The spies' reports (Thorns of Steel TP)
St.Ninians Ruins: Churchyard
The churchyard stands quiet as few beasts seem to roam within
it. Though vermin seeem to have long left the old church, the
area seems to have a coldness about it. In the distance looms
the burned out hulk of the old church, still standing despite
its old age. Darkness just seems to encompass the area in a fog.
Rubble is scattered around and the ground lies charred and
barren, even after many year. The area is void of much life and
has a foreboding feel to it. Equally obvious is the ancient
graveyard, fenced in by an old and rusty fence breached only by
an equally ancient and rusty gate.
Entrances/Exits: -----------------------
[I]nto the [C]hurch, [C]emetary [G]ate, [D]irt [R]oad,
[I]nto the [F]orest, [M]ossflower [W]oods
Desotoe walks into the churchyard, he walks slow and looks around and this time up, he fornws expecting someone or something to suddenly appear.
The trees rustle slightly, and an eerie caw echoes out from the woodlands. "Who dares trespass upon these hallowed ruins of evil?" The creature speaking is hidden by the leaves, and it's voice cannot help pinpoint it, but it is definetly a female...*something*. (Lenore)
Desotoe looks around quickly, "Me Desotoe Stonefur and I am not trespassing my master comes here sometimes...." He has a paw on his cutlass as he tries to find the source of the voice.
An ebony raven hops out of the tree canopy and perches on gravestone near the treeline. "And who is your 'master'?" she intones creepily. (still Lenore)
Desotoe folds his arms over his chest, "That info none ya bussiness,unless you work for him, you one of his ravern birds of death?" He is a little scared but tries not to show it, he dislikes this type of bird now, "I have things to do and...info but he is not here."
The raven (who happens to be Lenore) poufs up slightly and caws again. "If I told you, I would have to kill you. Who is your master?!"
Before Desotoe can respond, a flat voice comes from directly behind the raven. "/I/ am." Vladmir appears as if from nowhere and seizes Lenore's beak in a vicelike grip, then pulls, forcing her to look into her master's blue eyes. "So back off," he says, those eyes sparkling dangerously. After a moment, long enough for the beak to really HURT, he releases Lenore and shoves her aside to gaze imperiously at Desotoe. "What news have you? Did you follow my orders?"
Desotoe whimpers, "Working on a plan, yeah to..to get that badger here, ummm found out one intresting thing on it, the badger, he is like the dibbun caretaker maybe taht could work for a..plan, to help get him?"
Lenore gives off a muffled 'caw' as her beak is grabbed, and 3 tears leak out of her eyes as pain shoots through her face. When her master lets her go, she hops off a little ways and holds her beak with her wing.
Ignoring Lenore's pain, Vladmir begins to speak. "You..." But as he searches for an insult fitting for the ferret, he stops, confusion on his face. "And what in Hellgates is a Dibbun?"
Lenore coughs and hesitantly speaks. "I can answer that, master..." she seems sufficently subdued.
Desotoe blinks , "Ummm like a younger beast, 0-4, maybe 5 seasons...and also the badger is on to me, he...he keeps following me when he sees me, but good news on Flicktail,he thinks I am his friend, I am far from that rather vomit, but I can put up with it, oh and..there is this umm...but its a small issue."
"Good news and bad, then," Vladmir mutters to himself. "/Small issues?/" he says to Desotoe, louder. "Size does not mean something is not a threat. See this dagger?" He pulls a small blade from his belt. "It is small, is it not?" He levels it at Desotoe's throat. "But it can still kill you. What is this small issue? Will you tell me, or do I need to show you this small dagger...in your throat?"
Desotoe whimpers more and backs off "Umm..ummm....a mousemaid,see I hurt her friend, I..I can kill her, and her friend..." He backs off. "Master?"
Lenore jumps in here -- sort of. "I wonder what the maids' name is, master?" she murmers.
The dagger is withdrawn, as well as the fox's rage, now replaced by incredulity. "A MOUSEMAID? You came to me warning me of a MOUSEMAID? This is no small issue, this is downright MINISCULE!" He siezes Desotoe by the throat and hurls him headfirst into a large tombstone. CRACK! The spy's right arm, head, and upper back collide with the ancient marker, and Desotoe falls uconscious. Vladmir kicks him, curling his lip contemptously as if Desotoe was something slimy that the fox wiped off his metal-soled boots.
Desotoe gasps and tries to get loose he sails threw the air and slams into the tombstone,he lands on the ground, a broken arm and alot of pain,but alive, looks like he will be unconious for a while,hmmm plenty of time to explain this injury to his "friend" Flicktail at the abbey.
Lenore caws and flies back in alarm as Vladmir seems to be in the mood to throw beasts in random directions. She flies over to a dead oak tree and perches on its lowest branch.
/I'm in no mood for these games,/ Vladmir thinks in disgust. He raises a guantleted paw. "Get down here."
Lenore nearly faints from fear when the paw is raised, then she really truly does faint from relief when nothing comes flying towards her. She still has a good hold on the branch, but she flips upside-down and hangs there, like a feathered bat.
"Would you just..." Vladmir shakes his head in exasperation. "What is /wrong/ with everybeast?" Smashy time..."Why must I be surrounded continually by halfwits and weaklings?!" KRANG! The bolas is out and a tombstone (Fortunately not the one Desotoe is at) crumbles. And another...WHOOM! CRASH! And another...
Lenore has not woken up yet, so she still looks like a feathered bat -- either that, or some strange, exotic fruit.
Vladmir considers using her for throwing-knife target practice, then thinks better of it, and strides up to where Lenore hangs from the tree, and raps her on the head several times with his paw.
Ok, now that wakes her up! Lenore blinks, then caws and flaps back, coming within an inch of wacking Vladmir in the eye with her wing. She sits on the branch right-side up and murmers, "Sorry, Master."
"Next time, you'll get more than a whack on the head," Vlad hisses. "Now tell me. What was going on between you and..." He points to Desotoe's limp form. "...that /fool/ when I arrived?"
Lenore hunkers down on her branch, like the proverbial whipped dog. "He came here, and I asked him who he was, then I asked him who he was working for, and he wouldn't tell me, then you arrived, Master."
Surprisingly, Vladmir nods approvingly. "Good. Although the focus of your suscpicion was misdirected, you have done as I would have had you do."
Lenore comes *this* close to fainting from relief again. She smiles -- then quickly wipes it off her face. Just in case.
"And what have you seen?" Vladmir asks, sticking to routine.
Lenore sighs. "Not much. The beasts in Ferravale don't let information just slip very much." she sighs again, but it is drowned out by an instent caw-ing from the treeline. An angry look appears in her eyes, and she bows to the fox. "I'm sorry Master, but I must leave." and with that she is off, answering the caws with some of her own.
