Halyard Village: West Square(#93069RJA) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Halyard Village ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Surrounded on most sides by short, squat buildings, none any higher than two levels, the main square of this small, sea-side village is covered in a fine layer of dirt, which mostly covers the old cobble stone beneath. Many of the buildings lining the square are homes, though some are places of business - and, of course, there are the obligatory pubs. However, pubs are not the only staple of a small village, especially not this one. Scattered here and there upon sidewalks and in front of stores, various fishing nets and traps lie about, most considerably worse for wear. It's obviously a fishing village. Beyond that, a dirt road runs north and south from the square, with a small scattering of homes, and behind these, a backdrop of trees. Meanwhile, beyond the trees lies the shore. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*~ Visible Exits: [A]ntique [S]tore [S]outhern [R]oad [H]alyard [T]avern [N]orthern [R]oad [K]nick-knack [C]at [S]hop [M]ain [S]treet [B]ack to [D]irt [P]ath

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[DYN] Better now (Icepaw)

[DYN] He's hard to kill... it's (Rothal)

Icepaw strolls into the square after a good nights rest, having just reached Halyard the night before. He stretches a bit, feeling his muscles tense up as they start wake up slowly.

Rothal wanders out of a house bordering the square, looking tired. The bandage around his stomach has recently been replaced by a new, cleaner one, and the hare doesn't seem especially happy about all the fuss.

The sound of pawsteps can only be heard if one were in the house upon whose roof Amir crouches. The stoat has snuck into the village last night, under cover of darkness, for reasons known to himself. Maybe others as well, but if any others are involved, the stoat would not mention them.

Icepaw notices the other wounded hare as he walks in. "Good after noon, mate," he says in a somewhat cheery tone, knowing already from Rothal's disposition that it's anything but.

Rothal waves in Icepaw's direction. "Afternoon. Not sure about the good part." He slumps to a campfire, glancing into the pot hanging above it from a tripod. "Empty. Huh."

Amir crouches lower on the roof, creeping to the edge and peering over at the hares below. A mask, part of his turban, covers the bottom half of his face. Hence, only his eyes and a small part of his face are visible.

Icepaw smiles, then reaches into his pack and pulls out some different items. "I think I can solve that tuck problem of yours, mater," he says as he pulls out a small canteen of water and places the food in the pot. "Just came from the mountain last night wit' a hefty supply of tuck, wot"

Rothal nods. "Thank yah. Can yah cook at all? h'I can't. Not to save mah life." While the hare is talking, he adds wood to the dwindling camp fire.

Amir lays down on the roof. This is as low as he can go, and for the moment his only job is to watch these two hares. The stoat remains silent, his fur and his clothes giving him plenty of camouflage.

Icepaw shrugs slightly. "As far as I know, I'm a pretty good cook, wot. At least, me foods neve' killed anyone, wot," he replies as he pours the water into the pot to make a soup. He notices a slight movement above him, but shrugs it off as a shadow.

Rothal smirks, just a little. "That'll work, h'I guess. h'I'd probably kill somebeast h'if h'I cooked. The hare finishes adding wood, and stops talking, kneeling and blowing on the fire to get it to burn the new wood quicker.

Amir keeps still and silent. He's where he wants to be, and unless a hare looks directly at him, he's practically invisible. His eyes constantly rove across the square, keeping anybeast who enters watched, while he listens to the hares.

Icepaw rummages through his pack again, this time producing a ladle, which he uses to start stirring the soup. "So, mate, what's the latest. Ain't been much word at the mountain, wot."

Rothal sits up, shrugging. "Corporal Zoe came, but yah already know that, no doubt. Only minah skirmishes have occurred. Heard Jarril was h'in trouble for somethin', to."

Amir scoots a little to the right, to hear the hares better, they being a goodly distance away, and a loose shingle slides from the roof. Before it can hit the pavement below, the stoat ducks his head out of sight.

Icepaw hears the shingle crack on the ground and looks up with a start. He notices a brief movement and cranes his head to see. "What was that, mate?"

Rothal shakes his head. "Whole town's fallin' apart since the vermin came h'in. Check h'it out h'if yah want, but h'I doubt h'it's anythin'."

Amir keeps any anger or frustration under check, listening breathlessly to the hares below. Emotions can't be read under the mask he wears, so if he feels anything in particular, its hard to tell.

Icepaw shrugs and goes back to stirring the soup, which is starting to give of a very appetizing aroma. He goes back into his pack and pulls out some different herbs and sprinkles some in.

Rothal watches the other hare cook, but, admit it or not, the hare's curiosity has been sparked. Standing, he walks to the fallen shingle, picking it up and looking it over. Glances up at the roof's edge, then back to the shingle. This process is repeated twice.

Amir freezes, holding his breath and listening to the movement below. He can't see Rothal, but he can hear him.

Icepaw watches Rothal do this little action, then returns his attention to the soup, which is almost ready. " Anything there, mate?"

Rothal shakes his head again. "Not sure. This tile didn't come loose on h'it's own though, h'I think."

Amir moves back a little, as quietly as is possible. This is going from bad to worse.

Icepaw looks up from the soup again. "Why don't you throw it back up then? That'd get what eve' may be up there', wot."

Rothal looks at the shingle again, shrugs, and tosses it back on the roof. "Bird or somethin' must have knocked h'it off."

Amir is hit by the shingle, directly in the back. The stoat hisses slightly, but otherwise, remains as quiet as the grave.

Icepaw head snaps up at this small sound. "I don't think that it's a bird, mate."

Rothal looks curiously at the rooof in question, slipping around to a nearby, lower roof. This he attempts to climb, although his wounds impede him somewhat.

Amir pulls a thin dagger from some concealed spot, checking to make sure it is sharp. He remains still, hoping the hares will leave.

Icepaw stands up and walks over to Rothal. "Here mate, let me do that. You go watch the tuck and make sure it don't over cook."

Rothal has made it onto the low roof. "How about h'I stay here, while yah go up higher?" He doesn't exactly feel like climbing down.

Amir crouches, out of the hares' sight, dagger clenched in his paw. His face still obscured by the mask, he glances around for a way off the roof, just in case.

Icepaw slowly creeps up to the other building where the shingle originated from. He pulls him self up cautiously, ready incase of an attack.

Meanwhile, Rothal continues to climb up to the next roof, he will be on a level with Amir in a few seconds. The hare is already breathing heavily.

Amir clenches the dagger tighter, turning from the sound of one hare climbing, to the other. One is nearer, and he steps quietly along the roof, crouching behind a chimney near Icepaw.

Icepaw pulls himself up along the drainage pipe of the building Amir is on, slowly ascending to the top. He finally reaches it and pulls himself up all the way, looking around for anything suspicious, but he can't see Amir due to the chimney.

Rothal pulls himself up, gasping at the pain in his stomach. Standing shakily, he glances around, and from here, has a clear look at Amir. "Hey!"

Amir growls, the first real show of emotion, jumping from behind the chimney, throwing his dagger at Rothal. The blade is noteworthy, smeared with a black substance, it spins through the air towards the runner, while the stoat tries a desperate move by dashing straight for Icepaw.

Icepaw gets taken aback by the sudden movement but quickly recovers, putting his arm out in a clothes lining attempt.

Rothal grimaces as the dagger is thrown in his direction. Great. He tries to dodge, but the dagger hits his shoulder, causing him to stagger, then fall to his knees.

Amir doesn't seem concerned by that, or what Icepaw is doing. He ducks low, throwing himself at the hare in a flying tackle.

Icepaw feels an impact in his midriff, sending his large body flailing backwards and over the edge of the roof. He grabs onto the gutter of the building with one hand and hangs there, swinging from side to side.

Rothal is holding himself up with one paw, holding the dagger hilt with the other. He draws it slowly out, letting it fall. It slides down the roof, dropping off the edge, falling to the ground below.

Amir swings himself around, using the hare as a pole of sorts, so that when the hare grabs the gutter, he's hanging from his back. Another dagger appears in his paw, this one's blade is clean, and he stabs at Icepaw.

Icepaw feels the blade sink deep into his shoulder as he hangs there with the stoat on his back. He manages to hold on still and flails at the stoat with his free arm.

Rothal clasps his bleeding shoulder, pulling himself towards where Ice and the stoat fell. Halfway there, he slumps down, gasping in pain.

Amir leaves the dagger in Ice's shoulder, grabbing the front of Ice's tunic, swinging himself so he's face to face with the hare, and the blow misses him. Grabbing his dagger, he jerks it out of the hare's shoulder, growling, and stabs it at Ice again.

Icepaw dodges the knife and swings his fist as Amir's face.

Amir lets go of Ice, dropping to the ground below in a crouch. Then he's off, cutting across the square, pushing past several hares and starting nimbly up another building.

Rothal staggers up, helping Ice onto the roof, before following the same route the stoat took. Oof. That was a mistake. The hare falls again, yelling for somebeast to stop Amir.

Icepaw follows Rothal, and bounds after the stoat, taking one giant step after another, bounding after the assailant. He climbs up after him as quickly as possible.

Amir reaches a low roof, kicking several shingles down towards Ice's head. While he hasn't been wounded yet, both of the other hares are, and its likely he'll get away.

Rothal is still yelling for somebeast to stop Amir, without realizing that Ice has already gotten off the roof and is after him. Looking up, he sees the other hare climbing, and the shingles being kicked down at him. "Hey, look out!"

Icepaw catches a shingle in the face and falls backwards, his nose spewing blood. He wipes the blood out of his face and starts ascending again, finally reaching the top and chasing after Amir once again.

Amir clambers up the wall of a building, finding spots to place his claws as he pulls himself up. reaching the top, now about two stories up, he tosses another shingle or two at the pursuing hare.

Rothal coughs thickly. The dagger, he decides, must have been poisoned. In which case, he needs to find a healer. He begins to drag himself towards the tavern, where Keita should be.

Icepaw dodges the second wave of shingles and continues his hunt, gaining speed and closing the gap.

Amir figures he's pretty safe, now that he has a sheer, one story high wall between himself and his pursuer, and he continues his throwing of shingles.

Rothal makes it to the threshold of the tavern, grabbing the door and pulling himself inside.

Icepaw reaches the top after a shingle smashes into his shin. He charges at Amir with his head down.

Amir is jumping again, off this roof and back to the lower one. Things are complicated when, as he jumps, Ice's shoulder hits his stomach, and he falls the wrong way.

Icepaw slips of the roof and starts to fall down to the lower one.

Amir falls towards the road below, grabbing a window sill just before he hits ground, stopping his fall. Dropping the rest of the way to the ground, he pulls his sword from its sheath, backing to the barricade.

Icepaw pulls out three daggers from the sheaths on his chest and throws one at Amir's chest.

Amir throws himself to the side, watching the dagger fly past. His heavy robe is pulled of quickly, belt and all, leaving him in a longsleeved tunic and trousers, for more mobility. At his waist is another belt, this one bristling with weaponry and assassin's tools. Continuing to back up, he is now almost to the barricade.

Icepaw bounds down and after Amir. He throws another well aimed dagger at Amir's leg this time.

Rothal has disconnected.

Amir holds the robe before him, and with a jerk, catches the dagger in its folds. Then he clambers over the barricade, headed for the east side.