The kitchen door squeaks open. At first the crack made appears empty, until slowly and surely a pink nose pokes out, followed by a white snout. The pink triangle wiggles and sniffs, and once the coast has been deemed safe, the rest of a small white doe leaks out into the main are of the tavern. She lets her eyes roam the empty room, and she lets out a relieved sigh. Soon the doe is packed herself into a corner table of the tavern, a basket of dry bread and a mug of ale in her paws.

"Ooogh..." This, half-grunt, half-sigh, comes from the way of the stairs, and it is followed by the very familiar sound of crutches thunking on wooden steps. It's a slow sound, so Lily might have time to duck and run if she really wanted to.

Lily is tearing at a bit of yesterdays leftover bread, washing it down by tipping her mug to pour the ale down her throat. The clunk nearly causes the skittish doe to choke on her food. Her ears shoot up and she jumps up, banging her knee on the table. With a muffled yelp she shoots underneath the table, leaving her bread and ale unattended on the table.

Eventually, Keita reaches the bottom step. Looking around the empty tavern - closed, given the events of the past two days - she sighs. Ah. She'd thought she'd heard something down here. Pausing for a moment to lean against the doorframe, she wipes her paws together, then runs one down her face. She looks, in a word, tired.

Lily peers through the jungle of table and chair legs. Her eyes squint, but as it's a familiar, and welcome, face, Lily begins to feel rather foolish. With only a moment of thought, the doe pops out from under the table, pretending there is something in her paw. "Ah! There tis. Tricky lil thin'." The doe scolds the make-believe copper, and shoves it into her pocket. "Oh! Kei... 'lo there." Lily calls out, as if noticing the doe for the first time.

Keita's ears perk almost happily to attention and she turns, smiling wanly. "Ey, Lil... Didn't think anyone was in here." She hehs. "Crazy coupla days, huh?"

Lily pats her pocket, mentally cheering herself on for her ploy working. "Oh, yes. Mm, quite." Lily, however, has been strangely absent for the last two days. "How are yah holdin' up?" She wonders aloud, moving closer and around the other to inspect her.

Keita scruffs a paw at her headfur, which looks more than messy. And she's not helping it. "Think if I see another bleedin' hare, I might kill som'un." The bleeding part could be an insult, but mostly it's just a description of condition. She smirks, but it's short-lived. "... Where've ya been?"

Some sounds come from the direction of the door that leads to the outside of the tavern as each footstep gets closer before the door opens and in pops the head of a bandaged hare, in this case, Jarril's. "'orning, bit cold out there but nice day overall. I say, is that vittles I can smell? Good time for breakfast, wot."

Lily looks slightly concerned at the threat, but assuming that she is safe from Kei's wrath, the doe stays close, even leaning up to try and fluff Kei's headfur. "Been? Well, I've been bus-" She starts to say when the open door startles her. The doe automatically ducks behind Keita, peeking around the shoulder of the bar owner.

Keita's arms have gone around Lily's waist by the time Jarril's words announce his presence, and so, when the doe twists around, her palms turn upwards in an empty gesture. Where did the bunniness go? She looks over her shoulder, her lips forming a thin line as she regards Lily. With a small shake of her head, she looks back to Jarril. She nods to the patrol hare. "There's some soup warmin' in the kitchen," she nods towards the kitchen door. "How ya feelin'?"

Jarril walks in slowly and rubs the back of his head. "Like I been whacked on the back of the head by a large club or a badger paw." He coughs and moves his paw down before nodding his head. "On behalf of myself and all the hares of the patrol, I thank ya for ya help." Lifting his head back up again. "If there is anything that we can do ta repay ya, just let us know. How are the others?"

Lily presses herself to the back of Keita, her eyes turning away and down as she tries to weight out the danger of the situation. Deciding that it's more embarrassing for the ex-patrol hare more than dangerous, the doe shies away, moving back to her corner to grab at her bread and ale. Let Keita take all the compliments, as Lily has been in hiding for the last few days. Not a big help at all.

Keita snorts softly and again shakes her head. "Let's just call things even fer now, hm? Payback for yer help with the village." Keita looks back once more at the retreating Lily, and for just a moment her brow furrows. She looks back to the buck.

Jarril gives a look at Lily and smiles at her before turning his head back to Keita and nods. "Very well." He pads up to where the bar is and takes out what little he has in his small pouch and places down the coins. "For the rooms that my hares are taking up while recovering. Mind if I go and help myself ta that soup?" The major speaking softly.

Lily tucks her basket into her arms, and hooks her mug handle in her paw. The doe sips at it, glancing over at the other two as she winds her way towards the bar and kitchen door. "I'll get it." She says quickly and moves into the swinging door.

Keita's eyebrows raise. "Jarril, you're more than welcome t'anything ya need in this tavern, n ya /don't/ have to pay for it." Her ears flick at Lily's words, but she doesn't look back again. She does, however, glance upwards, waiting just a tick long enough so that Lily's out of the room. "Actually... there is one thing ya could do fer me."

Jarril leans on the bar and nods. "Anything, just mention it friend. What's the problem?" He twitches an ear before taking a look at the kitchen door. "Is it something ta do with her then?"

Keita smirks. "No. Just somethin' I don't want her t'know about, maybe." She limps over Jarril's way, sitting on a stool near him. She lowers her voice. "I've a friend who's been havin' trouble with yer lot. I want ya t'call off yer hounds. C'n ya do that?"

Jarril frowns slightly as he speaks quietly back. "Trouble from my lot." He looks at Keita. "Who? And don't give me any excuse on names either? Ya friend shouldn't be getting any trouble at all if it's not warranted." Keita folds her paws together, resting her chin atop them as she regards the other. "A badgah. Vansinnig. He once claimed allegiance t' Daclon's lot. He no longah does." She pauses only briefly, impatient for this to be done before Lily returns. "C'n ya do it?"

Jarril blinks slightly. "I thought he was left for dead?" He goes quiet for a moment and ponders. "I can try but I don't think they would listen ta me if it's who I think they are. But I'll give it a go." The major goes quiet for a moment and looks at Keita. "Ya know, ya could help with this yaself. Why hasn't this village got anyone ta keep order about here?" He looks at the kitchen door and back again. "I was talking ta an otter, named Brom I think. Yeah, that's his name. He was thinking on the position of sheriff here."

Lily pushes the door of the kitchen open with her back, leading herself out with a tray in paw. On it is a steaming bowl of soup, as well as some slices of bread with butter. She turns and makes her way towards the two, delivering the tray. "There yah go." Lily announces, turning to leave again.

Jarril nods and calls after Lily. "Thank ya."

"He was, by that attack dog o' yours - Darklett." His name is murmured with distaste, and she looks away briefly. Yech. At his question, however, and the dropping of the name, she looks back. "All creatures in a law enforcement capacity were executed by the horde on the first day o' the take-ovah." She, for obvious reasons, didn't find this out til later. She looks up, then, as Lily re-enters. She quickly smiles. "Thanks, Lil." She stands, then, murmuring once more. "Thanks, Jarril. Ya've been a great help t' me this past season."

Lily pauses at the name Darklett, her ears turning back and her eyes flinching with recognition. "S'no problem." The doe says to them. the doe retrieves her food once more, sitting down at a table not far away and beginning to munch slowly at it, an ear cocked towards the two as nonchalantly as possible.

Jarril nods, "I have ta get help with Darklett since he's been promoted and all, makes it harder for me ta do another majah but I can only talk ta him. If that fails I have ta try and get a colonel ta see my way." He smiles at the last and nods. "Just doing my job Keita, nothing more, nothing less. Call me if ya need anything else taking care off though."

Keita's eyebrow raise. Darklett, promoted? What in the world is the LP coming to? With an inward sigh, she outwardly smiles, nods her thanks, and then backs off, heading for the stairs once more. "Well, I've more sickies t'attend to. Enjoy yer soup." She nods one final time, glances only briefly at Lily, and clumps up the stairs.

Jarril hmms and goes to attend to what is on his tray, eating quietly to himself while pausing from time to time in thought. Picking up a cup of water, he takes a sip and hmmms.

Lily looks up as Keita leave, her eyes narrowing. She falls silent for a moment, eyeing the Major and finally speaking up. "If she needs t'talk t' th' Colonel, why not do it 'erself? It's 'er muthah, af'er all. Shouldn't it count for bloomin' somethin'?"

Jarril blinks and stops, turning around to face Lily. "She asked me, besides perhaps on not making it official I can have a word with him and see if it can be sorted out in case it gets out of hand." He goes quiet and sighs. "Why is it so important for ya ta have an opinion anyways?"

Lily flicks her ears back. The doe picks up her things, sending the Major a glare. "Same reason why you an' yah patrol have tah stick yah noses in business tha' aint yahs. Like I assume yah doin' now!" She starts towards the kitchens. "Believe it or not, an' despite wot Keita migh' tell yah, I aint no fool, an' I have some value, thank yah very much. Wouldn't expect 'ny beast t'notice, though." Lily says darkly as she slips into the back room.

Jarril blinks and shakes his head, then ponders for a moment, rubbing his paw on his chin. Shrugging he turns and goes back to eating again, muttering to himself. "Should head back ta the mountain but as long as he's there and that badger's here. Hmmm. Good..." The hare dips some bread in the soup nonetheless. Pausing for a moment in mid eating of the bread he calls out in the direction of the kitchen door. "So tell me why ya quit the patrol anyways?"

The scattering sounds of pots and pans signals that Lily has been surprised by the question. There is a long pause before the doe answers, her voice barely floating through the main area of the tavern. "Kei convinced me to." Her voice is tinged with that miserable sort of tone. "I... I didn't fit in."

Jarril stops eating and gets up padding over to the door and opens it ajar as he munches on some bread. "Oh? Any reason why ya didn't fit in?" He asks softly.

Lily is leaning over the sink, her arms deep in the water. She jumps slightly as he looks in on her. The doe, looking ruffled and annoyed, turns her eyes away from the other. "Kei's mah mate, /Sah/. H'aint much room for tha' sorta thin' in th' patrol, now is there?"

Jarril frowns slightly. "And who told ya that? Me and Kei are friends, helped out from time ta time, hence why she asked me ta sort this problem out." Pausing for a moment he looks back into the bar and then returns his gaze back to where Lily is. "I am just curious that's all. Not going ta say if ya choice was good or bad but as long as ya are happy with the way things are now, then that's the most important thing. But please, don't think all patrollers think of duty first and friendships second." The hare pops the last of the bread into his mouth.

Lily's lips twitches at the question. "Do I /look/ happy?" She finally blurts out, the words surprising even her. With a heavy sigh, the doe lets the pots slip back into the sink. Lily straightens herself up, and dries her paws on her apron. "Look, it doesn't mattah at all. Wot's done is done. Kei's mah only friend, so patrol friendships don' concern meh. You have your life, I have mine."

Jarril doesn't reply for a moment and then quietly asks. "Exactly what happened during your time in the patrol?" The hare moving into the kitchen now and allowing the door to close before leaning on one of the tables.

Lily, strangely enough, doesn't shy away like usual. "I was ah fightah. I stayed mos'ly t'mahself, an' tried my bloomin' hardest t' develop ah crush on Darklett. Never did happen, though. Gettin' intah trouble an' washin' dishes mos' every night. Had ah problem wi' authority, th' offisahs said." Her teeth grind together at the thought. "Then I met Miss Keita. Lef' th' mountain tha' very night, I did."

Jarril nods slowly. "I see... I don't think I ever had a problem with ya but ya weren't in my patrol so then again I wouldn't know. But tell me, do ya have a problem with ya friend asking me ta sort out Darklett over this badger?"

Lily goes rigid at the mention. "Th' badger? Van, is it? Vermin, for th' mos' part. Darklett hates 'im so, doesn't he? I... I dunno. I don' like th' badger, by 'ny means. But Kei seems t'like 'im well nough." The doe breaths deeply. "Keita... she asked yah t sort it out, did she? Huh, figures." The doe shakes her head. "I want im out o Halyard, but I don' 'xactly wish death 'pon 'im."

Jarril nods. "It has put me in a middle of a problem though and somehow putting my reputation in the patrol on the line also. How exactly has Van changed? Can he be trusted in not going back ta his vermin ways? I really don't fancy a round with my counsin, though I suspect I be having one about the mess the patrol was in after Darklett's choice of command..."

Lily thinks for a moment. "He hasn't killed me, an' I haven't xactly been th kindest o'hosts t'im. Though tha' might jus' be outta respect for Kei's wishes for 'im /not/ t'bite my head off. Trusted? I don' trust im. But Kei does, an you know 'er bettah... probably bettah than /I/ know 'er even." The doe looks up. "Dark's makin' ah mess o'things, is he? Huh."

Jarril sighs. "Ya could've said that. But it was my fault for not bally well butting in and correcting his decision ta go attack the horde camp while they had bigger numbers than what we did." The buck frowns slightly though. "But it's not right for another majah ta go about and publically say an ordah is wrong and all. So we're ended up in this mess and some hares died while most are up above in their beds. So yeah, I am in a bit of trouble with Zoe now, never mind dealing with Dark and Van." The hare straightens up. "But I'll work something out anyways."

Lily blows air through her whiskers. "Sounds jus' like th' patrol. Willin' t'sacrifice lives in ordah t'save yah dignity." She grumbles. "Hope it lets yah sleep bettah at nigh', knowing young'uns died for yah reputation." Not bitter, is she? The doe starts to dump more pots and pans into the sink. "M'sure yah will. But until then, this is ah employees only area, Sah. I'll bring yah more soup out when m'done."

Jarril gets up and looks back and replies back a bit hurt in his voice. "Maybe so, but it did help when this village was freed from that horde, remember that. I am trying my best, be it for the best or not." Without another word the buck leaves the kitchen without another word being uttered.

Lily sighs and looks down at her work. Her scrubbing grows harder for a moment, Lily using it as an outlet for her frustration. After a moment the doe feels herself worn out and goes to sit on a stool, burying her face in her paws.