Yep, Should Of Just Went Home

FV:Entry

The scent in the air notably changes within the village compared to the sweet fragrant flowery smells outside the east gates. Stale air, rotting food and the occasionally not particularly pleasant smelling inhabitant all assault the nose until it gets used to things. Mercenary guards patrol the high wooden palisade wall separates the vermin village from the outside world, the only break in sight in the form of the main gate to the village to the east. North of the path one of the few stone buildings in the village stands a little run down, now an inn it butts up to the side of the tavern and boasts many beds available, at least that's probably what the sign says, much like the building it's old and the beast who wrote it has probably died of old age long after the paint was last touched up. West finally buildings begin to spring up everywhere and the path widens into a large clearing at the center of the village.

Exits: [F]erravale [T]avern, [F]erravale [Inn], [Back] to gates, [W]est

Magus is in town, he glances around studying the beasts as they pass, he knows for whom he looks and stays by the tavern area just waiting.

Zinnia steps out of the Inn, she didn't plan to stay more than a day, but since she did she also knows she has to get back to the abbey soon, she starts to head to the gates. Luckily this time of day and this area of the village isn’t too busy.

Magus smirks as he spots the badger, not too many woodlanders in the village and she would be easy to spot in the robes, with him is his falcon friend as he speak "We wait...and seeeeeee..."

Zinnia sighs and fiddles with a key around her neck, it’s an odd looking key that’s for sure but she has it on a light silver chain for now, thin but she can get a better one made at the abbey. She then starts to walk more towards the center of town and heading to the gates.

Magus smooths out the falcon’s feathers "Get the key my pet and then meet me where our camp is in the woods." The bird nods and flies up into the sky and then goes to head towards Zinnia, not aiming to seriously hurt her, knock her down maybe, but for sure to get that key! He waits till she is close and in a more open area and then dives down, aiming to at first knock her down, but he doesn’t extend his talons, least yet. He uses surprise and a slam into you approach.

Zinnia was not paying attention and looks up just in time to see the large bird and screams tumbling backwards onto a cart with apples and the rat who owns the cart starts cussing loudly, he then whimpers as he sees the falcon. Meanwhile the cart is broken and the apples roll all directions.

The falcon flaps its wings and a talon grips the key and the chain the badger has and goes to pull the chain off, the weak chain is easy to break and the birds talons grip the key and it goes to flap upwards and away from the rat and badger, circling a little and looking down at them making a loud screeching noise.

Zinnia tries to swat the bird away when it gets the key she frowns "Nooo give it back, I need that!" She backs up a little and goes behind the turned over cart. The rat decides to be brave, "Back here ya foul bird, ya made de woodlander crash into me cart..me apples are ruined!"

The falcon was going to leave, it lands on top of the tavern and places the bit of broken chain and key into a pack at its side and then flaps upwards and straight down, talons out at the rat!!

The rat gasps and tries to get out of the way, he picks up a couple apples and throws them at the bird, but the talons catch him and he screams as he is airborne, “Mother!!!" He screams.

Zinnia gulps and backs off towards the tavern, most likely it’s safer there.

Magus watches as the falcon grip on the rat tightens and it flies off, well it is lunch time after all. The ferret looks to see the badger enter the tavern and goes to follow her. He may have the key but there was one more thing he boss mentioned other than get the key.

FV:Tavern

Outside a sign swings on a rusty creaking frame above the doorway of the tavern depicting a faded painting of what appears to be three rather rich looking skeletons slumped over a table around a black chalice, perhaps such a thing could be taken as a warning but it doesn't appear to work on the locals. The noise within on a normal day is usually heard before the door is even opened and only rises in volume when one actually steps inside.

There are the typical qualities of a tavern within, from the bar to the chairs and booths and the odd drunk who never seems to move it's the little details which encourage a patron to pay his tab if he likes his fingers. One look at some of the staff or customers might give the impression but the room is decorated to the fiercer tastes with bones, mostly skulls cropping up here and there to fill a gap on a shelf or decorating the walls above the doorways, fireplace and bar, a pair of axes joining the one over the fire with some signs that they've been yanked off to join in a fight a couple of times. Some of the comfier chairs are lined with fur and very rarely one might be found with a few pointed bits of bone to decorate the back. Despite the looks there is entertainment and fun to be had, some form of music usually played on a small stage in the corner and at least one bouncer usually tries to keep the peace while beasts gamble, drink and be merry.

A small door behind the bar leads out the back to the kitchen and cellars while one wall has been opened up in a wide arch to increase the space off into the next room where what seems to be a wooden fence with gates on either end has been set up as a fighting pit as further entertainment and something to bet over.

Exits: [UP] Stairs, [K]itchen, [F]ighting [P]it, [Out]

Zinnia is inside the tavern, a little shaken but ok as she as she sits sipping some water.

Magus follows the badger inside and sits at a table not too far from her, for now he simply watches her.

Zinnia frowns as she stares at the now empty glass and a tear goes down her face.

Magus stands and walks over and speaks " You seem...full of sorrow and pain, one such as I can tell"

Zinnia looks up and blinks at the cloaked beast and frowns more "Who are you?"

Magus smirks under his cloak, "My name is of no matter, you give off pain, sorrow and confusion...and a hint of fear." He chuckles some," Maybe I should help."

Zinnia frowns, "Help h..how..that bird knocked me down and took my key, I don’t know why it needed the key."

Magus nods, he studies her and it’s clear she is probably whom he seeks, "What is your name, as I said...I can help..." He keeps one paw behind his back as he speaks.

A loud cheer erupts from the fighting pits. Beasts cheer, beasts cry, others complement each other on a well done fight. Vermin of all shapes and sizes return from watching the fight to fill their gullets with ale and food, and none stand out more in size or shape than Bandit. The fox's chain mail and blue tabard cling tightly to his obese form as he moves from one room to the other, spilling his mug full of mead across the floor and himself. It is possible that the mug is not his first...

The fox hiccups and laughs, "Did you lot see that? You thought that beast was down for the count and WAM! Right in the kisser..." The fox shouts to the other ale filled beasts around him as he exits. Bandit has yet to see the badger or her companion.

Zinnia frowns, she normally wouldn’t answer, "Zinnia...and that key belongs to me, it’s to something I need to get." She frowns "And now it’s gone and the only thing I had left of my father is..is gone." She is still shaken up from the bird, and now more depressed as well, she is starting to serious think emotions are not needed, maybe she should forgo them..all of them.

Magus listens "Awww...so..yes I was told of you.." He looks over at the yelling and narrows his eyes, he looks back to the badger as he stays close to her, "Daughter of Zork Winters you are..." He has a dagger in his paw, also something might stand out on his palm, a blue arrow with a frost like Patten around it, "I can help end your heart ache my dear." And his voice...is just creepy.

Zinnia is not paying attention to the cloaked beast, her head down on her folded paws.

The fat bellied fox narrows his eyes at the badger in the bar, once, then twice. It takes a while for the (hopefully) off duty guard to recognize the badger through the ale flowing freely in his veins. "ZinniaAAaAAaaAA!" The fox lumbers forward away from the group he had found himself in. "Zinnia! What's a Redwall lass like you doing in a place like this?" The fox never notices the blade as he leans an elbow across the badger’s chair. "Glad to see you're making friends though. How are you holding up Zin?" The fox asks as he takes a swig of his mead, spilling it over his muzzle.

Magus was just about to stab the badger in the neck when the fat fox comes over, he narrows his eyes and backs off slowly, he disappears as a group of rats and weasels come in for lunch, he will have to wait till she is alone less guarded.

Zinnia looks up slowly, the fur under her eyes wet, she blinks a few times at the creepy voice, she then looks at Bandit.." Friends?..W..Where did the cloaked beast go, or was I seeing things?" She sits up better and holds a broken chain in her paw, a thin necklace chain.

"Oh...he...uh..." The fox scratches his head. The cloaked beast seems to have vanished! Under the watchful gaze of the city’s finest! Who promptly has trouble supporting the weight of booze in his stomach so he promptly sits down by plopping his tail into a nearby seat. It creaks ominously under the fox's bulk. "No matter, no matter. How have you beeeEeeeEeen Zinni, oh right, so sorry, I forgot..." The fox holds both paws up defensively, "I mean I didn’t' forget about Zork...or yer uncle. We is...we is still diligent-el-leee searching fer him, aye." The fox attempts to drink from his mug a second time.

Zinnia stares at the fox and shakes her head and coughs, "Your..you are drunk" She wipes away a tear and seems still a little shaken up. She frowns at memories and then places the broken necklace chain on the table.."I have...decided something..." She says in a flat tone.

The fox gasps, as if offended, "Me? Drunk? Off of these water downed Mossflower drinks? I think not! I will have you know that I survived for years on nothing but a pirate’s diet, Rum, Grog, and Potato oil. I do NOT get drunk." The drunken fox finishes his ale and then sets out to prove a point. "Now what have you decided?" Then, as if to prove that he is indeed not a half drunk fox, the fox focuses intently on Zinnia to listen to what she is about to say...

And is promptly interrupted by the shout of, "BANDIT! BANDIT!"

Rolling his eyes the fox turns around to face the pair of ferret guard beasts that entered the tavern, "Where is a Bandit?"

"Er...Bandit, sir. We were calling for /you/ not an actual Bandit."

"Yeah sah, you really should consider changing your name..."

"But that's not important. Some travelers on the road were just ATTACKED sir! By a bird!"

The fox rolls his eyes, "Oh for the love of..." Drunk or not the fox censors himself in the presence of the younger badger. "Excuse me Zin, it seems Duty calls!" The fox stands up only to fall backward into his chair again, grabbing onto the table to keep himself from sliding off of the chair and onto the floor.

He fails...

Zinnia watches him and she does remember the bird "A falcon?" She asks simplify, She doesn’t help Bandit up, she just looks at him and frowns faintly.

The frown on the guard’s faces are just as deep as the badgers. They exchange glances, neither moving forward to help the fox as he scrambles to get to his shaky feet. "You know...maybe we DON'T need the head guard for this one."

"Yeah, just go ahead and enjoy your afternoon off. We can take care of it."

"Nonsensical!" The fox slurs his words. "Just...just give me a second to find out who moved the floor on me..."

"We insist..." The weasel closest to the fox says with a scowl.

Zinnia looks between the beasts by Bandit and frowns more, she then shakes her head, why should she care as emotions just make one lose things, and emotions are stupid she suddenly decides, she stands to go walk away. Still her mind is messed up...some sadness, depression, anger, a little fear but she will try to force them down, deep deep into her mind.

The fox continues to flail about, until finally he gives up. Panting and out of breath the fox simply passes out, here, on the floor of the tavern. One of Bandit's finer moments indeed. The weasels both exchange glances before turning to the badger, "Have a good evenin ma'am." One says before the two beasts turn for the door, leaving the tubby vulpine where he lies. "You said Mark was having a meeting to discuss our...Head Guard?"

"Yeah? Why?"

"I think we should be there for that..." The two can be heard chatting as they leave the tavern.

Zinnia watches and half listens as the two talk, she sighs and looks at Bandit, she picks up the broken necklace and drops it, it lands on the fox as she walks slowly out of the tavern and outside. Her mind sort of in a daze and she only drank water no ale..so wasn’t a drink that’s for sure.