Velth goes on an adventure part FOUR! FINAL!

The road to the fire mountain is not for the faint of heart

The party continues for several hours as the otters dance the night away. Even the strongest constituion however eventually crumbles under the assault of so much drinking and eating and dancing. In the earliest hours of the morning the village is quite, most otters either returning to their homes or just finding a warm place around the bon fire to rest.

One of the few remaining beasts on their feet is the fox. He steals away, unnoticed, as the otters begin to scatter, retracing the path back out to the cave. He sits down wearily by his spiked rope, feeling the weariness in his own limbs from the lack of sleep. He rubs despairingly at his face, Vrasku's words having only amplified over time. He peers down at the ruby, thinking it little more than a pebble, his own dive a petty thing now that he's stacked the odds in his favor. And if even this is so minor... how much more the rest of his life? He sighs, and starts to lower the rope down into the pit, gently and quietly, making sure it's lined up with the gem.

The water greets the fox, tempting him to jump in like a siren does to wayward sailors. The pool is not as active tonight, either due to the brilliance of the fox's plan or due to the time of night. It's hard to tell which...

He'll take either one though. Once his rope is in place and tied securely to the natural bridge, the fox strips off, and sits down on the bridge, his feet dangling over the edge. Fear finally settles into his heart, making it beat a bit faster. He's about to swim deeper than he ever has before, in pike infested water, to try groping about for a rock he doesn't even care about or need... He laughs, softly at himself. This is what he needed; to prove to himself it was foolish to be afraid. He gently breaks the surface of the water as he eases himself down, trying to disturb the placid pool as little as possible. The cold water bites at him, but he says goodbye, checks below him to remember the gems position, takes a deep breath, and submerges completely. The world is nothing but darkness and quiet, as he flips himself upside down, and pulls himself hand over hand down into the depths, the rest of his body limp to conserve air and keep him quiet.

The water's chill flows past the fox's fur from his ears to his tail. It is almost unaturally clear though. As the fox dives deeper and deeper a whole new world opens up to him. The pool is filled by a cave leading in from the left, and continues down a small crevase to his right. The ruby is in the center of hte cavernous lake. And surrounded by white rocks that as the fox comes into better focus, prove to be the scattered bones of those foolish enough to do what Velth is doing now.

The dive is peacefull though. Smaller fish move out of the fox's way. Large fish simply don't care. And the big ugly pike head that creeps out of the cavern to his right begins to swim upward, circling the area for something that is disturbing its waters.

The gem is surprisingly light for such a large stone, it fills the palm of the fox's paw. The accent to freedom is complicated only when the rope begins to /move/, and not from /him/. The pike brushes against the rope, then turns to bite at it. Making the rope flail violently. Not liking its taste it turns it's eyes to the fox.

The pike lunges for Velth, jaws open. The fox is spare a very painfull, very grizzly end as the fish strikes a fish swimming behind him, crunching it down and shaking it violently. The pike's tail smacks against the fox's side.

The blood in the water also summons more pike to their potential meal...

Perhaps it was a good idea not to weigh himself down with so much of Opi and Lalia's cooking.

But there's no time to consider that now. The feel of the fish brushing past him is enough to seriously set Velth's nerves on edge. He loses the way up as he's knocked around by the blow, but forces himself to sit perfectly still to reorient himself before striking out. By now, his lungs are dying for fresh air, and he feels the inevitable death gasp coming up on him. Getting just enough of a sensation of floating to take a stab at the way, he strikes out as fast as he can for the surface, most of his composure now gone, channeled into the mindless task of speed.

The fox breaks free of the water, reaching the top at last with a frenzi of pike churning the water behind him. Their prey scattered the pike turn their attention to the white furry beast that dares enter /their/ domain.

The fox however, is not alone.

"Welcome back to the land of the living fox," The rat says through a snear. Like the other two beasts standing to his left and right the rat is dressed in a black tunic with a chain mail vest. He is armed with a double bladed sword.

"Drag the beast ashore before the pike make a meal of him." THe grey furred rat turns his back to the pool, stepping aside to allow the two beasts to do jsut so. "Then kill him."

Velth shakes the water from his eyes, having made out what was said, but being loath to trust his ears. His vision now mostly restored, he reaches out for the stole bridge to haul himself free as quickly as possible, the ruby still clutched in one paw.

The grey rat takes a step back to let his troopers do their job more effectivily. The soldiers are both of brown fur and in fighting condition. They draw their short swords and move to cut off the fox's escape rout. "Bleedin...he really does got the ruby!" Shouts one.

"Give it to us now fox and we will promise you a swift death." The other rat sneers at velth, "Unless you wish to try your luck with the pike..."

Panting deeply, water running out of his run in streams, his arms and legs weary, the fox just manages to drag himself out to safety on the bridge before he holds aloft the gem, speaking between gasping breaths, "You want this? It goes back to the depths with me if I die." Water runs out in a spreading pool below him, as he holds the gem out, already over the water as though he might drop it at any moment.

As if they could see the raised paw of their leader the rats pause in their attack. "You drop that little gem beast and I promise, you will wish the pike had gotten to you." The grey rat's smile fades as he crosses his arms, "Let me guess, you will give it to us if we give you our word that we let you live?"

Velth shakes his head, water dropplets flying from it. "What are all your promises and threats worth to me? Who are you, that I should be afraid or trusting?" He replies, slowly managing to get his paws underneath him so he can at least kneel in place, rather than sprawling on hands and kness

The two soldiers seem to sigh as the fox asks the question, as if they ahve heard this all before. The leading rat chuckles darkly. "I am a lieutenant in Redclaw's mighty horde, the most fearsome rat this side of the mossflower river. And you may call your executioner...Stubbs." He pauses for dramatic flair, then points to his tail tip, where...about two iches of his tail is missing.

( One of the brown rats mimics their leader silently. )

"Of course...I could be your new master...it would afterall be a shame to waste a fox thief like yourself. And you were kind enough to do all the hard work for us in getting the fabled ruby of this pool."

Stubbs trots menicingly drawing his sword and leveling it under Velth's nose, "How about it? Give us the ruby and you have my word I will spare your life...drop the ruby into the pool and I'll make you wish I /do/ kill you."

Below Velth the waters churn with aggitated pike.

The gem still held out over the water, the fox considers the offer for a minute as he regains control over his breathing. "This gem is just a rock, rat." He says at last, "I know it's not worth my life. Do you?" He asks, and without waiting for a reply he tosses the gem swift and accurate at the rat's face before springing at the rat himself, aiming to hit him off center at his waist and knock him sidelong into the pit.

Lieutenant Stubbs let's out a wail of surprise as he is struck in the eye by a ruby. The ruby bouces off of his head and onto the ground behind him. Stubbs startled cry is cut short as he is pushed head long into the water. The chain mail drags him deeper into pool...the churning of the pike pausing only to watch their decend towards them.

Then in the next second the pike surround the grey rat, sinking their teeth into his neck, his arms, his legs, even cutting through the chain mail to get to his torso and belly. There is a brief struggle as the waters churn violently...then run red.

"Holy..." One rat begins. "You killed Lieutenant Stubbs..." He hesitates, "Should I feel bad about that or praise him?"

The second rat face paws, "Just /kill/ him!" The rat then yells, taking a swing for Velth's head.

Velth falls back, feeling a bit awestruck and sick himself. He narrowly manages to keep from falling in as he scrabbles away from the lead rat, "Hold on! We don't need to all go in the drink!!" He shouts at them, trying to regain his footing . He's no match for them, unarmed and outflanked as he is, but they're just as much in danger, since he could easily rush them and wind up pulling them down with him.

The sword swooshes over the fox's head, "Sorry mate. Stubbs was a jackwagon, but he was still our leader. If we don't bring back your head Redclaw will kill us."

The rat draws his sword back and thrusts, trying to run the fox through, "You already sealed your own fate!"

The fox twists out of the way with skill that must have been thoroughly practiced at some point in his life, heedless of the limited space he has to work with, his paws hanging more than halfway off the stone bridge as he latches onto the rat's forearm and wrist with his paws, pulling strongly in an attempt to recover his own balance and bring him back onto solid footing.

Unfortunetly the rat holds onto the grip of his sword quite well. He draws close, getting his own footing secured. He steps away from Velth, towards the bridge, Trying to hit him across the back of the head with the hilt of his sword. "Now fox...you will..." The rat pauses, looking past the fox as he catches sight of the third rat pocketing the ruby and dashing for the exit. "Oh you son of a woodlander..."

Velth takes advantage of the situation, managing to grab enough of the rat to avoid falling into the pool himself. He rolls with the blow from the distracted rat, which still connects enough to smart awefully as the fox slips past him and bounds away off the bridge and for the exit of the cave. "Come on!" He calls back to the rat, "We can kill each other over that gem once we've got it back."

"Son of a...get back here you...you fox!" The rat gives chase after the fox who is chasing after the thief. A ruby this size was enough to fill the desires of any creature. It was more than he would make in a life time working for Redclaw. And he books it from the cave.

A rat laden with chain mail and weapons however is no match for the swift fox however. He is only a few feet ahead of Velth by the time he exits the cave.

Hoping that his quarry isn't aware of just how close he is, Velth puts on a final, desperate burst of speed and takes a dive at the rat, trying to tackle him and drag him down.

The rat squeaks in terror as the fox tackles him face first to the ground, the ruby goes flying from his pocket down the path. "The ruby!" The rat reachs for the dirk at his belt, trying to twist and stab the fox with it, while at the same time biting and thrashing his paws against him.

The fox has no time for his foolishness though, and easily slaps away the first blow from the dirk with his advantage in leverage. Without waiting for the rat behind him to catch up and run him through, Velth simply gets up and runs over his current opponent, making sure to step on the back of his head and plaster his face back into the snow coverd ground as he takes off. He manages to nimbly snag the gem as he passes on by with only a slight slip and starts shouting at the top of his voice as he sprints for the nearby village, "Awake! Fear, fire, foes; AWAKE!!!"

The lights of village are not far ahead. They are like beakons welcoming the fox to safety. The otter's for the most part are still rendered asleep from their feast and those still awake are still feasting themselves into oblivion.

Surprisingly Aata is one such otter. Now with less people to witness her cheating on her diet the otter is on the edge of the village gleefully shoving a slice of pie down her gullet into a belly swollen with food and ale.

It wasn't often she could splurge like this with out getting some kind of odd look or half humerous lecture about ending up like Vrasku. SHE DIDN'T CARE! The pie was good and she was going to eat it! All of it! It was hers! MWhahahahahahah!

As the otter eats she catches sight of something white passing through the woods. Some fool shouting something about being awake. She peers closer as Velth draws closer and then immidietly wishes she didn't. "Velth." She says flatly as she sheilds her eyes, "Where is your GEAR? Wait...is that...is that what I /think/ it is?"

She looks behind Velth to see a rat bounding down after him, followed quickly by a second rat...and then the forrest begins to move as more beasts come pouring out of the woods around them. "Oh shhhhhhhoot..."

The otter drops her pie...

The thunder of paws grows louder, with the fox out in front, practically flying on fear, snow spraying from his heels until he comes to a sliding stop past Aata. He's close to being breathless, as he turns around, tries motioning towards the woods and explaining, but seeing the horde approaching, he gives up and instead coughs out, "Gotta go. Lot of 'em."

"Eep." Aata let's out a startled cry. "EEP." She says again. "EEEEEP!" She turns, finding Velth leaving her she turns to flee as well. She runs through the village waving her arms about as she shouts, "RAID! We are under attack! RAID!"

Slowly the otters begin to stir. They come awake when the otter kicks over the stew pot at the kitchent tent and begins bashing it with a spoof. "TO ARMS! TO ARMS!"

By the time the otter are awake the rats have reached the village edge. Sheilded by night it is impossible to tell how many there are. Those not dressed in chain mail wear black tunics. Those not armed with swords carry spears. They are met by otters in an intense frenzi of combat. Most of the otter run into battle, or from it, with only what is available to them. Most use only their bare paws.

Willow and Kaleb appear out of their respective huts about the same time, witnessing the fox go flying by. "Was that Velth and was he..."

"Carrying a ruby?" Kaleb finishes. Both reconize the rat's pouring into the village and dissapear into their huts, only to appear again carrying spears.

Seeing how things stand, Velth scrambles up a nearby hut to hold the gem aloft above the horde, and shouts out at them as loudly as he can, "Hey mates! A fortune to the one who brings back the ruby!!" He waves it about, trying to divert their attention from the front, and get the horde to shift sidelong to chase him.

It would be hard for a single soldier to reconize one distraction like this on the battlefield. That is until the rat appears.

( A larger sea rat the size of Velth comes around the corner. This rat is dressed in an iron breast plate and chain mail. His long flowing cape is black as night and tattered, probibly purposly for effect. He wears a helmet with a red feather plume on it and carries a broad sword and sheild. )

The rat kicks a red tuniced otter to the ground, striking with his sword and breaking the otters spear in half before the blade cuts through his neck.

The beast hisses in excitment before he turns to the fox's shout. His beedy eyes narrow on the ruby and he shouts, "The Eye! He has /the Eye/!" He gestures with his sword, "Get him you fools! Get me the eye or I'll tan your hides!" The soldiers in the area, all of them, turn their focus on Velth...

Velth turns to the otters, gives them a little wave, and shouts, "Keep my medallion safe!" Without another word, he bounds down from the hut and takes off, back towards the woods, running along the side of horde to draw them out a bit more, confident they cannot catch him, before turning, and heading away from the village. He makes sure to put on a good show; making it seem that he's just within reach, to make sure the horde won't give up the chase.

Fueled by either greed or fear of their leader the rats that see the fox give chase, those rats who see THOSE rats leaving begin to turn as well, causing a chain reaction through the small horde. "Routed! We are being routed!" Shouts one rat. Panic spreads. It lasts only a moment but in the heat of battle that is all that is needed for the otters to gain the upper hand.

It still does nothing to change the fact that thrity armed and blood thirsty warriors are chasing down the fox through the woods. The tree's keep the beasts from any sense of a formation from forming as they pursue the fox. "After him! Get me The Eye! Get me that EYE!" Redclaw shrieks can be heard as they pursue him into the woods.

The armed horde beasts are worth nothing agaisnt the fox, however. Weighed down with fighting gear, no matter how lightly, they simply cannot hope to match the fox dressed only in his skivies. Besides, he's a lean, fit runner, and the biting cold makes every step sting Velth's feet, which only goads him on all the more. The cold digs into his drenched fur, and his limbs tremble with nervous, jittery energy. He grows his lead a bit, till it's big enough for him to stop, stoop down, and form two tight packs snowballs. The one he uses to cover the gem, masking its ruby color with a white matching his fur, and the other he hefts in a paw, before turning and hurling it off to the side of his pursuers, with the words, "Fine, you can TAKE it!"

As sizable a collection of horde beasts that turn direction to follow the 'ruby' there are still more still pursuing the fox. Why they are not as agile as velth they are built for endurence.

However neither endurence or agility prove needed as a large gorge appears ahead. Carved out of the hill side by the waters of a long forgotten stream the gorge is too far to jump and just deep enough to break every bone in the body of those who would dare try.

"Stop!" Redclaw's voice cuts through the woods. He arives at the clearing surrounding the gorge's edge shortly afterward with tweleve armor clad warriors behind him. "Stop." The rat says in a calmer voice. "Please...just, stop."

Redclaw steps forward. "You do not know what I've had to go through to get back the Eye. It was lost...years ago by my forefathers on a campaign against the Blood Wall Abbey...I've marched across continents, slaughtered countless foes, made deals with slavers...to reclaim The Eye and my families honor." The rat levels his sword at the fox, "So you better believe that I will /burn/ that village and use the otters as KINDLING if you don't give me that ruby."

Velth cocks his head at the rats words, taking out the ruby and rubbing away the snow till it's clean. He glances down at it, then back up at Redclaw, and shrugs. "It's just a rock, you know." He says plainly, hefting it in his paw as he stands up, "Your captain failed to realize that, and it caused his demise. I wonder if you've realized it yet yourself; no getting it is dangerous, but getting it... that can be just as lethal." He glances over his shoulder, and then looks back at Redclaw, "An offer for you then. I can pitch this stone across this gap, though I doubt any of us could jump it. Your horde will know where to find the stone, but you'll have to move them there yourself to make sure you recover it. That way, you'll get your stone, and I know you'll keep your word. For a time, at least."

The rat narrows his eyes, "You...you dare call the Eye ...just a /rock/?" He takes a menecing step forward, "That /rock/ belongs on the king staff! It is a sign of..." The rat pauses, a yellow toothed smile forming on his muzzle, "You, you are just stalling for time...you are hoping your little otter friends are coming to save you. I see you're plan! As if you can trust a fox." He spits off to the side. "You can trust in one thing fox, you can trust that you're friends are already dead. They just don't know it yet. They defiled The Eye with their grubby little paws. I will take their hides back home as a cape and wear yours as a /scarf/!" The rat, driven by everything but sanity, raises his sword to attack.

In the next moment the sound of a missile hurling through the air can be heard shortly before it strikes Redclaw in the back, dropping him to his knees with a cry of pain.

"VELTH!" Comes the cry of Aata as she, Willow, Kaleb and two red tunic guards rush the small horde from behind.

"Kill them...kill them all!" Redclaw shouts again as he pulls the spear out of his armor and tosses it to the ground.

With a bold yell and a quick bound, Velth aims a mighty kick at the downed cheiftains muzzle. "Samos will find you!!" He cries, invoking his death-god.

Redclaw shouts in pai as he is kicked across the muzzle, sending him falling backward onto his injured side. Unfortunetly the rat's skull is unusually thick, both metiphorically and physically. He get's back to one knee, swinging his heavy sword with both hands towards Velth's legs.

Behind him the otter's and rat's engage in a savage, frenzied combat. 12 rats against 5 otters armed with spears.

Seeing the blow coming, Velth does his best to jump clear over the blade, having no time to go anywhere else. It's a futile attempt though, and with a blood chilling thwack he's struck sidelong in the calve. He spins a bit, midair, thrown off balance by the blow, and lands in a heap in the snow, dark blood starting to seep from his leg. He quivers and shakes, knowing what has just occured, but feels strangely numb, as though he'd only been struck by the flat of the blade, and his mind latches obsessively onto that though. Ruby tucked under one arm, he gives up all heroism and cunning, and with both arms and the one leg he's sure still works, he crawls away towards the battle's edge, hoping to be lost, forgotten, or rescued as quickly as possible.

The Battle goes about as well as Velths. Kalab manages to skewer a rat through the neck before retreating back into a closed knit circle with his fellow otters who are desperately holding off the brutal assault of trained warriors. And unfortunetly for the fox Redclaw has yet to forget about him.

He reaches down to grab hold of his leg and drag him back to the clearing. "Oh...you're sufferin is only begining fox."

Kaleb rises his spear to block a sword and his spear is rendered in half. It hardly deters him from using both ends of hte spear as clubs against his enemies.

The rat leader let's out another painfull hiss as he is hit on his bruised nose by the ruby, then shouts as his paw is kicked. He stumbles backward shaking his head as tears run down his eyes.

Velth room-pages, "Sounds good. And that means that all the named people are at one strike, while the guards are both... kind of doing their thing?".

Scrambling again, whatever numbness that had spared him before now nearly gone, Velth manages to make a dive for the fallen spear that had struck Redclaw at the start of the fight. He whirls around, brandishing the weapon to ward off the rat cheiftain, "Quit shouting! I'm dying, not deaf!!" He yells back at Aata.

What ever reply Aata makes is lost as she recieves a vicious kick to the stomach, knocking her down. Willow leaps over her, hissing and snarling to keep the Rat's at bay. One of the guards falls to a knee after taking a blow to the leg.

All in all...the battle does not go well.

Redclaw shakes his head clear of the pain of a broken muzzle. He stands there, looming against the darkness of the gorge behind him. Sword raised high over his head the rat comes at Velth, snarling a war cry at him.

The time for words have passed.

It was time for the fox to /die/

But things in life were never so simple. Velth pulled his legs in, keeping himself in as small and tight a ball as he could, he sits up, and waits till the cheiftain has come as close as he dares before thrusting out in a powerful blow aimed just under the rat's chin.

The rat smirks at the fox as he moves forward. Such a pitifull defence. He could see it coming from a mile away. A simple slash across the spears side to deflect it will leave the arctic vulpine open to be carved up like a turkey. "I will have my honor ba-"

There is a small awkward moment as the rat's paw steps upon the ruby. It rolls forward taking his leg with it and causing Redclaw to lean too far forward.

He never get's the chance to regret his mistake, but then again, that's all it takes in battle.

A life time of warfare, an entire quest, all comes to an end at the point of Velth's spear as it drives home through his muzzle.

There is a small pause in the battle as the Rat's witness their leader slain, falling limp against the grass. Then comes the shout of the otters as they rally and begin fighting like savage beasts. Three more rats fall upon the feild before their numbers scatter, fleeing to the woods and leaving their slain upon hte field.

Velth shivers, and crawls backwards a bit to be free of the body. It's now that he finally gets a good look at his leg, fur blotched red around a swollen slice. He looks away, unable to stand the sight of it. "At least it didn't roll." He says to himself, and repeats it in quiet murmurs as he hugs his other leg to him, and waits for the otters to come help him deal with the wound, eyes fixed on a small, pristine patch of snow.

The rats in flight the otters take a moment to catch their breath. Leaning her head against her spear Aata clutches her sore belly tightly. "Remind me to get armor there..." she says, gratefull the rat didn't cut her open like melon instead. As one guard helps his wounded comrad, the remaining Willow and Kaleb rush to the fox's side. "Velth!" Willow says, "Holy...hssssss." He hisses as he runs a paw through his head fur. "We need to get him to the healer. That's a lot of blood. That's a lot of blood right?"

"Grab his legs." Kaleb instructs, "Be gentle about it. I'll take his arms. Velth, Velth listen to me. You are going to be ok. You are going to be ok..."

"Wait... I can walk..." He says, "...or, limp. Just bind it with some snow." He still doesn't look at the injury, and he fidgets and trembles with increasing severity the more he speaks and the nearer they get to his leg.

Velth room-pages, "This isn't medical advice, by the way; he just really doesn't want anyone touching his leg.".

"You want to act tough, now of all times?" Willow says, growling, "Fine, Kaleb move over. I'll grab one shoulder you grab the other." Kalab nods but not until ripping off a section of his own tunic to wrap around the fox's leg. "Let this be a lesson to you Velth. Next time you go to battle, don't forget your pants." The otter laughs in an effort to calm himself more than the fox.

"Quit lolly gagging and hurry it up!" Aata shouts as she helps the otter guard do the same for their wounded otter. Willow and Kaleb try to pick Velth up by the shoulders and help him walk, retrieving the ruby before they leave.

Velth shudders as the binding goes on, and hangs his head, ears pressing back against his head. He manages though, and with their help gets to his feet so he can limp away with them, partially carried on either side by the otters, leaving a small trail of blood drops behind him every few paces. "That was... pretty terrible..." He tells Kaleb, with a bit of a chuckle and a grin as they head off.

The village is in shambles. The bodies of the dead lining the streets. But it's otters tending to them, not the rats. The battle is victorious even if the cries and wails over those lost fills the air. When the beasts drag Velth and the guard back to the healers hut they are met by Lalia coming out the door. She looks them over, "Velth?" tears fill her eyes, "I'm glad you are all ok. The chief, he...he's asking for you Velth." She doesn't say more but opens the bead door way to let them in.

The otters pause, glancing at each other. They let the fox down gently before Willow gives him his gore soaked spear.

Inside the healers hut is full of beasts wounded by the battle. Otters with wounds ranging from light to fatal rest as beasts tend to their injuries, or comfort them in their final hours.

Vrasku the chief lays on his own cot. There is a splatter of blood across his fur here and there but there are no visable wounds. The old healer otter raises from the otter and moves to tend to someone else. Eyes falling on Velth she shakes her head saddly.

"Ve-lth. Come...closer." The otter's heavy set belly rises and falls slowly with each labored breath. "I killed a rat Velth." Vrasku chuckles, "Bet he never expected me to move so quickly...saddly ne-neither did my heart." He coughs, "Come closer Velth...before it's too late."

Silently the fox hobbles as close as he can and manages to hlf kneel beside the cheiftain, his eyes perpetually downturned to avoid looking at any of the injuries in the room. Tail curling around his ankles, the fox turns his ears to the cheiftain to show he has his attention.

The fat otter draws a long breath. "The ruby...Velth. P-please let me see the r-uby." Willow appears behind the fox, handing the cheiftain the Ruby.

A smile spreads across his face, "Never in all my years did I...think I would see this above land. Such a pretty thing. And yet...the cause for so much...trouble." Gazing at the ruby for a long moment he hands it to Velth. "Take it. It's all the...reward we can give you. You saved us Velth. You saved us. Please, take it and bring it far away from here. I never want another otter life to be lost because of it."

The fox pauses at the end of the cheiftain's statement, and nods in agreement, "It's a dangerous thing, and I'd just as soon put it back in the well and leave it behind me, but I'll do as you say; one kindness to begin repaying the many you've given me. You have my word, I'll carry it till I drop, or reach the ocean. The waves will wipe away its memory."

"U-se it as you see fit." The otter's breathing begins to become frantic, sweat pouring down his fore head, "Velth, a life of ease has finally caught up with me. But you are still young, you can live a long...full life. Please...don't go to the mountain. The hares there and their badger lord...they take even less kindly to ver-...to foxes than we did. If you wish to live return to your home land." Vrasku cringes in pain, "Velth. You have been a...good friend...to our people. Please grant me one...last favor, please let me have some wine...the end comes for me...soon now...and I lack the courage to face it sober..."

The otter standing over the chieftain get's up and grabs some wine, handing it to the fox.

The fox has to shift a bit, and grits his teeth as his injured leg scrapes the ground, being unable to stay aloft any longer, but, gripping the spear tightly in one paw, he manages to accept the wine and gently hold it out to Vrasku's lips, carefully tipping it for him. "Dying is easy." He murmurs as he does, "It takes no courage. And as life quiets, and sight goes dark, you can hear and see the whole world around you."

"Yes...dying is..." The otter gulps down the wine, a smile forming on his face, "I only regret not...being at the next feast. After today the pike will certainly be-" The otter leans back into his bed, content smile on his face as his eyes drift away from Velth. His breathing continues for a moment longer, each rise and fall of his chest longer than the last until they eventually come to a stop.

The cheiftain has passed.

The otter forces a smile as he wipes tears from his eyes. He gives the fox the Ruby before moving to help Velth to a cot. "What are you going to do with The Eye...the Ruby."

Velth shrugs off the otter, tucking the gem under his arm and trying to limp his way back out the door. "I don't know yet." He admits, "I just... I don't know... I need time alone. Time to think."

Willow nods, but grabs the fox by the shoulder, trying to lead him to a free cot. "We can decide later. Velth. Sit here. The healer needs to look at your leg. Vrasku will...would not be pleased if our village hero bleed out on our watch will he?

"I'm not bleeding." Velth protests, though it's far from the truth. The skin about his wound has begun taking on a grim, pale appearance, and in generally he seems worn out. He doesn't have the strength to resist Willow as he's forced down onto the cot. "Fine." He huffs at the otter, "But quickly." As he relaxes back, it quickly becomes apparent that he won't be getting back up soon. Despite the cramped quarters, the smell of blood, the uncomfortable heat, and the sound and feel of death he blames himself for, the pain, exertion, and loss of blood take their toll, and, exhausted, he's hardly awake by the time the healer arrives.

"What is this place grampa?" The pup asks, wide eyed and astonished as she spins on her heel. "Is that a pool? Can we go swimming?"

The otter rushes to the pool, falling to her hands and knees to look over the edge. An elderly paw grabs her gently pulls her away from doing just that. The older beast sits his grandaughter down on his knee after taking a seat for himself against the wall. "This is what we used to call the Cavern. This is where we used to fish for pike. We got most of our fish here before the towns started to trade with us."

The little dibbun peers around the cavern, staring up at the ceiling and across the walls. "It's full of drawings!"

"Yes, yes indeed." Says the elderly beast as he lets his daughter leap up. She examines the drawings closely as her grandfather explains, "Back then when an otter would pass, before we began to burry our dead, we would roll them into the pool. And then we would paint an image of them on the wall as we liked to remember them."

The otter dibbun yawns, most of this clearly going over her head. She finds one picture of a beast with an almost spherical shaped belly and a big smile on his face.

"I see you found Chief Vrasku. He was one of the good chiefs. Back when we still had chiefs."

"He's very fat."

"Y-yes...his heart was said to be as big as he was. He was a great big otter with a booming voice." He adds offhandedly, "And I always found that picture to be rather flattering even then..."

The otter giggles again, running her paw from one picture of an otter to the next. She stops. Blinking oddly she turns to her grandpa, "This one isn't an otter."

The old otter smiles, "Oh...I see you found a special one there. This one was only here for a short while, but we felt it best to include him anyway." Ikko runs whethered paw over the drawing, "This is the first the first fox I ever laid eyes on. And important to our history. You see, if not for him the village would not have existed, and the town would never have been built there. Come, sit, and let me tell you about the legend of Velth..."