In the shallows of the river Moss, a strange sight lies. A squirrel, clad in rags, lay submerged up to his face, which is propped above water by his chin resting on the sucken remains of a very rickety, tiny boat. He's very still, and the salt that encrusts his whiskers suggests that he has somehow travelled here all the way from the sea.

Belliger walks away from the Guosim camp... After recent events, the shrew has decided that it's about time somebeast sat outside and waited for things like the other night's incident to happen. With him is Mercedes, and they seem to be in the middle of a conversation. "And then outta nowhere, this fox comes an' abducts tha' squirrelmaid... Me an' Cad were out 'ere, an' we 'ad to save th'poor thin', 'er frien' was unarmed, an' completely 'elpless..." Yeah, brag story. What's new?

From the trees off the edge of the bank, three sets of wary eyes watch the scene before them. Whispering amongst themselves, three ferrets hide in the undergrowth, inspecting the seemingly dead squirrel... Scavengers.

Rudder walks down the river, staff in hand, leaning on it slightly as he walks, close to the water, observing the scenery lightly, noticing a few of the creatures present, but not all at the moment.

The shrewess is in interest -feigned interest, perhaps, but interest all the same. "Vou don' say?" she murmurs where appropriate, dodging branches and roots with her paws, "I got to speak vith the male.. Sorren hees name ez. He holds ze maid high en hees heart.. but she's married, ze poor zhing.." Figures. Belliger all into the fight sequences and Mercedes broken up over the love story. It is just as Mercedes ends her speech that she pauses, eyes falling upon the fallen and submerged squirrel. "Oh dear.." she mutters, hurrying over to inspect him, placing a paw over his mouth and snout to see if he's still breathing, then moving to check the pulse -or lack thereof- at his neck.

Belliger raises his eyebrows and follows Mercedes... Jeeze, didn't even have to take a post and there's something already... And another squirrel, too. Man, this area is just -crawling- with these things. "Alive, y'think?"

The squirrel remains motionless, his body numb all over. He's barely breathing at all, so little that it might be hard to detect, and his pulse is equally faint. The squirrel seems to have also taken quite a recent beating if the bruises on his face are anything to go by.

Curses! The scavengers look on in dismay as they've got others to take care of before they relieve this unfortunate squirrel of his belongings... Not to mention have a decent meal... A whole squirrel... One of the three motions to the others to creep closer, and all three move their hands down to their sides to reach for their daggers.

"He's still breathing, but faintly.." Mercedes states to Belliger in a rather frantic tone, oddly enough her accent faltering. She grabs Furnier under his arms and pulls him out of the water, laying him gently on the dry shore. A quick flick of her wrist unclasps the cloak she is wearing, and she covers the squirrel with it, tucking it in at his sides. "We need to get him back. He's not in very good shape.. Help me, Belliger.. I don't think I can carry him alone."

Rudder moves over to the shrews, towering over them slightly to peer down at the dead body, frowning slightly as he studies the form, "Eh, he okay der mate?" He leans on his staff again, glancing to the shrews.

Belliger turns and looks up at the sea otter... "Don' know." He moves to help pick up the squirrel, placing one of the creature's arms over his shoulder and his own across his back, and begins to lift.

As the undersized squirrel is pulled out of the water, a number of deep carvings can be seen at regular intervals in the back of his hindlegs, as well as numerous old scars on his back. Finally, the fur on his wrists and ankles reveal that he was a slave of some kind. He shivers very faintly, offering no resistance as he is lifted.

Now's the time to move, while nobeast is looking. The three ferrets slink slowly out of the undergrowth. As of right now, Rudder's the nearest target, so all three of the ferrets move towards him, daggers raised menacingly, merely paces away from their prey.

Rudder stands back up, perhaps not being the most wisest target for scavengers probably, for the fact that he's taller than a river otter, battle scarred, armored, and armed, but no one ever said ferrets were smart.

Mercedes nods to Belliger, "Zhanks, Bell.." she mutters, her accent back again. She gives a brief glance around before motioning Bell back to the camp. What's this? Rudder is seen.. as well as the slinking ferrets. "Ho..!" she yells at the vermin, eyes narrowed and paws moving quickly to unsheath her rapier and main gauche.

Seen! The vermin all simultaneously lunge and thrust their daggers out at the sea otter's upper back, screeching in a high pitched banshee-like howl.

Belliger spins around and sees the vermin, as well... But he's carrying Furnier right now, and he nearly drops the squirrel when reaching for his short sword, but he balks, and starts to gently place the squirrel down, regardless of the screeching and lunging.

Rudder widens his eyess slightly at the shrew going into battle stance, gripping his staff slightly, turning around to slam the nearest ferret in their side, grunting as one dagger goes into the back of his shoulder, trying to take it with him as he turns..

Aid is given to Rudder soon enough, Mercedes jumping into the fray. She moves first toward the ferret the otter had slammed with his staff, taking her odd fighting stance and lunging forward, rapier point aimed for the vermin's neck.

The hit ferret is hit solidly in the side, and goes tumbling backwards, getting back up, and screeching out some kind of primitive language that tells the other two to step back and go for one on one. The ferret that was struck wants revenge on the sea otter, apparently, as he seems to choose Rudder. The other two split up between Belliger and Mercedes, wielding their daggers and scowling.

Furnier is laid down, though the screeching ferrets start to bring him round, just a tiny bit. Though his salt-encrusted eyes remain closes, his ears start to twitch, though he barely hears anything, being still almost unconcious. He's as helpless as a newborn.

Belliger finishes laying down the helpless squirrel, and unsheathes his short sword, taking stance against the one approaching him, and waiting for the ferret to make the first move.

Rudder loosens his dagger as the ferrets split up going back at the ferret he hurt, though he isn't going to ignore the other two completely, he goes at the struck ferret, moving to jab him in the stomach with a short quick thrust.

Mercedes returns from her lunge, back stepping and keeping a keen eye on the ferret that now has advanced on her. She advances herself, lunging toward the vermin's belly.

The ferret seems ready for Rudder's lunge, and quickly dodges the attack to the side and counterattacking, jabbing the dagger towards the sea otter's stomach... And the shrew on Mercedes rushes forward to stab at her midsection. The third charges towards Belliger, screeching the high pitched squeal, dagger raised.

Belliger stares down the ferret all the way until he's within the vermin's dagger range, and quickly uses the longer range of the short sword to thrust out towards the ferret's heart.

Rudder quickly sweeps his staff to the side to catch the ferret in the side to push him away as he side steps back, avoiding the dagger enough to get a new hole in his vest, barking at the ferret before trying to get a good swing at the ferret's legs to put him down.

The ferret after Mercedes stops his rush to deflect the shrew's rapier. He calls off his charge and steps backwards, feeling that was too close for comfort. He takes a stance and bobs back and forth, eyeing Mercedes, and cursing in the primitive language. Rudder successfully puts the ferret on the ground, but the acrobatic vermin is back up in a second, slashing downward across the sea otter's chest with the dagger's edge instead of stabbing.

The ferret before Belliger cackles in a raspy voice as he quickly back-peddals, avoiding the sword thrust, his eyes narrowed and his body crouched in a fighting position. "Take dis, tiny swew!" he says as he moves to slash at Bell with his dagger, a slash aimed for his face.

Rudder steps back slightly, but as the dagger as been used in and ineffective method against the current around, it just cuts his clothing and rakes across, although the otter uses the ferret's closeness to pull out his dagger and stab it into his chest.

Mercedes grins as she apparently has the upper paw. She doesn't allow the ferret to retreat for long, advancing for each step he steps back. At his final step, Mercedes does another thrust, moving quickly with her other weapon to stab in from the side.

Belliger moves his short sword upwards to block the dagger and, since it was a slash and not a stab, lock blades with the ferret, placing heavy weight on his weapon to force the ferret backwards and down to the ground.

The ferret after Belliger easily keeps his straight stance; he's a tall, muscled ferret, after all, and he dwarfs the shrew. He begisn to push his own weight onto Belliger, hoping to bend him backwards.

Rudder's ferret leaps desperately backwards to try and avoid the stab, but is unable to completely... Still, the stab goes shallow, and it's enough to hurt, but not to kill. The leap leaves the ferret on his rump, but he uses his acrobatics again to be on his feet... Not going to allow that to happen again, the ferret attempts to surprise the sea otter by throwing the dagger at his chest. Mercedes's ferret isn't liking her aggression at all, and decides to counter Mercedes's advance with a feint to the opposite side Mercedes moved to stab, and a lunge forward to thrust his dagger into Mercedes's ribs.

Belliger struggles against the ferret, but continues to push hard... The shrew tires, and begins to lean back, losing his balance. Thinking quickly, he falls backwards on purpose, hoping to use the ferret's forward momentum to carry him forward into Belliger's raised legs, and attempting to kick the ferret over his head.

Rudder watches the ferret and quickly twists to the side to try and avoid, but this time he takes the dagger into his injured shoulder again, but the attack was quick. The otter pulls out the dagger after dropping the staff, squeezing both daggers and smiling wickedly at the ferret as he launches himself at the small beast.

She wasn't ready for the feint; perhaps she under-estimated her advisary, or perhaps her footing just couldn't be caught in time enough to dodge. The dagger enters just below her ribs as she makes an attempt to dodge to the opposite side anyway, the blade digging deep at the side of her stomach. The shrewess' main gauche is dropped and her left paw moves to cover the wound. Erg. She needs to end this quickly, that is for sure. With a cry of dismay and rage, Mercedes lunges forward, eyes darting for any attack that she can dodge, her rapier searching for the ferret's throat.

Meanwhile, Belliger's ferret's eye go wide as he falls forward, caught in the gut by the shrew's feet and doing a sommersault in the air, landing on his back. He is quick to get up, shaking his head and eyeing Belliger warily.

Rudder's ferret is now completely unarmed, and is forced to use his own two paws. He snarls as he fearlessly launches himself right back at the sea otter, hoping to get too close for the daggers before the sea otter stabs at him, and, fist clenched, swings his right paw at the otter's stomach. The ferret on Mercedes screeches in ecstasy at the sight of blood on his dagger as the stab connects and pierces the shrewess, but the excitement is short lived; he finds himself being attacked again. He goes for a ducking feint this time, launching himself forward, dagger thrust out towards Mercedes's stomach.

Belliger rolls over and gets to his own feet, taking a stance against the ferret again. He charges forward towards the large ferret this time, swinging the sword a few times to try and distract the ferret before he's even in range, and when he is in range, slashes upwards viciously towards the vermin's neck... The attack is so fierce that the shrew grunts in exertion as it's executed.

Mercedes's wound bleeds freely as she is forced to use her arm as balance in throwing herself out of the way in a stumbling side-step, elegance long forgotten now that she's been the first successful attack. After her side-step, however, she whirls right around, relying on her much longer-range weapon to stab at the ferret's unprotected back.

Rudder smiles and moves into the ferret's punch, letting his armor absorb the blow and preventing the ferret from being able to get out all the force he can the punch, trying to draw the ferret in for a nice hug with the pair of daggers stabbing in towards the ferrets kidneys.

The ferret after Belliger watches the sword carefully, and when the shrew attacks, he raises his dagger to stop it. Unfortunately, there isn't enough strength in his block to keep the blade at bay.
Belliger's weapon leaves a lovely slice across the ferret's throat, exposing quite a deep wound. The ferret rasps, clutching at his throat and glaring hate at Belliger. In a last ditch, suicidal effort he lunges forward swiftly, ducking should there be an immediate slash or stab in his direction, and aiming a vicious stab at Belliger's gut.

The ferret attacking Rudder winces in pain as his fist connects with Rudder's armor, but that soon becomes the least of his worries as he finds that his kidneys have some brand new gaping holes in them, courtesy of Rudder. The ferret gurgles, chokes, and falls lifeless in the otter's hug. Mercedes's ferret fares a bit better, as he spins, following the shrew's movement and deflecting the rapier to the side, hoping that this time his backpedaling won't be mirrored by the ferocious shrew.

Belliger spins and slams the blade of his short sword downward towards the back of the lunging ferret's head, falling backwards as he feels his enemy's dagger pierce his gut, taking some of the stab, but definitely not all, out of the strike.

Oh.. but they are mirrored. Mercedes doesn't let the ferret get far, always on his heels, stabbing and lunging at him whenever given the chance. A fleeting glance is given toward her allies; gah, they seem to be doing much better than her. Growling at that fact, the shrewess doubles her ferocity, feigning moves and looking for any opening to stab her rapier.

Rudder bites at the ferret's throat, sinking his teeth into a good grip, stabbing repeatedly at the ferrets bcck to tear him up quite a bit and draw scanvengers when left to rot before moving towards the other ferrets, going after the one on Mercedes since he's doing a bit too well and he can probably get a surprise attack on him, slashing at his back.

Belliger's ferret lays dead on the ground, his paws falling from his dagger and the shrews sword rather deeply cleft into the back of his skull. Yum. O-o

Mercedes gives a growl as Rudder approaches, "He's mine, stay back.."

The shrewess's foe keeps backpedaling, and backpedaling, and backpedaling... And finds himself backed into a tree. He reacts by thrusting his dagger forward to pierce Mercedes's windpipe, turning his head to the side and clenching his eyes tight shut, hoping to whatever force created him that Mercedes doesn't stop soon enough and jab him with her rapier.

Belliger grunts as he pushes the ferret off of him, standing up slowly and tugging at his short sword to free it from the vermin's skull. He looks painfully down at the dagger in his gut, then grabs it with his free right hand, slowly pulling it out of him... The pain causes the shrew's knees to buckle, and he falls, dropping both his short sword and the dagger to the ground, now on his knees and one paw, the other paw bent up to cover his stomach.

A paw slams up against the tree, holding the ferret's wrist in place -the one that carries the dagger. Her rapier-weilding paw brings her blade upward to jab threateningly at the ferret's throat. "Bell.." she mutters, her voice clearly strained and lacking its accent once again, "..death or life upon this one?"

The decision's quite clear in Belliger's mind, considering his state... At his name, he jerks his head up to glare at the ferret against the tree. Even with his injury, the shrew finds it in his charisma to move his paw covering his stomach, smearing blood across his neck in a "cut throat" gesture.

The ferret, however, still stands pinned against the tree, whimpering something in either jibberish or another language, eyes clenched. Yeah, he knows what's gonna happen.

The shrewess glances at the ferret's paw that still holds the dagger. "I don't kill unarmed beasts, vermin. Too bad you didn't drop your weapon.." Rapier is jabbed into the ferret's throat, Mercedes twisting the rapier before she falls to her knees, rapier dropped and paw flying to her own wound.

Belliger is finally able to stand again, although he's nearly doubled over, grasping at his wound. He looks around him, and sees three dead ferrets, two live shrews, a live sea otter and a dead... well, close enough... squirrel. He nods, as if figuring the count to be quite correct, then eyes the ferret close to Rudder, the one that's completely mutilated and lying face down in the dirt... Then his eyes move to the sea otter. He's ready to compliment the creature on a job well done, but he's got other matters to attend to. He rushes as fast as he can over to Mercedes, crouching down, eyeing her paw covering her wound. "Is 't deep?"

Mercedes winces, blood covering her entire lower half from the intensity of the fight when her paw wasn't able to keep the wound somewhat closed. "I don't know.. maybe.." she murmurs, trying to get up and leaning heavily on the tree where the ferret was killed. "Get the squirrel, he's still alive.."

Rudder sheaths his dagger and looks to his bloody shoulder tossing the other dagger into the river and walking towards the squirrel on the ground, muttering under his breath.

Furnier's condition hasn't changed, except for the fact that with every breath he makes the tiniest, quietest outcry...

Belliger stands as Mercedes does, and decides it's about time he move his paw from his wound as well, letting blood trickle down as he makes his way towards the squirrel he set down just before, leaning down to pick him up in the same manner, getting up slower this time, paw moving halfway to clutch his wound, stopping in mid-movement, and dropping to his side.

Mercedes stays where she's at, her side shoved against the side of the tree with her paw still at her wound. It is deep. ..and moving would only cause the bleeding to increase - blood that she is in need of right now. She watches the otter and Belliger inspect the squirrel, hoping that he still is, indeed, alive.

Rudder sighs and points towards Mercedes, "Yeh take care o' 'er mate, an' ah take teh squirrel here, ah got one good arm." He leans down and begins to pick up the squirrel, putting him over his good shoulder.

Belliger swallows and lets out a deep breath as the sea otter takes the squirrel. He eyes his wound and the blood flowing from it before making his way over to Mercedes again. "Th'camp, back to th'camp... Y'need 'elp?"

"I'm fine.. yeah, I can make it. Go on ahead," Mercedes mumbles.
Belliger eyes the shrewess. "C'mon, then..." He begins to doggedly walk towards the camp, making sure the otter follows with the squirrel, and looking over his shoulder at Mercedes.

Rudder moves over to the shrew staying still, kneeling down, "You can bleed on me, but I think I got room for one more if you hold onto my neck."

Gads.. Mercedes gently leans away from the tree, the wound bleeding once again. She stumbles after Belliger painfully, too stubborn to fall to the ground or ask for aid in walking. "Nae, it's alright.. I've got it," she murmurs to Rudder, "But thanks for the offer.."

------------------------------------

Belliger leads the way into the meeting tent, immediately going over to his little hinged box of assorted natural healing supplies, and opening it... He stares at the inside, biting his lip... He turns his head to watch the others follow in.

Ah.. home again. As Mercedes steps into the meeting tent, she stumbles and falls, lying still where she's at and breathing hard. Good, at least she has fallen at her home and not on some unknown section of the River Moss. She closes her eyes, ears perked and listening to the others in the tent, her wound throbbing into numbness.

Belliger watches Mercedes fall to the ground, looks back at the box, then back to the shrewess... He takes the box and decides to work right there on the floor. He begins to dress the wound, wiping some of the debris away first, then placing some kind of local herb on it, acting as a catalyst for healing, and takes the roll of bandages, eyeing them carefully before beginning to wrap the cloth around her carefully.

Laying on the large table, Snowflower trembles underneath her blankets with her head resting on a pillow. The squirrelmaid stares up at the tent's ceiling quietly until she hears someone enter. Snowflower attempts to sit up but thinks better of it and tilts her head towards the two shrews wondering what happened.

Mercedes mouths something incoherant to Belliger, her eyes half-masted as she stares at him. The bandaging and herbalizing of the wound causes her to wince on occasion, though for the most part she remains still.

Rudder walks in behind the two shrews, an unconscious squirrel over his shoulder, his other stabbed in the front and in the back, blood caking in his thick fur, "W'ere dah ah drop 'em?"

Belliger looks up at the sea otter as he finishes bandaging. "On th'table, if y'don' min'..." He stands, picking up the box of herbs and bandages again, and placing it on the table, waiting for the sea otter to carry the squirrel over so he can begin bandaging up his shoulder.

Seeing the otter and his load, the squirrelmaid sits up slowly, head spinning. She slides herself off the table and into a chair wincing as a shoot of pain goes up her side.

Furnier is the unconcious squirrel carried by the otter. He's sopping wet and shivering, barely breathing. A thick coating of sea salt sticks to his mouth, nostrils and closed eyes. His back is visible in places from the torn rags he wears, revealing many old scars from blade and brand. His wrists and ankles lack any fur, and there are a number of extremely deep cuts and carvings in certain places on the back of his hindlegs. A more pathetic creature is hard to imagine.

Mercedes remains on the floor, having stopped all movement for now except a shallow breathing and occasional twitching as the shrewess falls into slumber.

Rudder nods and flops the squirrel onto the table none too gently, but not enought to hurt him, besides, he's a slave, he could take it. He pauses a moment to look at his arm finally, squeezing his fist for a moment, though he ignores help to pick up the fallen shrew female and set her on the table where there is room, "Stabilize her first matey."

Belliger watches the shrewess fall asleep, and then be placed on the table... "She's fine 'nough..." He walks over to the sea otter, herbs and bandages in hand, and begins to dress the shoulder against Rudder's will.

Rudder grunts and growls at the tiny little shrew, "Dat burns dere mate." He sighs and lifts his sleeve for shorty there to complete.

Snowflower glances at the squirrel before turning back to Belliger and the sea otter. The squirrelmiad watches quietly before speaking up in her still very hoarse pained voice. "Do you need any help?"

Belliger chuckles, although he's not feeling too swell at the moment... As he finishes wrapping the sea otter's shoulder, he leans back, sans the roll of bandages... He holds out his paws and looks down to his own wound, still bleeding. "Tha's it for th'bandages..." He turns to the squirrelmaid as she speaks. "Ye should rest, miss Snowflower. Nothin' lef' te do." He sits down in a chair, slumping down deeply into it, putting his paw over his wound and wiping away some blood, only to watch more surface... He glances over at the pitiful squirrel Furnier lying on the table, just hoping there wasn't anything fatal on him, because... Well, no supplies.

Furnier just lays there, shivering. It looks like he won't be concious anytime soon...

Leaning down, Snowflower gently rips off a large strip from the bottom of her dress. Blinking she sits back up and hands it to Belliger. "Here. Tie that around your wound. It should help to stop the bleeding at least. May I asked what happened to you all?"

Belliger takes the strip of cloth, weakly smiling at the squirrelmaid. He presses some herbs against his wound, and wraps his wound, standing up and heading to his tent. "Thankee, sir otter, an' thankee miss Snowflower... I'll let ye know in th'morn, I need t'rest." He looks up at Rudder. "Yer welcome t'stay th'night 'ere..." He turns and heads out.