bunch of lizards." She stants up and puts the grass bed on the fire as kindling, "And Xia, come with us during the last trip. There is something I wants ye to see."

The fox smirks, standing up to stretch she pats at her swollen frame. "Heh, sorry, nervous eater. I was worried about you guys...but I suppose there was no need." The fox's ears fidget and a serious look comes across her face. Tossing a bucket of water into the fire Xia's paw then flies to her halberd. "Everyone! Into the bushes!" she hisses.

Spriga follows without question, trying to drag Trsk along with her.

With the fire put out the early morning forrest takes on a dreary glow, especially in fog. The fox clamps a paw around trsks maw after he is forcefully dragged into the bushes. The vixen holds up a paw to her own snout, signalling for them to be quiet.

For what feels like an eternity the forrest remains still. Then there is movement. Paws creep along the forrest path with out making so much as a whisper. A trio of foxes materialize out of the forrest. The move in a crouched stance, examining the campsite. Like the lizards in the ruins they are dressed in a mix mash of tribal gear and more 'civilized gear' Feathers, bead armor, and sashes clash with city styled vests and tunics. One wears trousers. Each are armed with spears.

Spriga pokes her head up and out and tells Xia, "What do we do? They might steal our goods if we let them."

The vixen's tail poofs at the breach of silence. All three fox heads turn towards the whisper. For a long moment they stare peering at the bushes. Then wordlessly they turn back to the camp. One barks loudly, two more vermin appear, another bare chested fox and a weasel. "Spread out. There scent is still strong. Kel, Johnson...take this food back to camp. This Arundal dog's won't be needing the meat after we finish with them." The first three foxes scatter, dissapearing into the fox just as silently as they came.

You room-page, "not done"

"I'm open for fleeing...but if you think we can take them...I'll take my fellow vulpine. If you think you can take the weasel." Xia whispers back after a bit.

Spriga frowns and says, "We need to finish our job, what chance to we have?" He notes a stick near her and picks it up, snapping the branches except the top two and then useing it to slingshot a rock at the weasel, "Well, perhaps we can trick them into thinking their is more of us. Trsk...go tell them your kingdom will attack them!"

The lizard blinks for a bit then smiles deviously. He dashes off to around a tree. "DEATH TO ALL VERMIN!" can be heard echoing across the forrest. Xia drops away into the opposite direction, shouting as well, "Move in and finish them off!" The weasel and fox in the camp both ready their spears ready for a fight but not quite sure where the fight is coming from.

Spriga runs out, screaming, and plunges the dagger right into the weasel's paw, "Take this!"

The weasel snarls in pain as the knive peirces his paw, he even drops his spear. In a flash the fox is on the stoat, ready to run her through the chest with his speer. Xia however, is faster, slamming the but of her halber into his jaw and sending him flying for the pile of wood pigeons. Trsk...comes out of the bushes and tosses rocks at the weasel which...efectivly do nothing

Spriga grabs the weasel and says, "Get lost, or we will be roasting you over a spit. Slowly." She signals to Trsk and says, "Start packing the backpacks!"

Dispite his war paint the young weasel doesn't have the bravery of a warrior and dashes off into the woods, the downed fox climbs over the wood pigeons to escape them both. Unfortunetly the next beast that speaks does have warrior bravery, "Stop where you are." The tribal fox demands. He is a slender type of brute. Filled with wiry musle with a bead vest and leather sash. He also has one paw wrapped around Trisk, and a knife at his throught. The two other fox's from before are lined up behind their leader, "Drop your weapons!"

Spriga says, "Why should we? You just showed up to try and rob us!"

The fox gives the stoat a currious glance, it was the first time he ever had a knife on a beasts throat and have someone ask him why they shouldn't do what he says, "You are...unusual Arundalers..." Xia keeps her helbard at the ready, she isn't about to drop her guard and get captured either, not for Trsk. "That's cause I'm not an Arundaler...neither are they." The fox's eyes widen, he keeps the lizard in a vice like grip, "Then...who are you?"

Spriga nods, "Aye, yer dealin' with an offical former corsair, so yer better straighten yer act or I will go down with incident!"

The lizard gulps, nervously hissing, "A-and I am a lizard king." The fox looks down at the pathetic creature in his paws then looks at the ex pirate and the vixen. With a sigh he releases the reptile who quickly dashes behind his friends for protection. "Why are you out here? Why are you hunting pigeons on our land?"

Spriga explains to the fox in an even tone, "Business. We're going to sell them down in silver valley. If you want to be part of the deal, that's fine too, and ye can keep a portion of the profits. But if you want to be unreasonable, I can always send the militia a letter explaining how your threatening random beasts..."

The tribal fox rubs at his chin, "One second. Group huddle." The vulpine turns to his crew and they begin chatting for a long moment. Finely with several head nods the leader of the pack turns back to the Stoat. "Our ancesters had no concept of material money. We however, do. How /much/ of a cut are we talking here?" Xia rubs at her forehead, "Oh boy..."

Spriga says, "Well, after we finish our deal with the lizards and ship the rest of the goods, we will be paid. I'll gladly give yer twenty percent of the cut, and se how me boss thinks of hirin' some of yer."

The fox idly tosses his knife in the air, being able to catch it by the hilt with out looking at it. "That is...acceptable. You know...if you want wood pigeons...we could hunt them /for/ you. Bring them too you as well."

Spriga nods and says, "I would not mind sharing the workload with ye forest beasts, and I don't think Xia here will either."

"It will save my diet, that's for sure." The Vixen crosses her arms as she says this, the tribal fox grins playfully, "Capitol. We have a deal. Come back to this spot in one week and we will have your birds for you." The lizard rubs the back of his neck, "You're not going to take one of us hostage to keep us from going back on our deal are you? Cause we are already down to only one fox." The tribal warrior replies, "Huh? Why would we do that...although...now that I think about it..."

Spriga slaps Trsk and tells the warrior, "He is joking. You are not like his foolish and untrusting kin in the caves, are you?"

When the fox thinks about this Xia growls dangerously brandishing her Helbard. "Nah...we trust you." The tribal fox chuckles, then adds seriously, "We also trust you enough to know better than to double cross us." He leans back and his smile returns, "We shall help our wounded back to camp...with a wood pigeon for good measure...or two." The foxes take their share of food, "Remember, one week." With that he bows deeply then heads out of the camp site, dissapearing into the fog.

Spriga dusts herself off, "Lets get back the shipping." she turns to Trsk "Sorry I slapped you." She fills her own packw with pigeons and asks, "So, which of us wants to explain this to Siro?"

The fox and lizard quickly raise their paws, "Not it!" Yes, it looks like this is going to be one of those days...