Sitting, waiting.... Watching.

[Dannblood]

*Dannblood is sitting up in a huge Oak tree. He sat there, focusing on a half finished arrow. He had his skinning knife out and was carving a story in it using hieroglyphs. He was getting done carving in a mouse when he heard something that sounded far off in the distance. He became alert. There it was again, laughter. Dann waited, then he saw a bush move. His grip tightened on his recurve bow.*

[Terragon Scrufftail]

*Ashnel had been wandering through the woodlands surrounding the settlement, refamiliarising himself with the land, the damp, musty smell of the trees. Nearing one of the bright clearings he pauses as he sees a pawful of sawdust fall from the treetops like autumn leaves and glances up. He spots the younger squirrel and continues wordlessly on though the clearing, the sound of laughter surprising him and causing the former Captain to halt again uncertainly. From the corner of his vision he, like Dannblood, sees movement in the forest on the far side of the clearing and, with another swift look at Dannblood who is now armed, narrows his eyes as he attempts to determine what exactly about the laughter has caused him to stop once more, uneasy.*

[Oakfang]

((OOC: this is an open rp yes?))

**Oakfang had been sitting by the stream, her feet covered by the gentle lapping water, thinking to herself; "should I? When?" when all of a sudden she becomes alert, hearing some distant laughter, not innocent laughter of fun, something different. she stands up quietly, grabbing her ornate black steel sword. she creeps closer towards where the sound is coming from, her feet leaving soggy marks in the earth. Seeing ashnel, she comes a little closer, and scuffles so he hears her, she takes a sharp inhaleation of breath, trying to make it obvious she wants to be heard. She glances up to where the younger squirrel is, vaguely recognising him.**

[Dannblood]

OOC: Yeah, it is.

*Dannblood looks down questioningly at the two new creatures.* So... Anyone have any ideas what it is?

[Oakfang]

((OOC: do you have anything planned for whats going to happen Dannblood? it would be easier for us if we knew a little more about it ))

[Dannblood]

OOC: I'm getting there....... Actually I have no idea!

[Oakfang]

((OOC: oo,m so anybody can just go "there comes this!" or something? ))

[Dannblood]

OOC: Yeah. Go right ahead! Hahaa.

[Oakfang]

((OOC: well I'll launch right in then!!))

**Oakfang looks up to Dannblood is, and her eyes are dancing with something slightly unsettling** Aye, I know what that laughter is. Its the YAS, Young Asassin Squad. It's a cruel organisation where they train young ones, even dibbuns to become trained assasins. That is the childlike laughter of their leader, Squee the Immortal. She must have just had a fresh kill. I used to be one of them, she knows we're here. best bet is meet her head on. **she whistles the call of some rare bird, and a young haremaid suddenly appears. Oakfang nods** Aye molly, tis her.

[Terragon Scrufftail]

*Ashnel acknowledges this arrival with a brief glance. Three dibbuns and an unknown danger. At any other time, instinct would tell him to send the younger creatures back to the safety of Terralux but if, as Oakfang says, the squad is comprised of dibbuns... before this internal debate can gain momentum in Ashnel's mind and fully distract him, something moves again in the undergrowth and approaches the light of the clearing...*

[Oakfang]

**A male hare bursts out the undergrowth crying. he is not wearing a uniform, so he is just a normal hare** Save me! help, they're coming!!! **he shouts as he runs past. The laughing is getting closer, and then a very young looking ermine wanders through the bushes, screeching with surreal laughter. she has little splatter of blood on her, here and there, and her steely Grey eyes glimpse oakfang and Molly, and suddenly stops laughing** Oh hello dearest oakfang, its been a while yes? its such a shame you left us, well, you'll all die soon enough. all I need to do is click my fingers, and along my army will come. who are your little chums here? **she glances at Ashnel and dannblood, oakfang says nothing, but ashnel can hear her grinding her teeth**

[Dannblood]

*Danns grip on his bow tightens and he silently starts pulling the bow back in such a peculiar way, that it looked as the the string didn't move at all. Dann cocks his head to aim, then lets the shaft fly for the ermine.*

[Leatha Karilia]

*Leatha Karilia was looking for action, being stuck inside the Fort the entire winter had made her itching for some practice with her best friends: the weapons she carried. Some people thought her to be serious and to quick to kill an evil opponent, but those were the people who had only met her in battle. In real life she was
light-hearted, smiling, and usually in a good mood. Today she had decided to pack a lunch and head out to the wood to practice with her bow, and swords. Picking a clearing that she had used before, she removed her cloak that was made necessary because of the morning chill. Unbuckling the braided leather strap that held her sword across her back, she laid it on the ground by the base of a tree. Looking at it for a moment, she admired it beautiful scabbard with its curving, graceful, silver lines wrapping around it. Unshouldering her bow, she let the quiver of arrows hanging at her side to fall to the ground, taking three of the silver feathered arrows, she stuck them into the ground by her side. Taking her time to string the carved, dark brown longbow, she finally reached down and notched one of the arrows to the bow string. Pulling the string back, she aimed at her target, a carved out circle on a tree from a previous visit. Letting the arrow loose, she felt a thrilling chill go through her as the bow string tanged a merry sounding note. A second later she was rewarded by the silver arrow thudding into the center of the target with ease. She was still standing there, watching the arrow feathers move slightly in the breeze, when she heard a noise. It didn't sound friendly either. Gathering up her arrows, she stuck them back into her quiver, strapping that around her waste. Grabbing her sword, she buckled it on her shoulder so it hung across her back. Leaving her cloak hanging on a branch, she ran to where she guessed the sound was coming from. Running into a circle of people she recognized from the Fort, she looked at them and knew she had guessed the general direction of the sound correctly, it seemed to be coming straight towards them. Hearing Oakfang describe the dibbun assassins, she hesitated. Did she really want to fight against dibbuns? All her fears were put away as the apparent leader of the assassins revealed herself, she was a ermine and seemed to know Oakfang well. All of a sudden out of the corner of her eye, she saw a squirrel notching a arrow to his bow and aiming at the ermine leader. She shouted to the others.*

Duck everyone!

*As she fell to the ground she rolled to one side, coming up with an arrow on her string ready to fire. But there was nothing to fire at, the ermine had disappeared. She stayed low as she talked to Oakfang from across the glade.*

What in the world was that about Oaky?

[Oakfang]

**Oakfang glances in Leathas direction, and she can see the blood soaked past staring out of the enraged Oakfang.** That creature **she spits the words like they are poison** was the most evil creature on this very earth! Her army is here, she must die! The way she trains these young creatures is abominable, I would know. **she gestures at a scar starting on the underside of her chin and trailing down her neck onto her chest and possibly even further down** We need to get hunting, she's quick, oh so quick. The army will be here soon, lets get moving!

[Dannblood]

*Dannblood looked down at everyone else and quickly put his recurve bow onto his back. Taking off his longsword, he jumped down out of the tree and looked off where the vermin scum disappeared.* Somebeast stay down here just in case she decides to come back. If you here a a high pitche whistle, tun with all your worth. Who will be joining me. *Dannblood slides out his skinning knife, then waits for an answer.*