Just Another Night

[sweetmint]

Lyre Livasson, gypsy hare extraordinaire, was very much in his element. Though he didn't know it, the young buck was north-northeast of the Abbey of Redwall (how he'd managed to overshoot it is beyond reasoning), and despite being very much alone, Lyre was exceedingly cheerful this particular evening.

The reason for his cheer was, partly, that he'd found an even better stave than his old one, and not caring whether or not it was stealing, simply switched them out. This new weapon of his was made out of a much harder wood, one he didn't know; it was taller than him, firm but not too heavy, and carved beautifully, tipped with some kind of shiny stone -- amber, maybe. Lyre twirled it as he sauntered along, singing quietly to himself, bangles and jewelry muffled in the falling night.

The second reason for his splendiferous, as he would say, mood was that, along with the stave, he'd found a large stash of fruits, nuts, and berries in a hollowed-out trunk. It was too well kept to have gotten there by accident, but as there wasn't any otherbeast around, Lyre had helped himself until he was full, then packed the rest away in his bag.

Let nobeast say this hare couldn't look out for number one.

Presently, he was drifting through the woodlands, ears up and whiskers out, humming quietly to himself but very much on the alert. He didn't always bunk down at night -- it was a good time to travel if he wanted to avoid running into anybeast, and he did want to avoid such for a bit, having raided an unknown store.

But it was also a dangerous time to travel, and the forest canopy did its best to block out the bright, bright moonlight, making it difficult to move quietly. A light, cool evening breeze ruffled his sash tails and already scruffily-kept fur; Lyre paused by a stream and sat, deciding it would be a good idea to put his traveling aside for the sake of sleep and safety.

[Lisolette]

Refernge Dom the Swordsquirrel was wounded from a fight between a weasel and a ferretmaid. He grumbled, stumbling along, his gashes bleeding. Dom sighed and found himself on the bank of a stream. Deciding it would be nice to wash his wounds (and himself, for that matter) he stripped of his sword and shirt, and stepped into the water.

When Dom pulled the rest of his body into the water, a splash sound was created. The squirrel flinched and looked around, on the alert. He cuaght sight of a hare not far off, but knowing that a hare was a goodbeast the squirrel reached out for some water reeds. Glancing at the hare, Referenge unrooted the water plants and used them as a make-shift cloth, washing his fur and wounds. Every now and again Dom would glance at the hare, feeling rather subconcious for some reason.

(ooc: Not a bad post, you lot. He just pulled off his tunic and now he's feeling embarrassed. Nuthin' wrong with that, huh?)

[sweetmint]

[[LOL not at all! XD]]


Lyre had just been making himself something like a nest out of his groundblanket and reed grass when he heard an audible splash. His head and ears came up, and he looked toward the stream, startled. Then he rose slowly from all fours to a rounded crouch.

There appeared to be a squirrel, male and perhaps older than himself, bathing in the stream. It was getting too dark to make anything else out, and Lyre pressed his lips together and narrowed his eyes, trying to decide if this was going to end badly. Deciding it wouldn't -- Lyre figured the squirrel would be slower than him, anyway, especially with his tail weighted with water -- he stood to his full height, charms chinking, and caught the stranger's eye as he glanced over at him.

It seemed the squirrel was just as surprised to find Lyre as he was to find the squirrel. Lyre didn't approach him, but called out a light halloo.

"Evenin', mate," the gypsy called, going back down to a comfortable crouch. "Thought I was alone... y'live near here?" Talking to a random creature while they were trying to bathe clearly did not strike him as something one ought not to do.

[Lisolette]

(ooc: XD I dunno why, but that post made be luagh...)

Dom stared at the hare for quite some time before answering, "...No. No I don't." Referenge muttered, reaching out for his tunic. Yawning, he put it back on. He was done with the gashes on his torse anyway. Referenge Dom climbed onto the bank, soaked, but he didn't care. He strapped on his longsword and blinked at Lyre, "D'you?" The squirrel asked, twitching his wet, fluffy tail as if there was a bug in it.

Doms gaze was hard, and his paw clenched the hilt of his sword tight, expecting a battle to come from the gyspy, "...Nice ear-rings ye got there..." Refernge muttered. Some would call it a sneer, though it sounded more like he was grumbling then anything else. The ear jewelery was barely visible, but with a good squint he could make out of the loops.

[sweetmint]

[[Haha, Lyre has no shame. xD ]]

Lyre had no problem staring -- keeping an eye on, rather -- the squirrel while he bathed himself, and rested easy along the bankside as he did so. He did, however, come up to a more ready position once the stranger was out. And armed.

"...No. No I don't. ... D'you?"

"I do not." Lyre informed him, sitting on his footpaws. He narrowed his eyes against the darkness and wished he had better night vision. "I'm rather on m'way out, actually, so if y'think me a nuisance, I'll clear off for ye, quicklike," he added, listening to the sound of the squirrel's wet tail being shaken. Lyre's number two goal in life was to keep himself alive (number one being to eat as much and as often as possible); he had no intention of getting himself attacked by a surly-sounding squirrel.

"...Nice ear-rings ye got there..."

The last beast that had said that to Lyre had been a stoat, who, having caught the hare unawares, proceeded to do her darndest to kill him. Completely and utterly on his guard now, Lyre stood fully and stepped sideways a little, concealing himself partly in the shadows of the forest while simultaneously offering a smaller target.

"They are, aren't they, old thing? I collect these sorts of things, doncha know." He raised one paw and shook it so that the bangles clapped together, muffled by the forest night and gurgling stream. "So if y'don't live here, wot're y'doin' here? Just stop by for a nice streambath, perhaps?" he added, carefully keeping his voice pleasant.

[Malum]

Ortus Caedo watched the hare and squirrel carefully.

Hmmm.... The hare is unarmed, and he has valuables... I kinda like this hare... She thought, smiling evily. She pulled her dagger out, with the bone handle, and watched the hare's neck closely.

I could kill him now... Or wait... I'll wait until that idiot over there leaves... She thought, watching the squirrel.

[Gregory]

(OOC: I'm jumping aboard the story ship. Edited. )

BIC: Gregory was sleeping in discomfort yet peacefully in Mossflower. He was sprawled on a tree root snoring away, when he heard some beasts talking. He sat up, yawned, then stretched, he hopefully wished that they weren't vermin. He was not in the right mood to fight. He took out his dirk and walked toward the voices.

[Lisolette]

Referenge Dom watched Lyre impassively, "Aye. Just needed t'get the grit out o' me fur." Referenge said with a shrug, no longer caring about the hares ear-rings. Though Dom did find them silly and stupid. And he wasn't in the mood for silly and stupid beasts.

[sweetmint]

Lyre made no reply to the squirrel as he shrugged, the motion barely visible in the darkness. He was about to make some remark on bathing in the moonlight when the short fur on the back of his neck prickled; his ears shot up again, earrings swinging wildly, and he began turning his head slowly in such a way as too keep an eye on the strange squirrel and also survey his surroundings as well as he could.

Were they being watched, or was he being paranoid? Was that the sound of a beast approaching, or just the forest playing tricks on his imagination?

Lyre had, had enough -- he began quickly repacking his groundsheet into his traveling bag, balancing his stave between his knees. This part of the forest was getting a little too creepy for him.

[Lisolette]

Dom couldn't see Lyre too well, but he could sense the urgeny. Referenge pulled out his longsword, eyes slitted. He was able to make out Lyres shape in the moonlight that had somehow found its way through the leaves. He watched Lyre begin to pack his things, and something, the same something that had crept up on Lyre, crept up on Referenge Dom. But there was a difference: Dom only found a chance to battle, to slay another foe, while Lyre decided to pack and run.

Referenge Dom moved in a circle, not leaving the streambank. His sword was pointing ahead of him, and some moonlight stroke its blade, revealing to all who dare chance a battle with this squirrel tonight that Dom was a warrior, emphasis on "war." Referenge snorted and cried out, "Come out! Come out so I can kill ye!"