Wait! She wants WHO dead?!
The Black Gull - Tavern
An ever present combination of smells greets any new arrival upon entering the Gull. Various ales and grogs, rums and wines; of course, the scents and aromas of liquors would be there. It's a tavern. But along with those airs, the underlying odor of unwashed bodies and unclean boots can be detected. It is this joining of scents that gives the Gull a very well-loved and oft' visited personality.
That, and the state of the inner commons, as well.
The scuffed floorboards beneath ones footpaws will guide anybeasts' eyes to the simplistic layout that the Gull was designed in. The east wall opens, narrowly, its mouth for a well-lit vestibule to settle uncomfortably. Light, both from the outside, and the two lanterns hung there, casts a revealing glow upon the entrants, giving the patrons within a rather decent visual. Slipping further into the Gull, the light grows dimmer, and far less frequent. With no windows to the outdoors, the tavern is held in the palm of eternal dusk.
Across from the entrance, the bar has been placed upon a, slightly, raised platform. Being open on either end, it's not uncommon to see the tavern's wenches and 'tenders hustling about, passing one another as they go about their duties. Reflecting, poorly, the goings on about the bar is a large, dusty old mirror. A few beasts have traced various crude pictures in the gathered dust around the border, but for the most part the mirror (the middle of it, at least) remains clear. Cracks of time and stains from thrown drinks stripe the looking glass in a few places. Various racks and shelves with bottles, labeled and not, settle on either side of this mirror above casks. Two doors, abused and slightly battered, rest behind the bar; One faces the west and to the barn and paddock, while the other, North-facing, gives way to the kitchens. To the south is a platform consisting of drenched, copper-brown wood (mainly from spilled blood, one might assume).
With the season changing once again, the open hearth nestled against the northern wall, along with a staircase, has roared back into life. A steady fire can almost always be seen and heard crackling lazily over dead wood. A few run-down garlands are strung about the mantle; somebeast's attempt at making the Gull a little more festive, perhaps.
Exits: [Ki]tchen, [O]ut the [B]ack [D]oor, [O]ut to the [D]irt [R]oad, [U]pstairs
Contents:
Ferris is near the door, dozing with one eye open.
The tavern is half full right now as some beasts still sleep or are out and about now that the weather has gotten at least some better, at one table is Safana sipping an ale. She speaks with a weasel with an eye patch and then the weasel leaves and she sips her ale again looking around the large tavern.
The door opens and Lee enters, making his to the bar. He slips a piece of gold onto the counter, and speaks to the bartender in hushed tones.
Safana doesn’t catch sight off Lee right away and then she does, she finishes her ale and orders another one keeping an eye on where the otter is.
The bartender can be seen to shrug, then shake his head, but then Lee asks another question, to which the bartender nods yes, and leans closer to whisper something in the otter's ear.
Safana decides it’s not her concern right now and relaxes as she has had a rather bad past few days, her paw still has a small bandage on it but has healed a good deal from the day it was hurt
Lee nods from what he's told, then proceeds to stand up from the bar, and turns to face Safana's table.
Safana does see Lee, but ignores him as he is just an otter that’s oddy in the Gull, she finishes her 2nd ale for the late morning and looks to the doorway of the tavern.
Lee approaches Safana's table slowly.
Safana tilts her head and watches Lee, seems she is wondering on what the slowness is all about, a table over some weasels play cards, one loses all his coin and stomps off
Lee is finally standing by her table. He speaks after a moment. "Safana, just the beast I were lookin' for..."
Safana looks up at the otter and studies him, "And why would you be looking for me may I ask?"
Lee says, "Because I need ta ask ye a few questions, Miss Safana. Ye were at Redwall Abbey about a week an' a half ago, an' we talked ta each other. I introduced ye ta me little adopted daughter, Starlight, that night. Starlight went missin' the very next day, the day ye left. Now I'm not sayin' ye 'ad anythin' ta do with 'er disappearance, but I were curious if per'aps ye saw anythin' suspicious..." He looks worried now.
It is about here that a grey fox from the bar twitches an ear at Lee's voice. Vannon leans back in his seat and smiles at the sight of his fellow warrior. With a smile the glutted vulpine raises up from his chair and strides across the room with a little stagger to his steps, prehaps from the mug of ale he has in his paw. He clasps his claws on the otters shoulder and shakes him, "Lee! Didna expect to see you back here so soon!" The fox says loudly even though he is standing right next to Lee.
Safana frowns, it's unclear what at and then she speaksm" Well, that’s not good news is it, a lost dibbun is not a good thing and anything out of place?..No didn’t see anything out of place the past few days"
Lee covers his ears a little. "Vannon, yes, I be 'ere, on a personal matter still." He looks at Safana noting her frown. He nods anyway. "I see. Well, per'aps ye 'eard tell of the cat, Aster, a slaver rumored ta be in employ of Nightfur...I 'ave reason ta believe Aster took Starlight, with 'elp from inside the Abbey...some trusted beast who were a traitor..."
Safana shrugs, "One never knows, the abbey does take all weapons from a beast and the day I was there , there was a couple foxes there having an eatting contest I think, I don’t think the abbey champion cares who goes in, oh all is a friend to him..he should be careful, just cause they were foxes, " She chuckles a little "Doesn’t mean they were good right? As for Aster I have heard some things said in the gull and around the road."
Lee nods. He looks keenly interested now. "Ye have heard of Aster? Well, my, my, yer the first, beside Bandit who 'as. Wot did ye 'ear?"
Safana nods "Well that she was in the area and left, you know maybe that Bandit took the otter, he has heard of Aster...it DOES seem just a little odd, seen him lately?"
The grey furred fox raises an eyebrow to alp this crazy talk about foxes. "Why wouldn't beast trust foxes? I mean who COULDN'T trust a fox? Now admittedly I've shot a few beasts and kidnapped a few others in my time. But they all had it comming, I swear. Bad beasts the lot of them..." Vannon pauses at the mention of Bandit. "Now there is a name I have heard of. Bandit. Big fellow right? He's got a bounty on his head."
Lee looks flabbergasted. "Bandit? 'Im? Naw...that'd be absurd. Bandit were the beast that 'elped me way back when Seth kidnapped me wife...No, it 'as ta be some other beast..."
Safana starts to smirk, yes make the otter feel unsure of the fat fox, "Just saying, why else would he know Aster or speak of her. And I am sorry of your missing dibbun and will let you know if I see her, ok?"
Lee frowns. "No, it wouldn't be Bandit...I know 'im, I trust 'im. 'E be a friend ta me. Why, it could be any other beast, even yerself, Miss Safana, though I 'ighly doubt it..."
Vannon rubs at his chin. "Now why were someone after that fox. He either had owed money to some beast...or was it murder." Vannon shrugs his shoulders taking a long swig of ale. "There are so many foxes with bounties on them here I can't keep track of them. heh, I once almost collected one bounty on my own tail!"
Safana crosses her arms over her chest "I assure you I do not have your child" Hey it’s the truth she doesn't. She looks between them and rolls her eyes, " I say who ever it was is long gone by now"
Lee nods. "I never said ye did, miss. I were only citin' ye as a better example than Bandit... “
For once vannon sits quietly sipping at his cup. He pauses to look inside the tankard and frowns, holding it upside down as if the motion would somehow refill the cup. With a heavy sigh the fox sets the cup down. "Interesting example to compare other beasts too Lee. The beast with a price on his head."
Safana nods slowly, "I..see, well found many clues to where your dibbun may be I can better...better help you perhaps look"
Lee glares at Vannon. "Sir fox, I know Bandit very well, I know for a fact 'e does not deal in slavery." He then looks back at Safana. "Ye did? Well, why didn't ye say so? All 'elp with the search are necessary...Nightfur be quite the dangerous beast, as can imagine, I be sure."
Safana nods slowly, "I..see, well found many clues to where your dibbun may ? So maybe I can better...better help you perhaps look"
Lee frowns. "Not much, just that she vanished the same day ye left, an' that Aster were most likely involved, that Aster had two rats an' a ferret who worked for 'er killed recently, an' that Nightfur apparently 'ired Aster ta capture slaves in Mossflower."
Vannon leans back from the ottery glare then comes back with a twisted smile and a mischievous look in his eyes, "So let me get this straight, this fox has a bounty on his head and kills the one lead you had to catching this cat named aster?" Vannon laughs, "And why prey tell is this Bandit, which is a name that 'totally' inspires trust worthiness by the way, why is Bandit so trust worthy? What exactly do you 'know' about him?" The fox shrugs, "I’ll help you find your daughter lee but...you might have a lead right under your nose."
Safana listens and takes all this in as he talks, she nods slowly, "Well less workers not good..for her and what makes ya think she works for Nightfur? I heard he was banished"
Lee says, "'E was banished, unner pain o' death, in fact, an' trust me, not even Nightfur is foolish enough ta face an angry badger alone. As for Bandit, Vannon, yes, ye 'ave a valid point, but there be many reasons I trust 'im, not the least o' which is 'e saved me life, on more 'n one occasion. As for Aster workin' for Nightfur, that be the general consensus of the patrons 'ere at the Gull. It already be well known several beasts 'ave been kidnapped from Mossflower recently, by Aster an' 'er thugs."
Safana listens to all then and makes a mental note to remember all this, "Well if ya say so on trusting that fox, your business. Well maybe Aster does work for him and what do you mean by angry badger, what’s a badger got to do with all this?"
Vannon leans back in his chair, "You have an interesting choice of friends. Just remember...he got that bounty on his head for a reason." A bounty which Vannon hopes to collect...sometime...maybe...depending on if this storm clears up or if he forgets. He adds, "Badger? What badger?"
Lee nods. "Nightfur made a badger named Zork quite angry with 'im. 'Ad it not been at the Abbey, Zork told me 'e woulda made sure Nightfur never breathed again. Zork tol' Nightfur the day 'e were banished that if 'e ever set foot in Mossflower again, Abbey or not, he'd kill 'im for sure. 'Owever, I 'ave me own promise ta keep ta Nightfur meself: I tol' 'im if 'e ever laid a paw on Starlight again, I'd kill 'im meself, an' I aim ta keep me promise, because I never break me promises." He is deadly serious now.
Safana nods "I heard of that badger, wonder what happen to make the badger upset, then again badgers are odd creatures it seems, so..I will keep an eye open for Nightfur and let you know if I see him in this area, then again if he is banished like you said.."
Vannon takes a sip from his empty mug. Lee looks angry enough to bite off a badgers head and spit it back out at em. "Same here Lee. I'll keep an eye out for any...any..." He pauses then whispers to Safana, "What is Nightfur anyway?"
Lee starts to calm. "Anyway, Once I find this Aster character, an' torture or threaten 'er inta revealin' where Nightfur be 'idin, the faster I can keep me promise." He again seems quite serious when tossing a word like "torture" around.
Safana says, "Gee..Wouldn’t want to be on your bad side" She mutters and orders another ale. "I mean..whoa"
Vannon chuckles, "No joke. Heh, you should have seen him miss a while back. After watching him and Rogan lay into those lizards I can see why vermin steer clear of Redwall..."
Lee nods. "Aye. An once I through wi' Aster, then I'll 'unt down Nightfur, Pay 'im a long overdue visit, an' then keep me promise."
Safana asks, "Yes but if he is banished, how you going to find him?"
Lee's eyes narrow, and his voice gains an icy edge. "I 'ave me ways o' gettin' Aster ta tell me..."
Vannon shrugs, "Pay a bounty hunter, or a mercenary, maybe even a bandit to hunt him down for info." The fox chuckles, "It's the easiest way to find a beast, let someone else do the work for you. And I KNOW you have some money in your coffers now Lee."
Safana nods "Well maybe me and you can look for her together one day...just me and you, no one else as its always best to not have too many together and all"
Lee shakes his head. "No, I'd bring Flicktail, too. 'E knows the ways o' slavers."
Safana rolls her eyes "He thinks he does, not all slavers think the same and that fox be annoying, he always wants ta try and bring others along, he just get you killed, he can help maybe but...you know he could be a target, we Wouldn’t want that, would we, I mean the champion of Redwall...big prize"
Lee says, "When I go searchin', Flick, Bandit, per'aps Vannon, an' o' course, me friend Rorgan, too. Bandit be the only beast ta actually see Aster, last week, before the kidnappin's started. She were a little too free with 'er admittin' she be a slaver, so yeah."
Lee says, "Vannon, there be gold innit for ye..."
Safana crosses her arms over her chest, she mutters something under her breath.
The fox's eyes light up and his tail wags. He just said the magic word. "Gold? I like gold."
Lee nods emphatically. "Yes, gold. Did I ever tell ye about a weasel named Edmonda that tried ta kill me wife an' me? Flick killed 'er, but I nicked 'er sword," He points to the scabbard on his belt, " an' all 'er gold, too. She 'ad a lot, ye'd never believe...I still 'ave some, too. Quite a bit, actually..."
Safana stands "I need a hard ale, I will be back gentlemen and we can further discuss on to hunt down that foul slaver" She walks over to the bar to get the ale leaving them at the table, she nods to the barkeep an old stoat and speaks quietly to a weasel with an eye patch, the weasel nods as she is handed her drink and smiles "Thank ya" She walks back to the table and sits "Now..what were we discussing now"
Vannon steeples his paws together, "You don't say. Let's talk business. I don't do assassination but hunting and tracking bounties is something not against my morels. I'll need some cash for expenses, food, clothes, arrows, bribe money, you know the drill." The fox says with a laugh.
The eye patch weasel stands up and walks in the direction of their table, nothing odd on that as he starts to talk with a rat and they laugh at a joke, he moves slightly, getting closer to where Lee is sitting, but he is behind the otter or heading that direction ever so slowly.
Lee nods to Vannon. "Yes, yes, I know, an' ye'll get yer pay, all in due time. I 'ave a feelin' that Nightfur is not all that far away. No matter 'ow hard Aster tried ta hide, there be only so much ye can do ta hide kidnapped beasts. She cannot 'ave taken too far out o' Mossflower, or we'd 'ave 'eard from somebeast that saw them...No, they must be on the border o' Mossflower, at the very least." He does not yet notice anything amiss.
With a nod to Lee Vannon chuckles. The pudgy fox is unarmed at the moment save for the tankard in his paw. He says, "Im sure you'll pay in time but I will need a down payment. Can't do much with out gold to begin with."
Lee frowns slightly. "An' just wot type o' down payment are we talkin'? I only 'ave so much wi' me."
Safana listens as she sips her ale, she is in front of Lee and slowly up behind the otter comes said Mr. eye patch weasel, the cat pretends to not see him, yep she is just looking at Lee every so often not the beast that is now behind him, as the weasel draws out a dagger and lifts it Safana goes to accidently, or on purpose maybe, bump her glass with her elbow and it crashes to the floor "Darn it" she says quietly and looks down.
Lee looks over, startled, then down to the floor. He starts to stand. "Miss, wot did ye do that for?" He is still oblivious.
Vannon's facial features turn from one of mirth to shock as he catches a glint of the dagger out of the corner of his eye. Reflex takes over but there is little for the Vannon to do, sitting across from Lee and his would be assassin. So instead the fox reacts by tossing his empty tankard at the one eyed varmint.
Safana frowns "Just a bad day you.." She stops just as the mug is tossed over Lee's shoulder, the mug misses hitting Lee but more importantly that dagger misses sinking into his unprotected back by mere CM, the weasel groans and is knocked out cold and the dagger falls to the floor with a clink, Safana does her best to avoid a shocked look.
Lee turns and looks over the prostrate weasel. "Well, who is 'e?"
One crisis averted Vannon now has time to react appropriately to the situation. The fox gets up calmly. "I was hoping you would know Lee...he did just try to stick you in the back with a knife." The fox walks over and picks up the dented tankard and the knife. He holds it in his paw to examin it closer, "My knife now."
Safana frowns, she keeps a shocked look at a failed assassination but keeps it as a "Oh no, are you ok Lee? Whatever did you do to upset that weasel?"
Lee frowns, confused. "I 'ave never seen that weasel before in me life!"
Safana frowns "Well maybe he just don't like woodlanders, it is odd for one to be in here, so be more careful, never know when need to watch your back"
Vannon kicks the weasel in the side then shakes his head, "Blazes Lee, exactly how many enemies do I need hunt down for you?"
The weasel groans and still half out of it as he is kicked in the side, he is alive but will have one large headache later.
Lee shrugs. "Far as I knew, only Nightfur...this weasel be a stranger."
Vannon rolls his eyes, "Looks like he will be out for a while. If you want I can question him later when he comes too." The fox says with a shrug. Interrogation is not his strong suit.
Safana sighs a little, she looks to the doorway, a Gull worker comes to drag the weasel to a bench as the cat goes to slowly stand, she has other matters to deal with.
- Dirt Road between Redwall and The Black Gull-
Safana walks down the road grumbling and cusses and kicks a pile of snow as she heads down the road, she slows as she sees she is close to the abbey and frowns.
Aster jumps in front of her and stands up "Issues?" She says coldly and smirks, "Bad moods tend to cause slip ups"
Safana stops and glares, "Your right in the open" She wags her tail back and forth annoyed "And they are onto you by the way Aster, may want to be careful and forget killing, seems I am not good at it and neither is Patch, if he is lucky he won’t be questioned later on."
Aster chuckles, she makes an arrow move in her paws, "They trust you, which gives me an idea, go to the abbey and..I mean you’re helping or so they think, spend the night cause your tried, in the night you wake up and go to a room...and kill them in their sleep, done right they won’t even scream and you can leave and be gone or be like oh how did that happen, that’s terrible, volunteer to help find the murderer."
Safana sighs, "Yeah they trust me..but where would I..then guess kitchens have knifes, to slice fish..fine kill who..Flicktail or something, he is not a threat, he is stupid I can trick him easy"
Aster blinks and shakes her head "Not the fox, no..sides he wake up and think your saying Hi or reading him a good night story...no Nightfur was real clear, and I am sure being there before you know what he looks like and where his room is, Nightfur wants the one who banished him dead..Brother Benar"
Some ways away from this meeting a certain grey furred fox is leaning against a tree. So much for grabbing a breath of fresh air, the fox thinks. Kydo Vannon also regrets leaving his bow in his room. The fox narrows his eyes as he listens to the names. Flicktail, Benar. Both beasts he hasn't personally met but he's heard their names thrown about while staying at Redwall. "There has to be money I can make...somewhere...in this..." Vannon thinks.
Safana frowns, "You want me to kill who?!"
Lee is making his way back to the Abbey. He has much to mull over, when hears voices ahead. One he recognizes as Safana, the other he doesn’t recognize. He slips into the tree line beside the road, and creeps silently along, sword drawn just in case. He comes close enough that he can spot the two cats. "This should be interestin'," He says under his breath.
Aster smirks, she looks back and forth to make sure no one else is here as she walks over to Safana "Shhhhhh, not so loud, Brother Benar..he banished my master and must pay" Seems Aster has a friend, a rat friend who doesn’t want the fox closer to the cats and slides a knockout dart into a little shooter and fires it at the fox. Lee is not seen...yet.
Safana takes all this in and nods slowly, "I..fine, I will stay a couple days, wait till nightfall and in the middle of the night will...." Yeah and sneak a knife from kitchen, " I'll make sure he's dead ok and yes I can do it in a quick fashion, he won’t even wake up and if he does would be a second..if that"
The fox makes loud yelp from around the tree. He is already bolting through the woods while pulling a dart from his neck. The world begins to go tipsy turvy for the fox. The ground below him starting to move about and up and down. "Ah blazes..." He says.
Lee hears the fox, and he curses silently. Luckily, he is a master of making himself unseen. He remains perfectly still, having climbed the nearest tree while the fox provided a distraction. He can no longer see the cats, but he can still hear them.
Aster smirks, she hears the fox and her ears go flat on her head, well hopefully the rat used poison, the rat forgot to and used a knock out dart, "Report back to me within a few days and best here of an upcoming funeral" She quickly heads through the woods, to a campsite she is staying out for now.
Vannon's vision blurs. His limbs are going numb and no longer moving the way he wants them too. That's ok though. All he has to do is make it to the Gull right down the road and...and...blast which way was the Gull? The world begins to spin around Vannon until the earth comes up to meet him. He collapses hard onto the snow covered ground, breathing slowing as he passes out.
Safana looks over at the fox, she edges close and backs up again, she frowns and has to get out of this area and so she looks to the abbey and stands quickly walking that direction.
Lee starts to climb out of the tree. He doesn’t know where Vannon is, but he must get to the Abbey and warn Benar. "Blast, I 'ad me suspicions o' that Safana, why didn't I go on 'em?" He then spots Vannon and goes to try and drag him to the Abbey, making sure Safana is nowhere in sight.
Safana has her back to Lee and is heading to the abbey, unknowing Lee just heard her, course it’s his word against hers.
Lee summons all his strength and starts to drag/carry the unconscious fox back to the Abbey, Ideas of a trap already forming in his mind.
Safana has made it to the gates; they know her and trust her so she gets inside no problems, and yes weapons taken
