Summon the Troops

[Rinafera Woxwitty III]

The snow piled on the path, falling gently but landing hard. Cold, biting wind blew harshly against his body; however, he combatted the chill with a heavy, brown cloak over a green tunic, which laid over chainmail armor. He stepped through the snow in large, black boots; his head was covered in a green feathered cap. All in all, the hare made a humorous appearance trudging through the snow. Rinafera Woxwitty III finally reached the Northern Path; his chestnut brown eyes scanned the surrounding woodland, looking for any sign of the Guardians. As the Head Boundary Guardian, he still had his duties to protect the Outskirts of Mossflower. The sound of a stick breaking was audible to his left and he suddenly turned; a weasel stood before him, but then dashed away. She wore suspicous gang tattoos and such, and was a fearsome sight. Rinafera feared that the weasel was running off to gather more troops, so he did the same. Turning, he began a light jog back to the Fort, bellowing his beckoning call.

"Guardians! 'Tis death on the wind! Vermin the woodlands! Assemble!" When he neared the Fort, he slowed down and scanned the Parapet for any friends. It was a cold, wintry night, and he expected for the guards to simply be in the barracks. Unfortunately, the gate was locked, and he had to walk completely around the Fort to enter; there was no time to waste! The hare pounded on the wooden gate and continued yelling, but to no avail. He turned and hoped someone heard him, but alas, he had to resort to walking around. Rinafera could imagine the vermin summoning, just waiting to attack the hare. His weapons were under his cloak, which probably would allow them to be confident; cocky vermin were never fun to deal with. The War Commander turned back, hoping that the other Boundary Guardian, Raiden, might also be on patrol. "All Guardians open the Gates! Urgent meeting! Post haste!"

Whether or not the vermin attacked, the Fort was vulnerable and Guardians were few. Desperate times called for desperate measures.

[aeroflyte]

A short candle shook slightly on its base as a slight tremor shook the table. An otter lay, curled up, in the corner, snoring softly. The candle shook again, wax spilling down the side in half-liquefied rivulets. The otter snorted slightly as the candle tipped and fell when another tremor racked the area. He opened his eyes and looked around sleepily, yawned. He shifted to return to his slumber, but then his ears caught what seemed to be an annoying buzz; he sat up and groped for his tunic, yawned again, and stumbled outside, grabbing his satchel and staff by the door. Teylan paused and cupped a paw to his ear, trying to catch what noise had disturbed him. A distant booming, and the shouts of somebeast... His eyes widened with recognition, and he bolted towards the front gate, vaulting over a few old armor racks and safety rails. He yelled at the top of his voice, trying to rouse any other Guardians that might've been roaming about. If someone was in trouble at the Front Gate, and they were so underpopulated, any vermin attack could very well wipe out the Guardians before they were even really started. As he sprinted through a doorway, dodging a few stray ropes, he struggled to get his sling out of his pouch.

"All Guardians open the Gates! Urgent meeting! Post haste!"

He burst into the courtyard at the front of the fort, panting audibly. The otter struggled to lift the huge timber bar that was blocking the gate, and yelled to any beasts who were near, "Help! Trouble at the front gates! I need more strongbeasts! Helllp!"

[Tass, Nathan and Brine]

**Tass sat up in his room when he heard the shout. He ran down the hall of the barracks and knocked on Nathan's door.** Nathan , Nathan wake up!. there is somebody at the gates! **Nathan walked out of his room armor on , war-hammer in hand.** come on Tass let's go see who it is.**They marched up the stairs that led to the wall and made their way to the gate.** Hello , anybody out here?** Tass shouted again **hello is there anybeast out here?** Then Tass saw Teylon** Hey , Teylon , is there anybeast out there?

ooc:sorry for the short post.

[Scratchfur]

*While the banging was taking place on the front gate, and a few beasts were rushing to investigate what was happening, one oblivious beast was about to find himself catapulted into a situation that he didn't even expect would happen for a while, at least.

On the path from the tavern to the barracks, a lone figure could be seen making its way over the freshly falling snow. Upon closer inspection, the beast was wearing a dark blue sailors trench coat that apparently was keeping the beast warm and dry. On his head, a tricot hat was seen almost flattening the ears on top of his head. And just to add to the comical nature of this, a faded feather was seen protruding from the top left side of his hat, blowing slightly in the breeze that was softly shifting around the air. With this, it was obvious who this beast was... the rat called Scratchfur.

As he travelled up the path, he was seen possessing a slight veering pattern as if suffering the side-effects of a little too much grog earlier. This was probably the case, as he usually drank too much when trying to readjust to new surroundings, or in this case old surroundings that seemed to be foggy at best. It seemed to work most of the time, but today apparently was not working as well as usual. Maybe it was the grog, not the type that he was used to drinking. Or it could have been that food earlier. Sometimes his stomach didn't agree with with food that every other beast had no problem with.

It was on this track of thought that he apparently missed a patch of ice on the ground and, slipping quite ungracefully, almost ended up landing face first onto the ground. As he was in the process of picking himself up from the ground and berating himself aloud, he thought he heard some voices from somewhere ahead. Stopping everything he was doing, he listened carefully to the air and, by chance, heard Commander Rina's call for the assembly of Guardians at the gate. It took a few seconds for this to fully sink into the rats head, but when this finally happened, Scratchfur found himself immediately jumping to his paws and somewhat awkwardly racing towards the gate.*

[Tass, Nathan and Brine]

**Tass's eyes adjusted to the dark and he was able too see the hare jogging towards the gate.**War commander Rinafera what is wrong sir? **Then Tass turns around.** Hey , private Teylon open the gates quickly!, There is no time to lose!

[Jack Southgris]

Earlier, Jack was bored out of his mind. Now— "Finally, some excitement," Jack muttered to himself. "For a while there, I thought the Guardians just sat around, guarding the food-stores from intruding pests, but now, Jack thought as he sprinted towards the disturbance, this is what I joined for. The scenery of the Fort rushed swiftly by him, the greys of brick mingling with the lush green of the forest, forming a melody with wind in his ears and the swift tattoo of his feet.

There is no time to lose!

The shout reached Jack's ears, and he sped up, soon arriving at the front gate, where Teylan and Tass were struggling with the gate. He sprang to help them, putting every muscle in his stocky body to the limit. The sturdy gate refused to move. But, under the three beast's onslaught and with agonizing slowness, the door opened, allowing access to Rinafera.

[Tass, Nathan and Brine]

**The gate opened and Tass , being the nearest to the gate greeted Rinafera.** Hello sir , what is wrong sir , is it vermin sir? **Then he saw scratchfur racing towards the gate. Two hours ago he had been drinking in the tavern with the rat** Hey , Scratchfur anybeast out there?

[Rinafera Woxwitty III]

OOC: Before I post IC...

Tass - Once again, watch your grammar. Also, Tass is not the highest rank of you three. Scratchfur is, as he is a Specialist. Also, post-ranks don't effect much, anyhow.

Also, your post said that Tass saw the weasel. That's impossible. The weasel ran off to go get reinforcements, as I mentioned in my post. I'll post IC later.
Sorry for the short post:

BIC:

Rinafera hurried into the Fort and bellowed once again. "All Guardians out of the Barracks! Vermin in the woodlands!" Then, he turned to the soldiers who were near him and ushered them into a circle around him. The hare looked at them and judged the weight of their combined skill. Tass and Scratchfur were able warriors, but this Jack Southgris was a newcomer and had yet to be tested. "Alright, there are vermin in the woodlands, and nearby, too. We have two options; stay here, avoid them unless they attack us, or go out there will our full force and attack 'em in the woodlands. I'll admit, we're not very large and can't afford too many casualties right now. We'll need to bring a medic along. Scratchfur, if we choose to go with the second option, you'll have to come along and stay back in the case that anyone gets injured. Gather your weapons. Meet me at the gate in ten minutes and be prepared for battle."

[Brisk Balvayne VI]

Slowly but surely news reached the ears of Brisk. The lynx leopard mix had been relaxing all day. There weren't many rogues around yet, and he didn't need to train himself, and had no one really to train. Honestly, Brisk wasn't surprised that despite the fact his introduction was rude when he had first arrived, that he'd still been appointed head rogue. After all, his skill was legendary, or at the very least in his parts it was.

Upon hearing the news, Brisk equipped an arsenal of spikes/shurikans, knives, his cleaver, and what he called "Poison Flies". They were quite simple really, all they were, were a bunch of mixed spices and herbs that are dumped into a nut, where they are dangerous in the sense that they become poisonous. Brisk then closes the nut and seals it shut with clay. The nuts can be thrown and then the poisons basically spread in a short area, by going into the air.

All of them have different effects, some cause allergic reactions during the combat, some may only effect one beast, but that beast can almost be guaranteed death. The young dangerous assassin also had a grappling hook and thin lines of thread attached to his belt; these things were always useful for making plans on the fly.

To end his gear was simply his white wolf mask, which was resting in his right paw. Back to the beast at hand though, Brisk pushed his way through scurrying Guardians and made his way to Rinafera.

The feline quirked a brow at Rina', a small fiendish smile forming on his features,
"What would you have me do in either scenario Commander?" The lynx leopard asked intrigued. It was about time there was action...

"You will be feared, a killing machine, a monster...Some will call you a freak, but what you really are is a defender, a defender of whatever cause you deem fit. You have the skills necessary to use the shadows, environment, and your speed to your advantage... From here on out Brisk, you shall be Hades..."

[Yasmine]

Today was technically supposed to be her rest day. One of the rare days that she ever took a break was today, and she had intended to spend most of it lying in her bed, thinking and sleeping. But that obviously won't happen. At least not today.

'I suppose I should be relatively relieved. I have been bored beyond belief just training and honing my skills which was, yes, extremely necessary and required if you wished to continue your warrior career, but after a few times with nothing else happening, it gets boring.' Yasmine sighed and stood on her feet, dressing herself as quickly as she could.

'Nevertheless, we have been called to assemble, and I must obey. After all, it is our duty to protect those who live within Mossflower.'

Yasmine tested the edges of her daggers before tying them to her waist and counted the arrows in her quiver before strapping that and her bow on her back. Turning her gaze to her staff in the corner, Yasmine shook her head while she contemplated whether or not to bring it.

'No, one must travel light in an emergency. I can do enough damage to those vermin with eighteen arrows and two daggers. Yasmine smiled and exited the building. Blinking in the dark she watched as beasts gathered in huge crowds before her and how that lynx character...what was his name...Brisk, wasn't it? She had met him before and knows him well enough to call him an acquaintance. Rubbing her paws together, Yasmine pushed her way through the hordes of beasts to the front where she could watch what was going on with the people in charge. She watched as Brisk talked to the Commander and folded her arms. She would continue to wait until someone needed her. When things got started, she would move.

[Scratchfur]

*Hearing Rinafera's commands being thrown out into the dark night had, for some reason, brought a smile to Scratchfur's face. It had been quite a while since he had heard a beast with such authority throw orders around with such decisiveness. He was used to hearing some commanding beast bark out an order, only to have it questioned by some other beast. And, after a while, this would turn into a brawl of some sort. No, it was good to have some semblance of order finally when it came to patrols.

Snapping back into reality as he heard his name being mentioned, the rat nodded to show that he understood his orders. Luckily for him, the rest of the effects of the drinking from earlier had pretty much all worn off, leaving him with a slight throbbing in his head. But this would be temporary, he convinced himself as he dashed off towards his room in the barracks to retrieve the parts of his kit that were not attached to himself--his medical bag. Attached to his belt, overtop his left hip, hung his short sword used for mostly defensive purposes as he aided the injured. As well, a small pouch was situated on his right side which carried some stones for his sling. While this did not seem the usual weaponry of a sea rat, he was quite content with it as such, as it gave him more of a back seat role in combat.

Finally reaching the barracks, the rat poured through his medical kit, mumbling to himself as he ensured that he had everything that would be needed in the eventuality of an injury. Nodding, he closed up the bag and slung it over his left shoulder. Moving around a little bit until he was satisfied that it was secure, he pressed down on his hat to further fasten it on his head. With this, he charged out from the barracks towards the front gate, frantically hoping he had not missed anything important in his short absence.*

[Jack Southgris]

Ten minutes!

Jack sprinted back to his quarters, the irony of the situation registering in his adrenaline-infused brain. "Back and forth, back and forth, back and forth..." He thought to himself, setting the rhythm to his pace. Soon, he skidded to a halt in front of his barracks, and allowed himself a small gasp. "I'm out of shape," he thought with a tinge of disappointment. He'd have to improve to make the cut for the Border Guardians... that is, if they still existed. Jack trotted to the door, and opened it swiftly, so it slammed against the wall behind him. Tripping over his pack, he managed to yank out his dual swords. They gleamed in the light, and Jack relaxed as shadow and light clashed on the weapons' surface. He always found these dances so relaxing... his eyes slowly drooped and...

Jack jerked himself awake. No! He hastily strapped the swords on to his back, and cinched the gauntlets to his forearms. Next came a light leather breastplate, then shin guards, the calf and groin guards, shoulder and upper arm pads, and the miscellaneous guards and greaves....

He sprinted back to the Gate, hoping he was on time...

[Rinafera Woxwitty III]

OOC: Sorry for the delay.
BIC:

Even in his old age, the hare now walked with a quickened stride. It was moments like these that forced him to move with an agility uncommon of his age; he shuffled to quarter's nervously, his feet speedily stomping through the snow. When he arrived at his quarter's, the immediate warmth he felt inside overwhelmed him, but not for too long. It had been a long time since he was in battle, and Rinafera knew that he would be killing once again. Vermin, even some of the neutral creatures, were his only enemy in life; he despised the scum with a passion and wished to see Mossflower completely rid of them. The newly appointed War Commander also knew that this would be his first test as a high-office military leader; sure, he had been a Captain while at the Long Patrol, but that was all, and he led a very small unit. Even the dwindling size of the Guardians was larger that his former post at the Long Patrol; that was long ago, however. It had been almost twenty-five seasons since he left Salamandastron to enlist with the Guardians.

The hare moved to his chest at the end of his room to prepare himself for the battle (or rather skirmish, considering the size of both forces); sure, chainmail was fine in respects to scouting, but a battle in the woodlands was a different story. Thick snow hugged the ground, too; one slip, one fall, and that could mean life or death. Rinafera removed his cloak, tunic, and chainmail armor, resorting instead to a full steel cuirass; it weighed him down slightly, but he was slow already as it is due to age, and the thick snow would slow down his opponents as well. Finally, he pulled the cloak back over himself and made an impressive sight; the belt around his waist was broad linen. His saber sat comfortably in its sheathe, resting until it needed to lash out with its tongue and taste its enemy's blood. Rinafera simply pulled his hood over after that and turned to walk back out the door. Around eight or so minutes had past; everybody was already at the gate, awaiting orders.

He smiled at the punctuality of his troops, noting that even some others had heard the comotion and were now there. There six, not including him, going to battle. Luckily, reports of vermin in Mossflower had all been small; no large hordes had been there recently, only some small bands. Also, he hoped that the Guosim shrews would be near, as well. The lakes, streams, and some rivers had inevitably frozen over, so they could offer assistance if nessecary. Rinafera strolled up to his soldiers smartly, nodding to them. The hare kneeled and beckoned them to circle around him once more. He scanned their eyes and looked for any hints of fear or trepidation; everyone was ready. Improvising, the plan came to his mind on the spot; he was impressed with himself, too. It was the first time that he had ever formed a plan for his unit, and he hoped the Guardians would agree to it. It didn't really matter if they did or not, though; they would be bound by duty to follow.

"We're going to be marching like so: I will be in the front center, leading the march. Aeroflyte and Tass will be to my left three paces or so, and Jack and Scratchfur will be to my right about three paces. Stick close and hide our numbers; they will number almost a score, but we need to make sure we look like we have more than we truly do. Brisk, I want you to flee south and find the Guosim; their Log-a-Log was visiting here only three days ago, if you'll remember. His pawprints are probably still very fresh; track him down and round with the shrews from behind the vermin. Be smart, stick together, fight as one, and good luck. Dark Forest guide you all." The hare stood up and began to march into the woodlands, not looking to see if any of the troops did as they were told; he assumed they would, just as he had assumed that one of them would shut the gate. As short as his command over them had been, he trusted them.

The War Commander finally arrived at a good site. He stopped where he saw fallen logs on the ground, rocks, and other good places to stay behind during the battle if need be. The hare kneeled by a fallen tree and waited, only the top of his head and his ears showing. Rinafera stroked his gray whiskers, gazing into the distance. Soon, the vermin would arrive, and his leadership would be tested for the first time. However, he did not want the vermin to round the other way and go to the practically abandoned fort. Thus, he yelled into the air to give away their position, and to let them know that they were here for battle.

"Eulaliaaa! Guardians! Give 'em blood'n'vinegar!"

[Brisk Balvayne VI]

Brisk's eyes occasionally flickered over to Yasmine as they waited for orders. Ah, the mouse from the tavern. Good girl, but poor attitude. Heh, she still owes me for saving her life...

Eventually though he allowed himself to have full attention on Rina', waiting for the orders. When the commander told him that he would flee south and get the shrews, he was offended.

The feline's ears perked high and a scowl briefly came on his features. Mentally, he spat in distaste.
Why should I have to go 'n find those pathetic shrews, when I could just as easily ambush these foolish vermin by myself? He thought arrogantly. Giving a sigh, he nodded to the Commander, knowing that his orders were final, and deep down inside knowing that it was the smart thing to do; they would indeed need their numbers.

Standing up straight and giving pathetic salute, he brushed by Yasmine.
"No orders hmm?" He asked, quirking a brow, actually pretty confused. His poor personality settled down for a brief moment, and common sense, and a better attitude presented itself very briefly, for a reason not even Brisk knows. " 'ey, Commander Wox' where do you want miss Yasmine?" He inquired.

Heheh, maybe the old Commander's vision is starting to fail him. Wouldn't really surprise me though.

[Tass, Nathan and Brine]

**As Tass and most of the other guardians left Nathan was just coming out of the barracks with the rest of his gear. He saw Yasmine in the courtyard alone, he walked up to the mouse and tapped on her shoulder.**


"come on miss, lets go to the rear of the formation, we can be the rear guards."


**Nathan marched out of the gates and shut them behind him. Everybody was out of the fort now so it was undefended, and he definitely did not want some unsavory vermin chaps to come in and take it over while they were gone. Nathan took A rear guard position in the formation and drew his war-hammer.**

**Tass marched on the far side of Rinafera next to Teylon, he did not talk, he knew this might be A long march and he wanted to conserve energy for marching. The guardians drew to A halt and Rinafera dropped down on one knee and howled into the night.**

"Eulaliaaa! Guardians! Give 'em blood'n'vinegar!"

**Tass walked over to Rinafera and tapped him on the shoulder.**

"Sir, what should we do now?"