The resistance

[Daryn]

Nighty grunted. "One wrong move and i'll have your heads at my feet. I'm Night Wolf, Nighty for short, and these are my Shadow Wolves. We were defeated after trying to defend Redwall."

Khare spied on the two groups meeting. He took out his new bow and trained an arrow on Nighty's head. "Ho, there. Be ye with Vorgon or not?"
"We're running away from his empire."
"Then, ye've got yerself a friend."

[loti71]

The badger was visibly startled when Kare had called, but Quixote's face remained calm. "You tried to defend Redwall, huh?" he muttered. "You can put that bow away," the wildcat called, turning his head to face Kare. "Nobody here that wants to hurt you...I think."

The badger raised an eyebrow; his mace had been lowered to the ground, but he still gripped the handle, in case anyone made a wrong move. "Don't want to be caught off guard," he said.

"We're fugitives, I guess," Quixote sighed.

*Meanwhile...*

Strider had reached Redwall with the news that Quixote and a badger had escaped over the border.

[Daryn]

"What is this load of beetledung?!" Vorgon roared. "Fugitives going across the border! That will ruin my name and reputation! You! If you do not get them back by the time they warn Southsward of my invasion, you'll find your head at my feet!"
Strider nodded, his throat bobbing visibly.

"No supplies left," Kare sighed. "We better reach Southsward fast if we don't want to end up as scones in this oven."
The group nodded. They knew that if they don't make it their, their adventure would end sooner then they thought.

[loti71]

Quixote looked in the satchel he had found prior to his journey. "Jeez," he muttered, "these supplies sure seemed to go by quickly."

"They're here, actually," the badger said, grinning as he opened up one of his own packs. "There seemed to be enough back in that border post for them to live independently for a few years. There's more of this in my other pack, too."

The wildcat raised his eyebrows. /Didn't see him grab those packs,/ he thought to himself. "We better ration ourselves, though," he said to the others, "what with there being ten of us."

[Daryn]

In the horizon, a thin green line appeared.
"Hey, guys!" Kare grinned. "We've made it! Yeah!"

The group of ten hurried forward toward the shade from the merciless sun.
"Yay!"
"Awesome!"
Kare turned to Saver. "Hey how long d'ya think we'll get to the king and queen in?"
The stoats scratched his head. "Mmm...not long. A few days trek would get us there, but there may be Vorgon's patrols near this part."

[loti71]

As the group reached the oasis, the badger just simply dropped everything he was holding or carrying, then fell into the pond that was there. It had been a long time since he'd seen clean water.

Quixote wasn't too surprised at the badger's reaction; from what he'd seen, most of the workers of Vorgon's empire would likely have done the same thing. The wildcat, however, just simply refilled his waterskins from the water; he didn't much like playing in water.

Overhearing Saver's reply, Quixote looked up. "If we don't see any signs of a patrol," he said, "then I'll be as surprised as if I'd found a blind bat in the middle of the desert. I've actually been in these parts, myself, when I'd been assigned to patrolling. Hopefully, this will be the last time I have to go through here. Unless a patrol catches us."

[Daryn]

Kare however wasn't going to suppress his caution. He began sharpening his katanas on a whetstone in his bag.

"I don't like the look of this place," he muttered to himself. Maybe he was wrong, but who knows.

"Hey, Quixote," Kare called to the wildcat. "Katanas, too?"

[loti71]

"The only weapons I'll use, actually," Quixote replied, drawing them both out of their sheathes. "Except for bows. I'm good with those, too." As the wildcat examined the blades, he realized that he hadn't had much time as of late to clean them. He began doing so, noting with a grin that the edges were still sharp.

Quixote looked up at the group, especially at Kare and his two companions. "You know, I don't really know you three," the wildcat said, pointing at Kare, Ungatt, and Saver.

[Daryn]

Kare nodded. "True. I come from across the Eastern sea. I was an assassin for the hire, making a lot of money during the civil war. Then it ended, and the vizier, Panahesi, arrested me for murder even though i helped kill his enemies. Exile is the worst punishment in our place, so here i am, with my blades Montu's Reaper and Seth's Bane."

[loti71]

Quixote nodded. "That's where my family had come from, actually," he muttered to himself. "How about you two?" he asked, nodding to Saver and Ungatt.

The badger, who had gotten over the fact that there was fresh water, had gotten out and was now checking his packs for supplies. /We'll need some more food,/ he thought, looking over at the Night Wolves. /I hope they're not spies for Vorgon./

*Meanwhile...*

Strider, with a written order from Vorgon himself, had gathered together a group of twenty soldiers, and was now leading them over the border and into the southern desert. Vorgon had specifically pointed out that Strider had to be fast, real fast, if he were to catch the fugitives.

[Daryn]

Khare found a patch of blackberries, which he gathered up eagerly and hauled in. "Who wants blackberry pie mates?"

The wildcat sighed as he left his temple of Montu Horus, the god of warrior kings. It had been a long time since he had left the brotherhood, but they still gave him shelter after his assassinations, for a handsome amount he earned were given to the temple.
A sleek mongoose padded up to him. "Maat-Anubis (Justice of Anubis), i have your next mission from my master."
Khare nodded. He took the letter from the messenger's hand and scanned it. "I am to send Vizier Rahotep to Anubis?"
The mongoose nodded. "Do it by a week, or there will be no pay."
The assassin nodded and melded into the shadows. It was just one other candle snuffed out.

[Ungatt Trunn II]

"Well, I come from lands that are far, far across the seas." started Ungatt. "My father brought me here on a conquest which he perished in. After this death and the breakdown of his horde, I began to wander. I came across an army far north of here in the land where it always snows." He paused, as if he was trying to remember details. "They allowed me to join, which gave me a cause and a place to live. For years I fought other hordes protecting my new home. I grew quite attached to the inhabitants, and would have happily died for them.

But, fate was unkind to me as it would seem. In a large battle, one that I could easily call one of the largest I have ever had, they managed to capture me and several of my comrades. At this point I was a mid ranking officer. They enslaved me for about a year, along with the people who lived in the area I defended. Of course, I escaped and began to wander once again. And here I am."

[Daryn]

Khare took in the details of Ungatt's story as he remembered his own.

The new Lord of Two lands, Menmaatre Seti (Eternal is the Justice of Ra, One of Set), now sat on the golden Horus throne. Khare had killed many of his friends, as well as his enemies. Pharaoh was unpredictable. His ruthless vizier Panahesi would hunt him down.
It was time for him to go into hiding.

[loti71]

"Sounds something like what happened to me," Quixote said once Ungatt's story was over. "Name sounds familiar, but I don't quite remember...What about you?" the wildcat pointed to Saver. "What's your story?"

While listening to Ungatt's story, the badger had moved close enough to the leader of the Night Wolves so that they could speak to each other without interrupting the others. "Who are you again?" the badger asked.

[Daryn]

Nighty glared at the badger. "I am leader of the shadow wolves. We attempted to defend Redwall against Jazphar, but phailed."