Rufus_Niblick sits on the edge of the river, dipping his toes - de-booted - into the water and giggling to himself. A logboat is conveniently drawn up on the bank beside him. A pretty dragonfly catches the shrew's eye and he cocks his head to observe its gauzy colours. Simply dahling, this nature thing.

Ardath's cunning plan. The ferret's stashed his pack a bit back in the woods, and is creeping slowly toward ol' Ruf, sword held level with the ground in his other hand. No branch-snapping here, nah ah. Unless Mags does. XD The... giggling shrew presents an apparent easy target. Ardath squares his feet a bit behind Rufus, sword now held in both hands. The jig is up. "Put your hand on that rapier, and lose it," he warns. ;p

Magnesium, ahem, snaps a branch. Whoops. But it's ok, 'cos Ardath has the matter in hand, what with the whole "the jig is up" stuff. She eyes the effeminate shrew with curiosity and a little amusement. Ooh, dahling.

Rufus_Niblick, of course, hears nothing of the ferret's approach and the order brings a slight, "Eek!" to his lips. At once he unbuckles the rapier from his belt and chucks it a few feet away. "Wh-what do you want?" he asks tremulously. "Don't hurt me! I- I'm in the GUOSIM you know, and- and... Belliger will come and fight you!" Or something. XD

Ardath almost rolls eyes. ;p Holding his sword again in one hand, he reaches to grip the back of Ruf's shirt in the other, and lift the shrew bodily from the shore. "Silence!" he barks, directly into the shrew's face. He can have a little fun. XD "Is this your boat?" Asks the ferret, pointing the sword tip toward the longboat, before bringing it back over, the tip poking slightly at Ruf's middle. Tap tap. ;D

Magnesium just... stands there, with her hands behind her back. Watching. How dull.

Rufus_Niblick is silent. In a sort of whimpering cowering way. "U-uh... yes. Sort of, ish. Y'see, I'm in the G-GUOSIM and this boat sort of belongs to everyone. But you can have it! What do I want with a silly boat, yeuch! Not even any paint on it, I mean /honestly/. Belliger could've spruced it up a bit, you know, a few swirls..." Ruf is cut short by the tap-tap on his guts, drawing his knees upwards and wringing his hands.

Ardath glares the proverbial daggers at Ruf, before grinning. "Good answer. Yes, it's -our- boat, now, and you won't follow us if you know what's good for you." He narrows one eye. "And don't threaten me with your GUOSIM nonsense, shrew." Of course, words can't articulate a point well enough, so he simply puts the sword point-down in the dirt, and introduces his fist to Ruf's eye. He then turns his head toward Mags, holding Ruf as one would a garbage bag. ;p "Would you get your pack, dear?" XD

Magnesium winces a bit at the punch, sentimental idiot that she is, but is otherwise not at all bothered by the shrew's misfortune. In a way, she's just admiring Ardath's punch. XD "Right-o," she replies to Ardath, walking back to pick up the pack and struggling back with it.

Rufus_Niblick's bottom lip trembles as he's threatened, beginning to comply verbally with his assailant. "Oh, of cou-" But then, ow. He grunts with pain as he's punched and grimaces, putting up a paw to rub at his eye, which is watering. Through the crack that is open, that is, the rest is all swollen up. Well, not immediately, obviously. But after a little while. Enough burbling. He peers out of his nice unswollen eye at Magnesium. Aha. He can stand up to a woman all right. "Bitch," he mutters. XD

Unfortunately, Ardath is too close to miss that, and his expression quickly becomes unamused. "/What did you say?/" XD He draws back his fist once more, and this time, swings for the shrew's nose. A great deal harder. ;p This isn't quite enough, apparently, as Ardath quickly drops the shrew. Like so many before, the smaller creature becomes a target of Ardath's heavy boot. It's a far shot to the goal, and the striker goes for the ball.. thump! It's good!

Magnesium hrmphs and frowns as she draws nearer with the bag. Bitch, indeed. I say. "Ooh, you cheeky little blighter!" she says. But ah, Ardath is defending her honour. XD She watches with satisfaction as Rufus is given a good bashing. "I should think so too," she says approvingly, putting the bag at her feet. She grins at Ardath.

Rufus_Niblick begins to splutter, but is again cut off by some corporal punishment. Yet more tears come to his eyes as his nose is somewhat bashed in, blood quickly pouring from the spot. His long spindly nose also seems rather more wonky than before.. XD "Ooh!" he yowls, self-pityingly and beginning to cry. "By dose!" But then... wheeeeeee! He's airborne. Oh how lovely, look at all the fish, SPLOOSH! The shrew squeals nasally through the torrent of blood, before landing in the river with a satisfying plip! He breaks the surface again a few seconds later, however, spluttering and much bedraggled.

Ardath crosses his arms, eyes tracing Rufus's arc through the air. The splash is particularly satisfying. He hasn't gotten to kick any woodlanders for awhile. With a grin, he turns, sword flicking into his hand, and then onto his back, stowed. Mwah. ;p The ferret retreats into the woods, retrieves his pack, and walks back to Mags, wrapping her in a hug and a kiss. ;p

Magnesium laughs as Rufus splooshes gracefully into the water, giving him a cheery little wave as he descends. Then she turns her attention back to Ardath, her conquering hero. XD "Thanks fer defending my honour," she grins, giving him a gratefully passionate snogeh. XD She lets her arm remain upon his shoulder as she turns back to the river, regarding the boat curiously. "Shall we?" she asks, walking up to the log and sitting herself astride it. Much eyebrow raising. And off we jolly well go!

Rufus_Niblick is carried downstream, with a faint cry of, "Noooooooo! By dooooooose!" He disappears around a corner.

Ardath places his hands under the bow, and gives it a shove off. There it goes! Floating! He wades out, and promptly hops on, and takes a seat in the thing. "Brilliant." Now, how to actually.. manage the thing? ;P As it's beginning to float with the current.. he looks to Mags. ;p

And... there goes Rufus... Whaaaaa? Belliger's tired eyes really didn't need to see that little spectacle. And, just upstream, there's some vermin. With a logboat. Hmmmmmmm. Belliger watches Rufus go around the corner, and immediately thinks he should chase after him... But then again, there's some vermin heisting a logboat. Catch 22.

Coe huhs?? Coe is rather startled as well as Rufus goes floating by. The shrew's brow furrows as he looks upstream to spy the pair of vermin, "Bloody 'ell, not a moment's rest, aye?" He says glancing at Bell, "Should we get Ruf o' the boat?"

"Ooh er," says Mags, as the boat begins to float downstream. She looks down at her seat and finds an ickle paddle, which she shows to Ardath. "Use these then, I s'pose," she says doubtfully. Then she looks downstream. Eek! Woodlanders! "Eek! Woodlanders!" she says. Look. Over there. Woodlanders. Ug ug, Mags make fire.

Ardath is facing.. upriver? So he has his back to the winds, so to speak, and the shrews on-shore. ;p He picks up his own paddle, from under the seat. "Ohh. Ah, right," and turns, holding it in both hands. :P "More shrews. Well. They can't catch us." Heh. ;p

"...Le's go." At this, Belliger starts running back downstream, chasing Rufus before the vermin can figure out how to maneuver the logboat... although he makes a silent vow to himself to get that back. He made it himself, after all.

Coe looks rather hesitant on chasing after Rufus, glaring upstream at the vermin as if he's gonna give 'em the what for. Reluctantly, however, the shrew turns and chases after Bell and Ruf, staff waving in the air behind him, "Le's hurry up!"

Magnesium bites her lip, ever so slightly apprehensive about this little furballs with weapons and tempers. Coward. XD She has faith in Ardath, tho' - aww, how lovely, fetch me a basin - and so believes him when he assures her that they'll be all right. And then Belliger decides to run off after Rufus. She sighs with relief, but even the thicko that she is can work out that they're still heading in the same direction. Eek. She sheepishly dips her paddle into the water.

Ardath shakes his head, reaching over the side to use the paddle. It seems to keep the boat mildly straight, at least. Takes getting the hang of. ;p "Oh, they're probably after that girlish shrew.. friend of theirs." shifty look XD

Belliger sprints downstream as fast as his stubby shrew legs can carry him. He seems to be making good progress, although there's that spot of rough water just downstream, which effortlessly crushed a sturdy logboat. Hooray. This makes the shrew run that much faster, keeping his eye on Rufus the whole time, trying to judge when would be the best time to take a dive into the water.

Rufus_Niblick floats merrily downstream, backwards. Well, more panic-stricken than merry, but who's to tell. There's a lot of yelling, certainly. And a lot of blood. Luckily the poor mite can't see the rapids coming up, or he'd faint with the terror. An eddy turns him to face the horror yet to come and zonk. He's out of it. Glug glug glug glug glug.

Coe was sprinting, and mighty fast too, however fatigue has a funny way of catching up to ol' shrew legs like his. Coe drags to a stop, panting and leaning heavily on his staff "'urry up, Bell! I'll take care o' the varmints!" He calls after him, and turns about hefty his staff in both paws as he glares upstream.

The other shrew's shout falls on deaf ears as Belliger now evens with Rufus... He keeps running though, wanting to get ahead of the shrew before he jumps in, in case he misses. He unsheaths his short sword as he runs, to use as an anchor later. An extra burst of speed comes as the shrew started to slow down from the fatigue of his sprint, but he'll be -damned- if he lets Rufus drown.

The jolly ol' commandeered logboat floats down the middle of the river, but Ardath's fishing with his paddle to move it on a favorable heading, away from the rocks, and then using it to push water. Faster! Whee. XD

Coe quickly reappraises the situation at paw when he spots the stolen logboat floating down the middle of the stream, "We can't 'ave that, bloody no!" The shrew sloshes through the water, waving his staff about and hollering like a madbeast, positioning himself on the safe side of the stream away from the rocks.

Slumbering up in a tree branch over the river, Cadogan snorts and wakes up hearing some commotion. Good distance down the river, the shrew grumbles and peers down, trying to see what is going on while holding onto the branch.

Magnesium, strangely enough, doesn't seem to be too dreadful with the ol' paddle, which is really quite something, given her general incompetence. Paddle two three four, paddle two three four.

Rufus_Niblick blurbles.

Big enough that some hootin' and hollerin' shrew doesn't pose a threat to the logboat? Which is now gliding quite quickly through the water, with the verminy pair's combined efforts. Right toward the gap in the rocks. Whoo. :S

Coe curses! It now becomes quite apparant that the logboat is shooting for the gap in the rocks and the shrew does his best to make it there in time, sloshing and leaping through the water, "Ye bloody buggers!" He calls after them, waving his staff wildly.

Trying to hide in the foliage of the branch over the river, Cad just waits as the vermin and the boat get closer and readies himself.

"..What?" Ardath looks to her, then back forward, back toward the conspicuous hanging branch. Leave it to the weasel to spot it, after all. The rather hulking ferret pulls in his paddle, and draws out his blade. "You better stay up there, shrew, or I'll skewer you good!" Yes. Obey. ;p

Coe allows a small grin as Cad provides a bit of distraction, and he continues to catch up with the logboat. With a strained grunt the shrew leaps with all his might at the back end of the boat trying to grab hold!

The boat speeds on, the attack unsuccessful.

Guess what? Mag's got a flying shrew coming at her screaming his head off. "LOGALOG!!!" Cad bellows trying to knock her off the boat, hoping to use her as a shield against Ardath :)

Coe splashes into the water as he barely misses. The shrew heads back to shore with dismay x.x

Magnesium eeks as one of the little rats jumps at her. Urgh. She raises her paddle to try to bash the pesky thing, then hightails it to the back of the boat, safely behind her beloved. Coward shmoward. ;)

Ardath now has Mags hiding behind him. o.O Of course, he's facing frontward, and has his blade drawn. Bracing both his feet inside the hollowed log, he hunches forward, sword held outward. Being larger, he naturally has the size and reach advantage on the shrew. "I'd rather not spill your innards all over my new boat, so if you would, please, jump off."

The shrew growls as the paddle slams down against the boat next to him. Cad gets up and draws his two daggers watching Ardath. "Bite me."

Ardath rolls his eyes. "Are you daft? You don't have anywhere to go." The ferret adjusts his grip on his blade, before jabbing forward in a small feint. Off the boat, shrewy. Magnesium decides, seeing as she's being a cowardy custard and not fighting, to ensure that the boat is going in the right direction with a few paddle strokes. Lovely steering there, oh yes indeed.

The shrew ducks the sword (being small has advangates) and Cad slashes upwards at the extended arm scissor fashion.

..Being that the attack was a feint, Ardath didn't overextend enough to actually have his arm pass over Cadogan in such a fashion. So, his sword is.. scissored. He withdraws the blade, and simply swings downward, with the long blade. It doesn't place him in any danger, of course, just.. Cadogan.

Cadogan moves to the right as the blade comes down at him, dodging it. He slams a dagger at Ardath's swordpaw.

Ardath draws back his blade, once more, holding it in a defensive posture. One that suggests he will simply cut the shrew in half if he approaches. "I have the advantage on the field. I'd rather not spill your blood. Retreat."

The shrew /throws/ one dagger at the big ferret's chest and one at his belly before diving off the boat!

Magnesium sees the deft withdrawal of a shrew arm as it prepares to throw a knife. Eek. She lifts her paddle from the water extra quick and uses it to thwack down on Ardath's back, levering him forward onto his front. This leaves one of the daggers - the one aimed at Ardy's chest - coursing in her direction. Whoops. She also ducks, but the dagger just catches her upper arm as it passes, giving rise to a hiss of pain. Owww.

Unfortunately, Ardath -is- a big ferret. He is postured forward for combat, so Magnesium's hit does catch him off-guard, and he begins to fall forward with suddenly wide eyes. The sword goes to one paw as he extends the other. Cadogan's lower dagger catches him in the top of his right shoulder, hitting onto bone. This is, of course, quite owch.

Cadogan gets pulled downriver, swimming as best as he can towards the other shrews.

The hectic boat floats on, as both passengers attempt to staunch their wounds and paddle at the same time. They are limitedly successful in this endeavour and manage to keep the boat on course, albeit wonkily. And off they go, round the corner.

~Fin~