Burrows & Badgers: Battle At The Camp

Sitting by the light of candles, the Mage looked around. her party lacked a member.

"Where is the Warrior?" she asked from beneath her mask, as she took a drink from a golden goblet.

"Not seen him since he went off wandering," the Knight replied, sharpening his axe on  whetstone; much to the discontent of the other denizens of the bar.

The Armadillo with No Name picked his teeth with the skewer that he had had a grub from. "He said he was helping out a trade caravan." 

The Ranger looked at the Knight and hissexunder her breath, "Put the axe down, you are scaring the locals!"

There was a thump as the axe was placed on the floor. various animals suddenly took a lot more interest in their drinks and food. "You might want to read the mission briefing next time Knight," the Ranger laughed, the mood lifted, "you were told that the victim was not to be harmed."

"Victim, you mean fugitive." The Knight shook his head, "terminology is important."

"But losing out on loot and experience is!'

"But that was not our main objective," The Mage shook her head, "defending our camp from Kelly's Heroes was our main foci." She drained her flaggon.

The Ranger looked up, twiddling a fork between her paws, "I mean, The Warrior found a good spot, the old ruin had excellent fields of fire."

TAWNN looked at the foxes, "My pistols were always going to be useful, but not as much as the Warriors spear or your bow amd arrows." 

"They could have come at us from all directions, but they massed on one facing, meaning we could not pick off individuals, plus that tree was right in the way."  The Ranger moaned, the fork span on the table, scratching off some of the accumulated grease.

TAWNN grinned, "But Big Joe's banner told us where they were! Even with Kelly the Feist sneakily  leading the way, it w

s a bit of a give away."

"Glad you and the Warrior had barricaded the area," The Mage steepled her paws and dark magical accidentally  lazily drifted between them, ""it was always going to make it a struggle for them to get over it.".

   

"Their mouse and and hedgehog got to the barricades really quickly, followed by Kelly. I leaped down from the first floor to guard the left end of  long barricade, with the Knight at the other end. My pistol had to be switched for a blade." The AWNN looked up. "The Warrior soon joined me with his spear, a useful weapon to reach over the barricades." His fingers danced over the tabletop, as if tracking the participantsin the fight.  "The Fiest was closing fast too, he's a powerful fighter, thatbworried me."

The Mage looked at her empty wine goblet, reached out for the flaggon, and poured herself rich, goldren wine. She then reached over to pour the flaggon  for her brother, the Knight, and a deep red filled his glass.

"Show off!" 

"What, like you didn't show as you leaped the barricades and flattened Big Joe with your ax!" She smiled snarkily. 

"Yeah, pity you didn't read the clause in the bounty about bringing him in unharmed, not flattened!" The Ranger threw a bread roll at the Knight, who caught it and flung it back.

"Did you notice they were all shifting round the back of the ruins," the Knight  uttered. "The Warrior was holding them off at the doorway, whole I herded them round there. I though tn they were just looking for a different way in."

"At least we took down their Mage without much issue,  " The Ranger picked a grub up and delicately chomped it down, "stopped their healing, makes them brittle.' 

The Mage looked over the tabletop at the gang,  the empty chair telling on her mind, "Think they were trying to get round us and off the other side of the farmstead, but having the Knight, the Warrior and TAWNN closing in on them, while you were shooting from the top floor.  They weren't going to get clear quickly enough without you three carving them up." 

"Couldn't believe they just stopped, thought they would shoot us to pieces at least, like they did the last time." The AWNN puzzled. 

"We are calling this a win though?" The Ranger laughed.

"Thevreward wepicked up, when without the bounty, definitely says so." The Mage smiled wryly under her mask. 

"How long to you think the Warrior will be?" The Ranger asked.

"Not long, a day or so maybe. I received word heve escaped the trade caravan at the next town. Simple miscommunication he called it. I heard the guards took him after he insulted them.'  The Mage looked off into the distance. "Pity you blew it with the Blackmarketeer. All my hard work buttering him up for cheap deals on decent gear, and you go and insult him by aasking for extra discount!"

The knight shrugged unfolded his forepaws in their purple robes, "If you don't ask, you don't get..."

"Well, I made 5 pennies on a fame of find the Lady at the local gambling den." The Ranger grinned, placing a small stack on table.

"My pistol has some fine powder I was gifted fir doing a good turn for the gunsmith," TAWNN smirked and then slurped down a grub. 

"We got a decent amount of pennies from jewellery sales and the mission." The Mage counted off on her paws, "maybe enough to give a mouse or a bat, but maybe another fight to hire another friend?"

"That will be hard being a fox light, let's hope its not Kelly's Heroes,  they all upskilled and recovered after that fight!"

"We can take them!" The Knight grinned.

"Just leave the axe on the floor tonight though!"