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Naples
Sept 20, 2010 15:44:47 GMT -5
Post by Carrow on Sept 20, 2010 15:44:47 GMT -5
Ladorak's concerns were of course valid. The stoat had seen at first paw how low a pain threshold the mouse had had back in Whistleminster, when a slight graze from a cartwheel had left him lying in the snow, sobbing in agony and even going so far as to lose consciousness thanks to the effect of what most others would call a mere scratch. He was much more able to tolerate small incidents like that now, but his fragility remained, and he had often lain awake at night, thinking, worrying, fearing: What if we have an encounter? What will I do then?
He'd almost had a minor emotional breakdown that first day they'd been on gun training, and he still had little to no idea how he'd react in a similar situation, only 'in real life' as it were. With firing between sides, the shouts and roars of all manner of beasts, how would he hold his composure, keep his nerve, restrain himself from fearing the worst and plunging into fathomless despair in the middle of the action. He knew hesitancy would mean injury or even death, after all - and he didn't trust his own resolve.
That was why he was inwardly anxious about the prospect of receiving a letter from Archie. He was wondering if she would know what to do about his insomnia. He slept less often than not at this stage, and found that his self-hypnosis talents - even though he himself would admit they were meagre at best - had waned almost to the point of complete ineffectiveness. He had so much more on his mind than before, so he'd need to work harder on relaxing when he was alone and trying to sleep.
He was desperate to hear from her anyway, but knew that she was not omniscient. The good jill would do everything in her power to assist him through her abilities, but Carrow had to admit that she'd need to pull out something quite powerful to lend a paw. He didn't doubt she'd try her utmost, but couldn't help but think about whether or not she had anything else up her sleeve, because he was in more need of it now than he had been in quite some time. She had always been one to practice new methods whenever the mood took her. That thought comforted him immensely. She'd come through for him... of course she would.
He had been listening to Caden's words, and chose the right moment to tune back in fully. "I don't doubt we'll be just fine, especially with Janey along with us. Knows this place like the back of her paw, I'll wager!," he exclaimed, chuckling, the old sparkle reappearing in his eyes again. Even despite his injury and ensuing panic attack, the rodent was fighting through it. No sadness for me this time, he thought, not on a day like this. Nothing's going to bring me down today... Caden, Selvis and Elliot: I have them, and I'll be fine.
"Hah, and if anybeast tries to give us trouble, Caden'll sort them somehow," Selvis added playfully, unable to resist commenting on the show of strength he had seen from the pine marten. He himself would have acted in a similar manner if a creature close to him was attacked or otherwise approached in an unfavourable manner. The longtail winked at Caden, smiling. It seemed the albino mustelid had hidden depths. If only he knew...
Carrow perked up visibly at Caden's suggestion. "On our own? Capital idea! If Ladorak's going to be busy - and as you said, *we* can't really come along with *him* if he's got an appointment - so I say we should seize the day. I might be a little slower than usual due to the, er, incident that occurred," he admitted with a nervous cough, by now having made his way over to Caden and the Char creature, who had not gone all that far. Rats were normally larger than mice, but the wood mouse's advanced age gave him the height advantage. He stood what looked to be a good six inches taller than the younger Dibbun. He was not a threatening beast - couldn't look aggressive even if he tried - but regarded Char with a look of suspicion mixed with slight curiosity.
Selvis followed behind Carrow, suddenly feeling a little protective. If the mouse should come to harm again, he'd do his best to help. He always did when his friends were in any sort of difficulty, but the longtail was something of a resourceful creature. He was not threatening by nature either, never one to use force unless he absolutely had to, but the mustelid had recently passed the five-foot mark, and so he towered over the rat, and would use this to keep him in line if the need arose. The newcomer had been fundamentally responsible for Carrow's injury, after all, so that had changed things entirely. If he had approached the group in peace, as it were, things might have worked out differently between them. "Sounds like a plan, Caden," he said gently, looking back over to the marten. "If we have to go off on our own, it's fine by me. As Carrow says, we have Janey here after all."
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Naples
Sept 21, 2010 12:29:19 GMT -5
Post by Ladorak on Sept 21, 2010 12:29:19 GMT -5
Ladorak chewed his lower lip for a moment. He was sure the time would come when he could spend time with Caden on a more permanent basis. Besides...chances were they had a few weeks in port before sailing back to Toulon. It would play in the stoat Captain's favor in the long run, as he only had to be on diplomatic duty perhaps two days out of the projected two weeks they would stay in port.
He looked at Janey. She seemed old enough to take care of the striplings...though Ladorak knew Caden was more than capable of watching out for himself, and probably some of the others as well. "Alright...fine by me." the stoat approached the albino, and knelt down to give him a firm hug. "I'll take you out to dinner tonight...and spend the next few weeks with you until we depart...you have my word on that." the Captain's soft words played in the albino marten's big ears, and Caden briefly closed his eyes, and hugged the stoat back before letting go upon being released.
"Take care all. I'll see you tonight." the stoat stood back up, giving them a smile whilst lingering an extra second or two on Caden before offering them a wave. "Have a good time on your exploration." Turning, the stoat began walking off back in the direction of the Hamilton manor.
Caden turned back to the group, seizing the rat by the nape of his neck, and picking him up with his right arm. "Alright you...get moving. And no funny business." the marten kept a hold on the back of the rat's neck as he set him down on the street. He glanced briefly over at Willard. "You must've seen what I saw. This guy looked more like he was attacking Ladorak than simply passing through." He kept his ears on Willard as he was curious as the weasel's own take on the event that had just unfolded.
In addition though the marten kept his pink eyes open for any sort of shops he wanted to quickly duck into to do some birthday shopping. A book shop or painter's for Ladorak...a curios shop for Carrow...and well...perhaps another shop for another creature. Caden had a third creature in mind...but wasn't going to publicly let on to his intentions just yet.
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Naples
Sept 21, 2010 15:42:18 GMT -5
Post by Carrow on Sept 21, 2010 15:42:18 GMT -5
"See you soon, Ladorak! I'm sure we'll enjoy ourselves!," Carrow called after the departing stoat. There was nothing like the reassuring presence of the kind mustelid, and in the short time they had spent together in Calgary thus far, he'd realised just how much of a comfort it was to have Ladorak around. Not that he felt vulnerable - well, any more vulnerable - without the Captain around, it was just that he always managed to make the mouse feel alright within himself if he knew that Ladorak was around. There were times when he needed extra reassurance after all.
He smiled as he turned back around to face his friends. He'd look forward to hearing from Ladorak again when he returned. The mouse could hardly claim to be politically-minded, but he couldn't deny that the Captain's endeavours intrigued him more than just a tad. He had noticed the hug that the stoat gave the pine marten, and felt a lump form in his throat. Thoughts of Archie flooded his mind, and he had to fight the urge to start crying there and then. She was the only creature who had shown him similar affection in eight long and painful years... and he didn't know what had become of her...
It was because of this that he had paled ever so slightly when he'd rejoined the group. He just had to know she was alright. He just had to... However, as soon as those thoughts entered his mind, the rodent did his best to push them out again. He didn't want to dwell on this, knoing well that he already worried about himself far too much, even for a creature his age... he didn't need to be stressing out over thoughts of Archie's fate too. So he snapped out of his reverie, and the smile that had vanished, reappeared again as his thughts turned to more cheerful things.
"I have to agree with you, Caden," Selvis was saying, his voice soft as per usual yet clearly audible. "It's highly unlikely he didn't see where he was going. He had a clear view of things, see. Don't contradict me now, whatever-your-name-is," he snapped at the rat. "I saw everything. Willard was on one side, and I the other. We didn't see you coming of course - that's the only thing we can agree with everybeast else on - but it's safe to say this wasn't just a complete accident."
The weasel was convinced that the smaller rodent had had injurious intent of some description. In a way, he had succeeded, the longtail thought, glancing over at Carrow - he'd just missed his target, and as a result, the wood mouse had been caught in the crossfire. He hoped that his companion would suffer no further adverse affects. If he had known about Carrow's history of back issues, he'd have been a lot more concerned. The creature in question had put the incident out of his mind, though, not wanting to concern himself with distressing thoughts of any kind. He held his tongue, wondering what the strange rat would say in response to the thoughts of the two striplings.
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Naples
Sept 21, 2010 17:05:24 GMT -5
Post by spender on Sept 21, 2010 17:05:24 GMT -5
"Well, then relay your message, in Welkin so they can understand what you are saying."
Char didn't, of course. The little rat was practically frozen with fear. While the group broke off in their separate ways, Char remained stationary, jaws clenched tight.
There was a tiny spider on his footpaw. Tiny because it was a baby; given a few more weeks, the spider would be gigantic. Char knew this. It didn't help.
For a moment, it seemed the spider was about to crawl up his leg, but then... it simply moved off, moseying onward, back onto the street. Char sighed, breathing once again. His ease was short-lived, as Caden chose that moment to grab his neck and start hauling him along. Without a word, the rat ambled off, leading the way to wherever.
"You must've seen what I saw. This guy looked more like he was attacking Ladorak than simply passing through."
"I don't know what I saw," Willard admitted. "I saw the rat for but a moment. Something else caught my eye before he ran into us." The weasel bit his tongue. No one else had commented on the strange thing falling off that roof. He didn't want to appear hallucinatory.
Willard was having a... time of things. He was absolutely torn between trying to follow Ladorak, and staying with the group. On the one paw, he'd only come because of Ladorak, and it would be helpful to know what the Captain got up to in regards to meeting with certain diplomats. On the other paw, Naples was a dangerous place, and it would take more than Caden to keep things under control and keep Carrow and Elliot and Selvis safe. It shouldn't fall to the pine marten with the newly-healed paw to rough up the local scoundrels.
And so the weasel was half-stopping, half-starting, all the way down the street. He'd pause, glance over his shoulder to catch a glimpse of Ladorak moving off, then run and catch up, run too far, slow down until the group passed him again, glance back, not see anything, run back until he spotted Ladorak's molting head, run to catch up...
There was no time, with Char's pace, to stop at any shops along the way. The rat pointed in the direction he was headed, being rather good about keeping them updated on their route. It wasn't long before a large building with a yardful of stagecoaches loomed into view. There was an old clock on the wall above the door. And on the steps...
Lord Zheep, the manure-covered least weasel. His tatty red cape hung limp about his shoulders--only his tailtip peeked out from under it. His helmet, a colander a few sizes too large, sat precariously on the back of his head, makeshift straps dangling. He clutched his spyglass tight to his cream-white chest. He was completely naked apart from this. He didn't seem to mind. His nose was pointed firmly at the clock.
Char stopped, holding his paws out, as if trying to keep everyone at bay. He looked at the clock as well, waiting.
At last the minute paw made its way to the 6 at the bottom. Zheep's head fell, chin tucking to his chest. He turned around and sat on the step, apparently not seeing Char and the group.
"You should go," Char mumbled. "Leave 'im alone..."
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Naples
Sept 21, 2010 17:49:13 GMT -5
Post by spender on Sept 21, 2010 17:49:13 GMT -5
Molly watched him eat. The ferret was ravenous. Bored of ship meals, she had ordered wildly, asking for whatever seemed hardest for her to pronounce. That was how you knew food was good: you had to be able to get it wrong four times before you started to catch on that half the letters were silent.
Spender slurped his noodles with gusto. Cheese sauce was getting everywhere. The ferret had already obscured the mask of fur around his eyes with the stuff. Molly wasn't even entirely certain they were noodles. There was a delicacy in the Imperium... feral pygmy shrews were abundant on a nearby island, and they were hunted and made up into fancy dinner meals at the high-end restaurants. The intestines, in particular, made a great noodle for carnivorous species.
"Let's talk," she said. Spender burped happily in reply. His grin broke her heart. This was the happiest she'd seen him. It would be terrible, what she was going to do to him... if she ever somehow couldn't keep up, that is.
"Are you happy on the ship?"
Spender shrugged, wriggling in his seat. "No."
"Is there anyone there you like?"
"Elliot." He poked his noodles. "You." He put his cheek in his paw and stared at his cup. "I thought I liked Ocean..." Something dark flashed across his eyes, and he thumped the table. "No one. I don't like any of 'em. They're all stupid!"
Molly leaned back.
"And you hate Carrow because he's a mouse." Spender nodded mutely. Molly chuckled. "It took me getting used to, let me tell you, boy. When I left the Imperium and saw all these different species getting along, I thought I was dreaming--a nightmare. But you know, it's no different than being Welkin or Rosferian. The Vulpine Imperium is at war, not with nations, but species. Once you wrap your head around that, it's easy... There's no other reason you hate him, is there?"
"Ummmm..." Spender didn't know how to say 'attitude'; that is, he didn't know the word, and so didn't know how best to express his frustrations with the mouse. "Sometimes 'e talks t'me like I'm younger'n him. Like I'm an idiot."
Molly raised a brow. This would require another conversation altogether, she figured. Fact of the matter was, Spender was an idiot, and if he got talked to like a kit, it was because he'd stopped maturing around age seven. Some things couldn't be helped. She moved on, for now.
"And you hate Caden... not because he's albino. That's just something to get him riled up. But you really hate him because he's smart, and he's popular, and he's Ladorak's favourite, and you're thinking, 'If Ladorak is my uncle, why doesn't he be as nice to me?'"
Again, Spender nodded. He narrowed his eyes. Where was she going with this? Any minute now she was going to smack him and tell him to smarten up and get over it...
"Perfectly reasonable," she said. "There are plenty reasons to hate just about anyone, and so few reasons not to. It's such a hassle, digging through the muck to find those few good qualities in a beast, isn't it? Don't answer, that's rhetorical."
"Wot's rhetoric--"
"So what I think is going wrong, is that everyone simply thinks you can change yourself. You can't, can you? Again, rhetorical. It means let me talk until I'm done. You can't change yourself, not like that. Not in the timeframe they give you. What you need, is someone to change you on their terms. And all you have to do then, is not change back the moment something goes wrong." She sighed. "Or even right. Changing isn't hard. Staying changed..."
Spender went back to his noodles. But she noticed his ears were perked. He was listening.
"Spender, it's okay to hate beasts." The stoat jill leaned forward, paws clasped together in front of her. "The thing you have to stop doing is letting them know that you hate them. That doesn't do anyone any good. Sometimes you just have to pretend. It's easier, that way. And if you pretend long enough, you can forget you're pretending. You can hate them all you like, but you can still get along and have fun together. You can forget they're smelly, you can forget they're stupid, you can forget they'd sooner fall asleep in a puddle of mud than do a single nice thing for you in return... you can still love them..."
Spender stopped eating. He wasn't raised well enough to discern between rude behavior and polite behavior as well as most beasts, but even he understood that it was rude to slurp noodles when someone else was crying into their own.
Molly hiccuped a few minutes, then continued:
"Love is important, Spender. Some beasts have enough love for everyone. Some, like us, don't. We can't be like the others. I can't be like Ladorak. I can't love everyone he loves; I don't have enough in me. But everybeast has some. The thing is, these beasts who have enough to go around--they think it's easy. To just pass out hugs and kindness everywhere, to anyone. And they look down on us, who can't do that. The best we can do is pretend, you see? And when it's real... when love is real... we can focus it. Just one beast. That's why it's important--hate as much as you like, because if you try to use up your love on those beasts, you won't have any left when you find the one you really need. Loving is hard. Loving is so... hard... can you pass me that napkin?"
Spender nudged it across the table wordlessly. Molly dabbed her eyes, then blew her nose. When she was finished, she smiled at him.
"What would you say, if I told you there was a way you could change, so that everyone would want to be your friend, and you wouldn't have to do anything? You could hate them as much as you want, but it wouldn't matter, because everything would feel so... so perfect that you can just pretend, always?"
"Huh?"
"Spender, I can make Caden be your friend. You don't have to do anything. I can make all your jealousy just... go away. All your anger at him. You won't feel it. In your mind, you'll know how much you dislike him, but it won't matter, because you'll be friends. Do you want that?"
She leaned back. He appeared to be thinking. She let him think. She concentrate on her noodles, and he took his cue and went back to his. They drank their cups dry, and when the plates and bowls were removed and their ice cream came for dessert, Spender raised a globful on a spoon to his nose, and stared at the strawberry swirl for a few seconds before licking it.
"Yes."
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Naples
Sept 22, 2010 0:01:04 GMT -5
Post by bookity101 on Sept 22, 2010 0:01:04 GMT -5
Janey nodded to the Captain as he walked away, understanding a little why he would want to stay around. And it was very nice of him to assure his charge that he would be around and that they would spend time together later in the weeks that they would be in Calgary. Quietly she decided to follow along, and act as interpreter if needed. She followed behind the group, frowning slightly at Caden's rough treatment of him, but it was understandable considering what had happened to Ladorak, it made sense that he would want to make the rat feel as uncomfortable as possible. For the whole trip she kept a wary eye on all of the striplings, especially Carrow and Willard.
The former because he still seemed slightly shaken from his encounter with the road, and latter because he seemed to be indecisive about joining them. But for now, she would simply watch... besides, if there was a chance to get Ellie alone after all of this, she would be able to jump on it. At the moment, she contented herself with standing just behind Carrow, in easy reach if the poor thing did have any more trouble with his back.
*** Ellie walked alongside Caden, deciding to remain silent for the time being. They followed along behind Char, easily keeping pace behind the hurried rodent, taking care to notice her surroundings just in case they became separated throughout the course of the day....
When they found this "Lord Zheep", she paused, nodding slightly to the little rat in thanks, then sending a pointed look to Caden.
"Well Caden, we found him..." She waved a paw forward, "You had some questions right?"
******* Luxe looked up at Zephyr. He hadn't been expecting her to be so talkative when it came to answering his questions... though she seemed to become more talkative when teasing was involved on some level...
"No, I can't say that I had ever traveled anyplace other than Askolonia for guild purposes. Except for where the navy has sent me now." He took another bite, smiling slightly at her comment about Ferdinand.
"Monarchies rarely change quickly, if at all, from what I've seen.... What did you enjoy doing the last time you were here?"
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Naples
Sept 22, 2010 2:21:34 GMT -5
Post by Carrow on Sept 22, 2010 2:21:34 GMT -5
Carrow and Selvis were rushed along thanks to the pace set by the diminutive rodent. Carrow found himself hard put to keep up with things. Whenever Char broke into a run, and the mouse tried to match his pace, pain flared up in his back and he had to stop for a bit. So he had to content himself with plodding along in front of Janey and beside Selvis. Or at least he did until Selvis stopped him. There was concern in the weasel's eyes, and he met his friend's gaze again. "What's wrong?," he asked, letting the others go on ahead so that the two beech martens passed the pair out
Eye contact, Carrow thought... eye contact, even if you can't hold it. "My back... I'm not sure what's wrong... every time I try to run to keep up with that rat and the rest of you, something sparks in my back and it's like this streak of pain shoots up my spine. I've been trying hard not to say or do anything to indicate it, but it's been difficult. I want to come with you all... of course I do... it's just that if I have to run anywhere I'm not sure how long I can stay awake for..."
He was sure he'd eventually lose consciousness if subjected to that for very long, and didn't want to take his chances. If ever Selvis saw a beast in more need of a medical check-up of some sort, he couldn't recall them. He didn't want to leave his friends... and it seemed that for the moment the wood mouse was fine so long as he took things at a leisurely pace. If it got a little worse than that, Carrow might need to be put to sleep somehow, the mustelid thought. Nothing was worse than seeing a close friend in agonising pain of any sort after all, and he was unsure which of them would be less able to stand it.
Thinking on his paws, Selvis acted quickly. He put his arms around Carrow's waist, making sure to apply as little pressure as he could. The Dibbun felt himself being lifted, and his eyes widened. "Wait... are you sure you'll be able to do this?," he asked softly, unsure about Selvis's strength. Sure, the rodent was as light as a feather in comparison to the weasel, but the mouse was certain that hauling anybeast over any distance would be tiring for them both.
The longtail's next words greatly reassured the injured creature. "I'd much rather do this than see you get lost or pass out from pain. It's alright, Carrow. I'll carry you whenever you need me to, until your back gets better. Don't say anything, now... just trust me. I won't see you come to harm. You're able to do little more than trot, after all. You'd love to stay here, wouldn't you?" Carrow nodded wordlessly. In response, Selvis draped the mouse over one shoulder, keeping his arms around his companion's waist. "Then it's settled."
This done, the mustelid shot off towards his friends, who he could see were quite a bit ahead of the pair now. The distance didn't matter one jot to the weasel, however, and he put on a turn of speed that would have left a hare feeling jealous. Carrow was bumped and nudged gently as he was swept along in Selvis's grasp, but he hardly seemed to notice this. If anything, it served to comfort him slightly. He was not so tired so as to be lulled into sleep by something so slight - for once - but he was soothed by his friend's presence and eagerness to assist him, and this made him smile.
They soon met up again under the clock. Selvis nodded wordlessly at Caden and Elliot. "I do wish that creature hadn't run so much... Carrow can't keep up thanks to his injury, so that's why he's here." The weasel chuckled, setting the mouse down and giving him a friendly pat on the cheek. "And there you go. You should be alright for a bit, OK?" Another silent nod from the long-tailed field mouse, who stretched slightly from discomfort. Whose gaze had been caught by the sight of the weasel. Was that... a colander on his head? Good grief, he thought, unable to suppress a smile. "We're not going to leave until Caden asks his questions, see. That's why we're here."
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Naples
Sept 22, 2010 20:38:02 GMT -5
Post by Ladorak on Sept 22, 2010 20:38:02 GMT -5
Caden hadn't even registered Selvis carrying Carrow behind them, nor the mouse's lack of energy. He was vaguely aware of Elliot walking beside him. It was a bit unexpected to see Elle's brother so close to him. He figured the beech would be acting coldly toward him for failing to write to Elle. That part was weighing heavily on the albino's mind as they approached the post office.
The marten took one look at the small, young weasel who was glancing up forlornly at the clock, and all resolve left him. What was he even doing here? And why did everyone expect him to have questions for Zheep? Zheep was just a kit...as Caden had somewhat suspected.
He was more distracted by the fact that Carrow had had to be carried by Selvis. Caden gasped slightly, having been completely unaware of this. Carrow was really in that bad of a condition? How had he not noticed this? Yet another thing he had failed at it seemed...
Some leader he was turning out to be. He shook his head, pursing his lips before speaking. "Like he said...we should just leave him alone. I don't have any questions for him...at least not anymore. You're free to go." he said to Char, having lost his desire to keep this rat as a hostage.
Turning on his heel, the marten began walking aimlessly away, as if struck by some unseen magic. It was only now that the weights on his mind were beginning to be felt. Having his wrist broken and being out of commission for a month had left him wallowing in depression more than anything else...to the point where he'd almost resorted to drastic measures. He wasn't sure why he was feeling it now...but he knew he still had issues and problems to face, not the least of which was Spender.
Spender might end up trying to kill him in the future...or attack him again. And it gave him nothing to look forward to in terms of his work...it would serve as that nagging distraction in the back of one's mind that kept biting one's tail and driving one to the point of utter insensibility to their tasks.
There was the matter of Elle. He hadn't written to her...mostly out of shame. There was the matter of Carrow as well. The mouse was such a weakling, much as Caden hated to admit it. The worst part of that equation was that there was nothing the albino could do to fix it. Carrow was out of commission for the moment, and they wouldn't be able to wander very far...though Caden was most certainly wandering without direction at the moment.
What would he have to do to keep himself safe in the future? Would he...would he have to resort to taking Spender's life if he had to? Such a thought made him quail with fright inside, and the albino started to walk faster, heading away from the post office, but totally unsure of where he was going. Anywhere but there.
His paws started to move quicker, but became more uneven, and he collided with a passerby rather hard. The adult groundhog caused the marten to whirl about, knocking him onto his rump. Caden took the fall hard and glanced up with shock at the random citizen he had run into, who didn't even give him a second glance.
Shaking his head, the marten picked himself up and began moving faster, moving more at a jog now as he took off away from the post office. He started to pant, dodging left and right to avoid the pedestrians that surrounded him on all sides. His tail flayed out behind him, whipping back and forth like some mad lash. It was with some chagrin that the marten's shoe caught in a cobblestone, and he flew forward, managing to thrust his arms out and catch hold of a bollard, though he still spilled onto his knees.
Letting out a grunt, the marten ground his teeth together and snapped his eyes shut. Maybe he was the weak one...not Carrow. His incapacitation had certainly done wonders on his brain...negative wonders that was. Dammit...he needed to push out of this! He needed to break free of the chains his mother had shackled him with ever since her death. He needed...something! Maybe a way to see his friends and Ladorak as an actual family rather than a substitute.
The marten glanced behind him, noticing the post office was only about a hundred paces off. He clutched the bollard as if he were afraid of being blown away, and dug his claws into the cold metal. Maybe the others were following him...maybe not...
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"What was it I enjoyed the most? Aw heck...I can't remember much about my last visit. They have great restaurants...I recall being taken to one back then that really knocked my boots off. The beaches around here are known for romantic getaways...but other than that...there's nothing that would stick out too much in my mind. At least...nothing I can say I'd want to check out. A port is a port is a port...unless it's someplace remote and tropic, the ports of the continent don't do much for me."
She was getting close to finishing her ice cream. "How about you? What's your ideal locale...if you have one?" she asked, raising a brow up at him, her snout angled down at her ice cream as she kept working on it.
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Naples
Sept 22, 2010 22:54:03 GMT -5
Post by bookity101 on Sept 22, 2010 22:54:03 GMT -5
Janey couldn't help but smile as Caden decided to leave the young weasel alone. Though she was concerned at the dark look on his face when he began to walk away from the group. She watched as Ellie followed him immediately... no surprise there from what had been insinuated by her tone earlier. Before Janey could follow them, she turned to Selvis at the same time as removing a some coins from her purse.
"Selvis and Willard, was it?" She furrowed her brow a moment, but continued on any way. "I think the two you should take Young Carrow here to a veterinarian's." She frowned as she looked at the mouse, though not a disappointed frown, this one conveyed more of a concern for the mouse. His back most be hurting a great deal for him to have to be carried.
"Dr, Adamson lives on this very street, just back a few blocks." She pawed the coins to Selvis, then turned her attention to Carrow, leaning down to look him in the eye and gently touching his shoulder as she had seen Ellie do earlier. It had seemed to have a calming effect on the mouse from what she had seen;
"Now, my good mouse, I know you may not wish to go to Dr Adamson's, but at the very least, he will be able to give you something so you won't feel like you are slowing your friends down all afternoon. Now Selvis, Willard" She turned her deep brown eye's back towards the older striplings.
"I will go locate your two companions and we will all join you at the good Doctors, and then out for some sightseeing." Turning away, she paused for just a moment by Char, speaking quietly in Calgarian to him as she pawed him a single gold coin;
"Thank you for the guide here Char, do buy your self and Lord Zheep a nice treat won't you?" A brillant smile, and she was off in the direction that she had seen Caden and Ellie disappear.
******
Ellie did follow directly after Caden, continuing her role as a silent companion to her troubled friend... There had been a lot goingo n this past month, and a lot she had missed, with all the new things, and checking the sails and the hours spent mending them, this along with constant secret was rather draining on the young beech, But she was determined to not let that happen ever again.
As Caden began to hurry more and more, she found it hard to keep up with him. Dashing after him, she barely avoided re-injuring her own paw as she danced around the many pedestrians. then she saw him catch his paw and trip, which seemed to slow him even more than the complete fall onto his rump earlier had.
"Caden!" Out of breath, and panting, Eliot arrived at the side of his friend. "Caden, what happened, are you ok?" Eliot leaned over a little, to get a look at Caden's face. "You looked like you were being chased by the enemy there for a minute."
******** Luxe looked up from his finished ice cream, unaware that a habit from kithood had just appeared again. When he was younger, he could never eat ice cream, even the rare amount that actually got some, with out it appearing on the tip of his snout. As it was, a large white dollop of ice cream stood out on his black nose in quite an amusing manner... not that he noticed.
"I enjoy poking my nose into various shops and the like, looking for trinkets for my family back home." Luxe snagged a napkin and carefully wiped his whiskers clean, completely missing the ice cream.. "And I like beaches," He pauses, realizing she had said the beaches around here were known as romantic spots... "... though not necessarily because of the same reason most do... I find them calming..."
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Naples
Sept 22, 2010 23:21:31 GMT -5
Post by spender on Sept 22, 2010 23:21:31 GMT -5
This wasn't good. Selvis had his paws full with Carrow. Elliot probably wanted to catch up with Janey than chase after Caden. Carrow couldn't, that was certain. This Lord Zheep didn't look dangerous, and now Char was sitting down beside him on the step. And how was Ladorak going to take it, to learn that his ward had run off, and Willard had done absolutely nothing about it?
Thankfully, Janey had things quite under control. And Elliot, Willard was surprised, didn't seem to mind leaving his cousin behind to accompany Caden. That was one thing he didn't have to worry about--although he still did, because he always did. He didn't like this idea of breaking up into groups one bit. It was bad enough he wasn't around to keep an eye on Ladorak anymore; how was he going to make sure everyone was safe if they were scattered all over creation?
Turning, he frowned exasperatedly at Selvis. Before he could express his worries about the entire situation, Char started babbling and leaping about, waving his new gold coin.
Zheep, meanwhile, wiped his eyes with the back of his paw, and instantly regretted it. He tried his cape, and that was no good. He settled for Char's tunic, which had no manure on it. Now that he was able to see, he snatched the coin out of Char's paw and posed dramatically, holding it above his head to catch the light.
Then he noticed the group of Welkinites.
"Ah," he said. "Char, my loyal servant. I see you have misinterpreted my instructions and assassinated the tall one and the martens. My apologies." He thrust out his paw, offering it to shake to whoever should step forward. "I merely wanted a piggy-back ride, and to inquire as to the nature of your transport, and perhaps to see if you had any food to offer in exchange for my blessing. This coin will do nicely, for now. You may consider yourselves pardoned for trespassing on my land."
Lifting his chin, the little weasel once again posed.
"And I should welcome you to Naples properly. First, I do believe you should bow! For I am the Great, Mighty, Handsome, Lord Zheep, Emperor of the Earth and Moon, and all the stars and planets!" He grinned. "Mars is my favourite."
He stuck his spyglass to his eye and craned up at the sky. "Cloudy, though."
Willard could only blink.
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