The journey from Elmoss to Barkstone didnt go at all as well as the mice had hoped; their weather forecast was way off, and on the morning of the second day they found themselves in a hailstorm! With hail the size of mouse head falling from the skies they tried to find shelter from the deadly rain, and got under roots of a tree; but after the storm had passed they noticed they had no idea where they were: they were lost! After half a day of searching they found back to the road, but their walk through unsheltered paths drew a hungry hawk on them!
The patrol tried it´s best, but the hawk was too dangerous: at last both Beagan and Radulf lie down wounded, And Gill and Gunrey were not exactly on their best shape either! "RUN!", shouted Gill to Gunrey and turned to face the hawk, and something in Gill, in his voice or his face, made Gunrey to run. Gill stood there, with his staff on the ready, the hawk diving towards him, and at the last moment, just before he was clawed to little pieces, he jumped up. The hawk did not want to loose its dinner, so it tried to get Gill with its beak, but that was exactly what Gill was expceting: when the Beak opened up, he jammed his staff into the Beak, preventing the hawk from closing it´s beak! "You will NOT stop my patrol from reaching Barkstone alive!", he growled, holding for his life to the staff while flew around trashing its head around, until the staff gave away. Even hanging outside the beak, Gill could not completely avoid the beak closing with the speed of lightning, and the hawk took one of his ears with it! Lying on the ground, after the pain had subsided, he knew his gamble had paid off: the hawk, it's mouth full of splinters, had gone after easier dinner.
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| Gentleman´s Club |
After recovering for a day or two, Gill decided to take Radulf along to find out where the young Rynbeldel they met was, and left Beagan and Gill to recover from their wounds. After a while they got his work adress, and went on to shadow him. The merchant went to a gentlemans´s club, members only. Gill and Radulf tried to talk themselves in, but could not convince the doorman. Then Beagan and Gunrey, who had followed after a while, arranged a tavern fight just across the street, allowing Gill and Radulf to sneak in.
Inside they saw the young Rynbeldel discussing with some mice who musta have been influential potters, heads of potters factories or the like: he tried to convince them to fill up their warehouses to the brim, for soon the competition would be out.
"Why should Copperwood suddenly just stop! They have been a sting in our flesh for a long time!"
"Soon, nobody will buy copperware from Copperwood, for Lockhaven will march to Copperwood!"
After that, the merchant took a look behind him, and recognized the guardmice. He knew hed had said too much, drew his dagger and yell to his guards "Catch them!". The customers retreated outside or to the sides of the room, and the potters escaped.
Terrified merchant attacked the pait, but the guards were quite a lot slower, with the fight starting without warning and all. At first the mice circled each other, testing and probing, until Radulf showed his skill with a sword: alone he disarmed and wounded so many opponents, a controlled whirlwind of steel, that they won the fight. At that point, however, they heard noise from outside: the city guard was coming! Radulf had an idea: he took Gill's cape, dressed the terrified merchant in it, and with a knife on his throat led him out to Beagan and Gunrey. Gill stayed behind to pose a drunk, to slow down the guard (If the whole town was indeed in debt to Rynbeldels, could the guard be trusted?). The guards came, and listened to confusing stories; some told of bandits, others of Mouse Guard. Some told the culprits had escaped, others pointed at (now capeless) Gull. The guard were not sure if Gill was involved, but they thought that the mouse guard, or someone posing as them, were behind it all, and arrested Gill.
"Why should Copperwood suddenly just stop! They have been a sting in our flesh for a long time!"
"Soon, nobody will buy copperware from Copperwood, for Lockhaven will march to Copperwood!"
After that, the merchant took a look behind him, and recognized the guardmice. He knew hed had said too much, drew his dagger and yell to his guards "Catch them!". The customers retreated outside or to the sides of the room, and the potters escaped.
Terrified merchant attacked the pait, but the guards were quite a lot slower, with the fight starting without warning and all. At first the mice circled each other, testing and probing, until Radulf showed his skill with a sword: alone he disarmed and wounded so many opponents, a controlled whirlwind of steel, that they won the fight. At that point, however, they heard noise from outside: the city guard was coming! Radulf had an idea: he took Gill's cape, dressed the terrified merchant in it, and with a knife on his throat led him out to Beagan and Gunrey. Gill stayed behind to pose a drunk, to slow down the guard (If the whole town was indeed in debt to Rynbeldels, could the guard be trusted?). The guards came, and listened to confusing stories; some told of bandits, others of Mouse Guard. Some told the culprits had escaped, others pointed at (now capeless) Gull. The guard were not sure if Gill was involved, but they thought that the mouse guard, or someone posing as them, were behind it all, and arrested Gill.
Two of the guardmice started to walk Gill away, and Gunrey and Beagan followed. At a secluded alley they tried to knock out the guard - Beagan succeeds with flying colors, but Gunrey misses his punch and the the guard starts to draw his sword. Gill uses the opportuinity, and snapping out of his pretended drunkness, kneekicks the guard to stomach with full force. After knocking the guards out, they went fast to Radulf´s parent´s house, where they got without a problem. Radulf was there already, with the Merchant, waiting for them.
There they interrogated the merchant, who didn´t know much, but did tell everything he knew: the events in Copperwood were his familys doing, that they in effect ruled Barkstone with all the important mice indebted to them, and that the events in Copperwood and the mice behind it would somehow incite war between Lockhaven and Copperwood. The Guard knew, that it had to be stopped, and escaped the town (who was looking for them.. They did start 2 fights and kindapped the Rynbeldel) in the caravan of Radul´s old friend. They did discuss explosions and fires as diversion, but decided they already have a bad enough reputation.
There they interrogated the merchant, who didn´t know much, but did tell everything he knew: the events in Copperwood were his familys doing, that they in effect ruled Barkstone with all the important mice indebted to them, and that the events in Copperwood and the mice behind it would somehow incite war between Lockhaven and Copperwood. The Guard knew, that it had to be stopped, and escaped the town (who was looking for them.. They did start 2 fights and kindapped the Rynbeldel) in the caravan of Radul´s old friend. They did discuss explosions and fires as diversion, but decided they already have a bad enough reputation. |
| The mice of Lockhaven |
Next chapter will revel, what kind of conspiracy is behind this all, and why is the Guard marching to Copperwood. Until next time!
