A dull pounding from the north...

[Kilkenne]

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He saw John hit the ground and let out a yell of rage, spurring faster, his blade back in two hands, ready to swing a death blow against the usurper. The guard was huffing and puffing behind him, there would be no escape.

The red eyes blazed with battle fury as he came ever closer,

10 meters.

5 meters.

2 meters.

He took the last step as he began to swing with the flat of the blade down towards the rebel's midsection. There was no dodging, it was all a matter of where he hit him at this point.

[~>John<~]

 OOC: Talk about autoing man.......dead eye is possessed.


He walked outside with Shael in the courtyard. " Dead Eye wants to be a ruler, let me guess......of Mossflower or.....the sea? That all may be fine and spiffy [ooc: yes, a nod to ashyra]
in the summer, but for now, I say we set his horde loose. Let them sweep the entirely land, but don't let him keep it. Always keep him moving. Thenwhen hes cleared mossflower enough, we send him deep in the heart of Southsward, and build walls on the edge of Mossflower. If I may, I'd like Mossflower. Then we could have him, with his only choice being the sea, and no fortress for him to hide in. He will most likely try to build a base in Southsward to hide some of his loot, and to man an attack against my fortess of Mossflower. Well. Let him try. Yet have Kilk and you constantly badgering him about more tribute. Make him think that hes walking on a point, and the point is sharp, and he could fall off either side. Then find a new horde, and, if he still disagrees, inprison him, or stick one in between the ribs. What do you say to my plan?" He waited for an answer, when suddenly, he was down, and Dead Eye was upon him. He had thought Dead Eye's antics funny, until now. He must be crazy to risk this. John saw Kilk off running towards them, then concentrated back on Dead Eye. He rolled to his side and pushed him. Back into where Kilk was running. [OOC:2 can play at the autoing game, Dead Eye.]
  He motioned to Shael, "Come, into the fortress! Dead Eyes troops are coming this way, and fast. He's probaly sent them to kill me, but they will get you too. Hurry!" he cried as he ran up the steps. "They're coming!" And with that they entered the doors, pausing to tell the guards to save their emperor who was outside beating the crud out of Dead Eye yet not realizing Dead Eye's troops were approaching.

[The Lady Shael]

 ooc: I was going to say....I couldn't think of any reason why DeadEye would be after me.

bic:

Shael was about to say something in reply to John's plan, when DeadEye sprung on him from behind, stabbing wilding with his rapiers. She immediately stepped back, drawing her own short sword as instinctive defense. She held it out in firmly in front of her, ready in case DeadEye decided to go after her. The weasel then saw Kilk sprinting towards them, his blade swinging towards DeadEye, and she saw John push DeadEye towards Kilk.

[Dead Eye]

 ooc: I thought this would make it cool, a power sturggle between me and John. And Kilk, you like hit me, but didnt kill me right? If  you killed me, disregard this post I am about to make. And I didnt really auto, because I said that I jumped on you, never said you did anything. If I autoed I would say that John was clumsy and dropped his sword or something.

Dead Eye screamed in pain. All he had thought about was getting to John, not tratioring Kilk. But the pain from Kilk's sword was like the demons were on him. He screamed and and feel on the ground. He looked at the three beasts all around him with weapons. No way could he take all three, heck he couldnt take Kilk alone. He threw his weapons to Kilks feet and laid flat on his stomache. He had no doubt that the position offered a few minutes ago was completely gone now.  

[Kilkenne]

 (OOC: It was the flat of the scimitar blade, Deadeye)
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The ferret snarled and threw away his scimitar, kicking away Deadeye's rapiers as he went. He put a foot on his back, holding him down, his breath making furling whisps of steam as he breathed heavily.

"What were you thinking, Deadeye? That you could get his position by killing him? Things don't work that way. I pay in power for what is recieved, not deceit." He took his foot off the usurper's back, and offered a paw to both him and John with the glowing redness quickly leaving his eyes as he prepared to pull them both up.

"You two are to work together. As equals. None is more powerful than the other, but you two answer only to milady..." He nodded to Shael, "Or myself. None other. You will seem as free hordes in what you do, but don't forget, you fly the Black Cross, General John of Mossflower, and Admiral Deadeye of all the Seas."

His thoughts had come to culmination, but this didn't settle him much. Odd as this was, he had seen it coming, and there may be more trouble in the future, but for now, it was going to be okay...

[The Lady Shael]

 ooc: Hm, well, it did add a little more interest...the power struggle, I mean.

The weasel slid her shortsword back into its scabbard, her eyes narrowed as she studied DeadEye. "No more wild ideas. We offer you power, don't think it can't be taken away if you do anything foolish." She looked around, and spoke again. "It's getting dark. I doubt anyone is still hungry, but there is little more reason to stay out here."  

[Dead Eye]

 Dead Eye threw a dirty look to John, bowed to Shael and a half bow to Kilk, then picked up his rapiers and walked away. He saw some of his gaurd running towards him. He told them to send a message to his horde, and then turned to go and tour Kilks palace.

[Kilkenne]

 ---------------------------
He watched Deadeye skulk off into the keep, and once John was back on his feet and steady, the advise that Shael had given finally sunk in and he strode over to her.

"So. What did you make of that, exactly?" He inquired, placing one paw over the shorter weasel's shoulders, in a gentlebeast-like manner, though inside, he knew it was more for his comfort than hers. The ferret set a straight walking course for the great doors to the keep, and the warmth within.

[~>John<~]

 John watched as Dead Eye eyed him angrily and went inside. "You may do well to listen to me, Lady Shael. Good-bye Lord Kilk, and milady. I, erm......trust there shall be guards around our, erm, compounds? It would be rather unfortunate for me, if erm......I'll post my own guards, actually. Good-night, and I trust that we will start tomorrow.

[Ashyra Nightwing]

 The wildcat spun round to face the small weasel.
"What news have you to give me?"
The weasel flinched. "Er..milady, Lord Kilkenne has just declared Dead Eye Admiral of All the Seas..."
Ashyra blinked. "Admiral, eh? I thought it was a well-known fact that I ruled the seas.. Skiffs, that must mean he has skiffs.. I have competition." She turned to face the two vermin standing by her.
"Vreddle, how many skiffs do we have?"
The rat lowered his eyes. "The numbers are lower than they've ever been, milady. We've lost so many getting this far.."
The fox stepped forwards. "We can't buy any more either. We've got almost no money, and our land is barely enough to keep the citadel on..."
Ashyra smiled, her slightly pointed teeth showing. "Money? We can make more. And we've still got enough skiffs to get past others' defences?
"Yes."
"Let's go then."

[Dead Eye]

 Dead Eye was sitting in front of a giant picture. In it showed a mighty wild cat sweeping at a ferret, and the ferret falling. This was of course the picture showing the so called "fall" of Kilk by Ereptor the Great. Dead Eye heard a shuffle at the hall way and saw his captain Urag running towards him.

"Sir, your army is here. They are setting up camp and the workers are ready!" the ferret said

"Good. Tell the workers to contact Kilks people for their job. Funny..."

"Sir?"

"Urag, back in the dark days Kilk and Ereptor had many allies, but only a few they trusted. I need an ally I can trust now. Send a messanger to Ashyra. Here is what it is to say.

Dear Ashyra,

For long now you have held mighty skiffs and ruled the seas. Now I have come with my army. My sources say we are matched. We would die fighting each other, and the seas would be dead. I ask you to travel North to Kilks domain. I ask you to become to join me, become Captains of all my vase armada. Stay the mighty queen that you are. But let me rule with you. We shall only serve the Empress and Emperor of the North. We shall have a mighty ports, and rule the coasts. Please join me.

Admiral Dead Eye Trueflight of the forces of the North, Loyal servent to the rightful Empress and Emperor of the North

[The Lady Shael]

 The female weasel nodded a good-bye at John, and slowly stepped in pace with Kilk towards the entrance of the keep, savoring what warmth she could feel from Kilk's paw. "I'm not quite sure. I suppose I wasn't all that surprised, I figured there might be a minor fault in there somewhere." They reached the entrance, and walked along the hall, as the guards closed the door behind them. "I hope now DeadEye will make wiser choices."

Instead of heading back to the feasting hall, they walked down a different corridor, leading to all the other places in the stronghold. Shael walked slowly, unsure of exactly where they were walking to. She looked up at him, remembering something. "Kilk, back at the feasting hall, you said you still had something yet to ask of me. What was it?"

[~>John<~]

 John walked into his compound and motioned to his two closest officers. "Dead Eye tried to kill me. I knew Kilk should never of trusted him, I tried to tell Kilk to let ME lead the free peoples. Yet Dead Eye was a traitor then to Ereptor, and I fear he may betray us again. Post guards around the outside, I'm going to sleep. I fear Dead Eye may try to get new alliances. Good-
Night."

[Kilkenne]

 -----------------------------
The ferret stared now at the floor, collecting himself at the advent of this question, it bringing his thoughts back to what they hadn't dwelled on for some time.

He cleared his throat. "You've agreed to be the Empress of the Northlands, free from me, not bound." His eyes wandered as he looked throughout the cooridoor. "I was...errrr...Wondering...If you would be so gracious to accept a more binding agreement for the Empresship..." He knew it was a sudden gesture, but he figured it might as well come out as he produced an armlet, silver, emblazoned with a flowing "R" for Ragingblade, his family name.

He stared off into space as one of his captains turned the corner and ran into the coridoor, obviously looking for him. His eyes narrowed. "Yes, Captain?"

The stoat gulped, "Errr... V-visitors, sire. At the gate!"

"Find out what they are doing here, and if they mean well, let them in, but watch them. We've had quite enough excitement this afternoon. If you let them in, find me after one half hour. I need some time to think. Go." He cautiously commanded, giving the captain an appraising look as he ran off.
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(OOC: adds interest, eh...heh.

Good post Deadeye, I commend you on that one, good opener)

[~>John<~]

 As ages come and pass, the pattern of the world weaves as the wheel will, and in one age, called the 3rd age by some, and age to come and and age long past, the wind blew across the rugged mountains. The wind was not the beginning, there are no true beginnings, and the age was about to end anyways [ OOC:Black ages start soon] But it was a beginning. John woke in his sleep, in a cold sweat. He got dressed and hurried outside, where it was the crack of dawn. He yelled at his captain, sleeping outside the door, supposed to be acting as a guard "READY THE TROOPS! We march to launch an attack on the holder of the fringe of the mossflower woods. I shall stay here and strategise with Kilk, You, Roughburn, and you, Wentelclaw, shall lead the troops. I want all 2000 acres of their domain flying the Black Cros by the days end. If not there shall be......repercussions." and with that he went inside, his criers waking the troops and giving his message. It was a beginning.