Business as Usual (Tyree and Nekela)

[Moontouch Icebrink]

OfMoonTears: Nekela is glad that Tyree called a stop for two reasons: one, she wasn't 'beaten' in their little unspoken of marching competition and, two, though she would have continued on, she is not the most fond of trampsing through the darkness. Even the most experienced eyes can mistake a shadow for something else...or something else for a shadow. And there are a lot of monsters lurking out there waiting for such disadvantaged prey. So she doesn't complain (or say much of anything) when he stops to roll out his bedroll, the female dropping her bag to the ground, rotating her shoulder to relieve the stiffness in it from carrying the weight. (not done)
OfMoonTears: "Tents...nothing compares to sleeping out under the stars in this whether," she remarks, looking down at him once before pulling her scabbard off her side so she can sit on the ground more comfortably. Neke stifles a yawn. Tents are so clumsy, too, especially in the gathering gloom. (blah)
OfMoonTears: (there, done)
Rockpaw Steeleye: Tyree couldn't exactly agree with that, having not seen much of the stars inside the mountain. He enjoyed them, they were pretty, but really. He couldn't exactly sit there all night in the open, it made him vulnerable and cold. He always appreciated having a nice warm bunk to come home to. When he was out here, anything could happen, even with Nekela at his side. He watched the female simply plop down on the grass. Was she just going to sleep there? Without even a bedroll? She'd probably put her head down on a rock, judging by how uncouth she usually is. He thought that with a smirk, but immediately regretted it. He had to be polite at least. "Ahh... I could lend a blanket or the like, if you want a proper pillow or... or somethin'," he said as he lay down. "Only if you'd prefer."(F)
OfMoonTears: Nekela had been looking off in the distance as if something had attracted her attention, apparently not noticing his smirk though she probably would have given him a death glare that could have branded him as good as any hot iron. Certainly he would have got an unwelcome reaction if she could hear his thoughts. Uncouth indeed...he's just the type that can't appreciate how useful coarseness can be; not that she's thinking these things at the moment. She turns to stare at him, blinking and shaking her head. "I have what I need," she says simply, grabbing her pack and pulling it across the ground to her as an ear twitches at the sound of a cricket or something chirping off somewhere in the grasses. (not done)
OfMoonTears: She looks past him for a moment, nose twitching, and then unbuckling the top of her pack and digging around in it, biting into an apple and holding it in her mouth that way as she pulls a tightly folded blanket out of the bottom, things tumbling out of her bag willy nilly (but not seeming fazed by the moment of disorder). She tosses another apple into Tyree's lap, freeing a paw so she can stuff things back in her overstuffed bag. She doesn't say a word about it, but sniffs quietly at the thought that he would think her unprepared.

[Moontouch Icebrink]

OfMoonTears: She looks past him for a moment, nose twitching, and then unbuckling the top of her pack and digging around in it, biting into an apple and holding it in her mouth that way as she pulls a tightly folded blanket out of the bottom, things tumbling out of her bag willy nilly (but not seeming fazed by the moment of disorder). She tosses another apple into Tyree's lap, freeing a paw so she can stuff things back in her overstuffed bag. She doesn't say a word about it, but sniffs quietly at the thought that he would think her unprepared.
OfMoonTears: ^_^
Rockpaw Steeleye: Tyree grunted when the apple landed in his lap, annoyed at how it disrupted his very orderly assembling of his sleeping pack. He liked to keep things in order, and she just dumped everything everywhere... hah, typical! He was grateful for the apple nonetheless, but he decided to save it until everything was out, neat, and tidy. There was a proper procedure for almost everything in the Patrol, but he was one of the only ones who actually followed every last one, to a degree some might consider unhealthy. But he was not obsessive, just... well, perhaps he was a little unbalanced. But he believed sincerely that order was the way to run one's life. Especially after the flagrant disregard for order his brothers had embodied. Nekela would hear a quiet crack as Tyree bit into the fruit. "Thagh 'oo," he said, surprisingly through a full mouth. His first night alone in the wild... much more peaceful than he thought it would be.
OfMoonTears: (done? lol usually you say)
Rockpaw Steeleye: (Ah, yes)
OfMoonTears: (lol kk)
OfMoonTears: (My brain is not working tonight...*starts a reply*)
Rockpaw Steeleye: (No worries. We all have nights like that)
OfMoonTears: Nekela isn't watching his obsessively compulsive routine, laying back with her head on her pack and half closing her eyes as she enjoys her apple, a perfect mix of tart and sweet. She half glances at him when he thanks her through a mouthful of food. "Wow...first time you've deviated from stiffly, stuffily polite all day," she says, sounding completely serious before she grins.
OfMoonTears: (done)
Rockpaw Steeleye: Tyree blinked and tilted his head curiously before he figured out she was joking. He swallowed and smiled thinly. "Ah, well. I am getting ready for bed. I can let down some of my normal procedures, can't I?" he asked, chewing up the apple with all the voraciousness of a regular hare. If he knew anything about campaigning, it was that you almost never knew when or where the next meal could come, so you had to get whatever you could while it was in reach. "We'll be reaching a trading post the Patrol is familiar with in three days at this rate."(done)
OfMoonTears: (sorry, was watching the end of the movie I was watching)
Rockpaw Steeleye: (No problem)
OfMoonTears: Nekela is pacing herself, trying to enjoy her dinner without scarfing it down and wasting taste. She never could understand how other hares could stuff so much food down their throats; how to they savor any flavor before they're pushing it out with something new? She had looked back up at the sky, not interested in answering him until he mentions the trading post. Neke looks back over at him, reflectively chewing a bite of apple. "Oh yeah?" Is that supposed to be a good thing? She's not sure. She hasn't been through this way to southsward before (she took a ship). (blah...)

[Rockpaw Steeleye]

"Well," Tyree answered, "it'll be the halfway point, you know. To the border of Salamandastron's control, anyway..."

He finished scarfing the apple and tossed the thoroughly gnawed and opened core into the grass nearby. Perhaps the seeds would have better luck in finding new roots than he would. He couldn't help but wonder at how many seeds seemed to grow as a matter of luck in the wild, yet when they set root, they never failed to grow into something huge, inspiring, without match in all of nature. When carefully cultivated, their success was assured. Tyree often felt as though he had had to cultivate his own success.

And, well, so far, he didn't seem very satisfied with it all.

He lay back onto his bedroll and stared up at the stars, wondering at the almost random assortment of it all creating such vast beauty. He would be happy going to sleep under them tonight.

"Well, m'gel," he said, closing his eyes and crossing his footpaws. "I think it's time we got some rest, eh? We'll see how far we can get tomorrow... it'll be good to stretch my legs after bein' cramped in that mountain, wot..." A clue that he hadn't enjoyed life in the Patrol as much as he claimed to? Perhaps, or maybe he had just been bored. In any case, the only sounds coming from him were faint snores.

[Nekela Sandrunner]

Nekela stifles her yawn, feeling her weariness finally creeping over her but not wanting to seem like she’s tuckered out from the long haul they had managed over the day. She stares up at the stars for what seems like ages after Tyree had closed his eyes, not snoring quietly beside her. For a time she allows a bit of sadness to hint itself in the dim twinkle of her eyes as she gazes up at the vastness of space above them.

She enjoys her life for the most part, loves the fur raising adventure and the excitement of a good rush of adrenaline when you’re in a bind. But until now she has only ever experienced it on her own. Could she be a little worried about what it will be like to have a traveling companion? Up to this point she has done what she wanted and watched her own back, not worrying about anybody else’s neck but her own. Now that Tyree is along for the ride she has to be concerned about him as well. Oh, she’s sure these Long Patrol types can hold their own in a scrap, but still...watching backs is what company is for, right?

And then there is the concern about her past... It hasn’t caught up with her yet, but she’s been waiting for it to. It’s only a matter of time, she feels, until it finds her again. What if it decides to make its move and Tyree learns of it? That will not end well in the least. Those hares from that mountain really don’t take to vermin type, and she’s sure her ‘type’ wouldn’t be quite welcome friendship either.

What is she worrying about? She smiles to herself, a confident twist of her short muzzle as she blinks up at the winking gems. She pulls her arms out from behind her head and rolls over on her side, using her pack as a pillow and curling up. Things will go just fine. It’s only a trip to Southsward and then maybe back to the west coast. What could possibly happen in that time?

A village burns, red tongues of flames licking at the night sky and devouring homes and shops. The air is filled with cries of different sorts, screams and weeping and battle cries as hares and vermin alike chart their paths through the inferno, meeting in brief skirmishes while the heat builds around them. Beneath her footpaws she can feel sand and in the background is a silhouetted a shape, it’s mountainous size reaching up towards the sky like a beacon, a guardian. What is..? She’s momentarily distracted by a female’s cry at a certain building, but she doesn’t stay much longer in the dream.

Nekela’s eyes snap open, the once night sky tinged with the orange streaks of morning. She sits up, shaking her head to discard the memory of the dream. It was only a dream, just a strange dream. She glances in Tyree’s direction before folding her blanket to stuff it back in her pack. “Wake up, Tyree. It’s morning.”
~Nekela

[Rockpaw Steeleye]

"Morning?" Tyree asked blearily. His ears shot up and started scanning unconsciously as Nekela's words reached them, looking like bizarre antennae as he tried to organize his movements. He stretched loud and long, smacking his lips and shaking his head. He never minded waking up early, being a Long Patrol hare, but with this discipline came a striking and dear love of sleep. For all the sleep he was "missing" from his time in the Patrol, he could have slept all day, the rest of the week, and out to the month's end before catching up. But he forced his eyes open and hopped upright, shaking off his weariness easily. Long Patrol hares were morning hares.

He dutifully began to pack up the camp before he even had breakfast, which for him would consist of a few sturdy, preservable foods like dried fruits and cheese. He rolled his sleeping mat and cleaned up everything he had left out the night previous, rubbing off grass and dirt and bugs that had collected on them. If Nekela were to watch she would see a rather compulsive hare, who insisted on getting a shine on all the metals and thoroughly flapping out his bedroll. He absolutely despised getting bugs and old grass in it while he was sleeping.

"I 'spect we'll be hitting a trading post soon," he remarked over his shoulder. "And by soon o' course I mean a couple more days. Though, we haven't had a message from them in some time... rotters are probably just livin' it up with a fresh shipment of ale or something to that effect. Well, come on. We'll find out when we get there I suppose."

For the next two days they marched down the coast, the scenery changing very little. Tyree kept his eyes forward and his lips shut for the most part, though he did his best to regale Nekela with little bits about the area's history and a couple of marching songs to brighten the mood, but that never seemed to catch on. He never imagined Nekela to be the kind of hare to sing aloud very often, except perhaps when she was drunk.

When they came to the trading post, they found it connected to a small fishing village that seemed very quiet and small. The entire trading post was fairly quiet, but Tyree could see lights in the windows of a building that looked like an inn.

"Ah, of course. They would still be up drinking," he remarked, and started forward again, smiling a bit as he decided to try and strike up a tune one last time.

Oh down by the glenside I met an old maiden
plucking young nettles and ne'er heard me comin'
I listened a while to the song she was hummin',
"Glory oh! Glory oh! To the bold Long Patrol!

'Tis fifty long seasons since I saw the moon beamin'
and strong burly forms their eyes all a-gleamin'
I see them again sure through all my days dreamin'
Glory oh! Glory oh! To the bold Long Patrol...!

[Nekela Sandrunner]

She’s still getting used to the idea of traveling with another beast after the seasons she has spent trekking alone. She had never really been very good at social things and most of the songs that he bawls out to the sky she doesn’t know (most about the Long Patrol). So she keeps quiet and simply listens to whatever songs he decides to sing and whatever tales of history he decides to spin. Neke knows it’s for her benefit, that he’s trying to keep the mood light while their spirits tend to grow weary and their paws sore and she tries to seem a little more cheery for his efforts, once in awhile trying to hum along with snatches of his verses. This hare just doesn’t show her good moods like others and it makes her feel a little awkward for it. She’s actually feeling rather chipper.

After two days of marching they stand back and observe the trading post and the little fishing village, lights gleaming form the windows of the buildings but one in particular practically glowing like the sun itself onto the sleepy little streets. Even from this distance Nekela’s sensitive ears can pick up the tell-tale sounds of raucous laughter and joking, her nose twitching to catch the faint smells of drink and food alike. She turns her head to look at her companion as he speaks and she raises a brow. “Well, aren’t most inns open late to accommodate late drinkers?” she asks, or remarks, one of the two. As far as she knows, most that she’s been to have been filled with late-nighters disrupting the sleeping folk.

A hint of a smile cracks open her furry lips as they walk on, side by side, towards the occupied, very much awake, building. Her ears twitch, perked up high on top of her head and twisting at their normal pace in search of any out of place noise around them, as Tyree warbles a final note or two. The fem’s eyes flick to render him a sideways glance and she pays attention to the words his sings out merrily (his obvious cheer is something she has yet to full comprehend). Despite herself, she finds herself muttering along the familiar line of the verses half-so as they go. “Glory oh, glory oh...humdeedumdum.”

As foreseen, the inn is bustling with the activities of the assortment of festive beasts (most celebrating nothing but the glories of living). The doors pushed aside for the two traveling hares, Neke’s blue eyes scan the room, searching the faces for hostilities. She sees nothing by happy faces. However, that doesn’t seem to help ease the tension out of her muscles as she steps forward and out of the doorway to allow the free flow of those coming in and those going out. “Well, drinking they are,” she remarks out loud to Tyree, grinning at him.
~Nekela

[Rockpaw Steeleye]

"Yes," Tyree agreed with something of a scowl. "Drinking, getting drunk, and having headaches in the morning... alcoholic drinks are a scourge of the enlisted hare," he said, loudly enough that Nekela could hear it but not so much that the others could. Not that they would care over their carousing, they looked to be having so much fun that they barely even noticed the entrance of the two hares. Tyree's regimental mind immediately thought of how lawless and undisciplined these creatures must be. They probably have livelihoods, jobs, families, and instead they were wasting valuable time in here! Didn't they know the evening time was the best time to clean house and get all the paperwork in order? Any good Long Patrol hare could tell them that!

He walked into the loud, bawdy establishment beside Nekela and went straight for the bar, determined to get some directions, some supplies, a place to rest perhaps, and then get back out. He didn't have the time, the inclination, or the patience to deal with a bunch of drunken fisherbeasts, and drunken most of them seemed to be getting. Singing, joking, gossiping, all having a good time. A lazy time, in Tyree's opinion! The good mood he tried to show off on the way over here seemed to have been forgotten in the face of all this rambunctious fun. Perhaps, they'd have to eat here since it was the only public place in the small village. The trading bazaar would be empty; all the merchants were already in here with the villagers, celebrating life in general. He was familiar with it of course, having taken a couple other excursions down here on missions.

He dropped down on the bar and bade Nekela to do the same, glancing back and forth as he tried to get the bartender's attention.

"I don't think I'll ever know what the jolly deal is with drinkin'. Plenty of other ways to spend one's time, don't ya know. Like readin' a good history or studyin' tactics for fightin' off corsairs, an' the like."

He knew it was unlikely this village even had books, a sore spot that he wanted to be rid of. Tyree enjoyed books more often than the company of other creatures, in spite of his dutiful and often amicable, friendly nature. It was just that, when he saw so many creatures being so... lazy... it just got to him was all! He wasn't trying to be demeaning or anything.

"Now, Nekela, I'm not planning on spendin' too much time here, so let's just eat an' run, shall we?"

[Nekela Sandrunner]

Nekela raises a brow at his sudden change in demeanor, from jovial and lighthearted to frowning and displeased, almost condescending of the creatures drinking and carousing about in the inn. This hare really doesn’t know how to have fun, does he? His idea of entertainment is a good fight, lots of tucker, and...let the gods forbid...paperwork! Somebody really needs to teach him how to lighten up and enjoy life more or else he’s going to put himself into an early grave will all the tension that is radiating off his person. In fact, right away her devious mind is working on a way to break his precious schedule, the first step in tutoring this guy in coloring out of the lines. If anybody has a chance, Neke thinks she has a better one than any.

The female hare doesn’t actually overly drink too often, and usually not just to have a good time (though there was that one time…hmmm…), but desperate times call for desperate measures and she plans on having a few and joining the party, dragging Ty into it. She is sure that there is no other way for the poor chap (did she just think that word?) to experience the joys of actual fun except now, while he’s on his ‘vacation’.

She follows Tyree through the flocks of beasts to the bar, sitting in the empty stool to his left and resting her footpaws on the little ledge meant to keep legs from dangling and falling asleep. She leans on the bartop and looks over at the male and shakes her head slowly. “Tyree, you sound like an old ‘un the way you talk. Reading stale old history books?” She nudges him with her elbow, lifting her mood visibly in the energetic atmosphere (partly purposeful). “Live a little or you’re going to grow gray before your time.” And despite the fact that he had just told her that he wants to hurry up, eat, and get out of here, she straightens herself up taller and waves the bartender over with a cry above the voices around them.

“Barkeep! Ale for me and my companion here and something to eat, whatever is ready is good for me. What about you, Ty?” Still upright, the bartender standing in front of the expectantly, she looks to the other hare with a completely innocent look to water down the deviousness that wants to creep into the spark in her eye. She can’t let him know what she is planning or else ruin the whole game.

[Rockpaw Steeleye]

"They are not stale," Tyree objected, folding his arms in front of him on the table as he leaned on his elbows. He took some offense at the insinuation that he was just sitting about reading books! It wasn't all he did... just what he did most of the time. Tyree could be perfectly sociable when he wanted to be, and generally he felt best when he was at a fairly stoic and reserved officer's party, where everybeast knew how to behave. Well, a lot of officers preferred partying over propriety, being hares, but relatively speaking the young sergeant simply preferred company that wasn't so hard on his large, sensitive ears. If he could flatten them against his head in the manner of a fox or some other creature, he would. Some of the more coarse jokes made his ears burn.

"And as for going gray... well, some creatures happen to be born with gray fur, and they make it work quite well. So I don't see how that'd be a problem."

It seemed Tyree was already starting to get his hackles raised. He wasn't used to other beasts criticizing his stiff-backed nature (since he was an officer he wasn't used to beasts criticizing him at all!) and wasn't going to have any of it. He waggled his ears at the barkeep as Nekela ordered for herself and then spoke up.

"I'll be taking a bit of damson wine and some smoked fish."

After their orders were taken, Tyree turned to his female friend.

"I never thought you'd be one to get all exuberant... you seem to mesh pretty well with places like this. I mean, after all your attempts to get away from civilization you seem eager to jump back in..." he said with something of a smirk.

[Nekela Sandrunner]

No matter how much he speaks against her observances or how irked he starts to become with her and her allegations against him and his...hmm...propriety she only grins at him, ears perked tall and amused upon her head. It seems he takes offense to her speaking against the way he does things, but she expects it. He is still in denial and it might take quite a bit to get him to realize how, put bluntly, boring the life he leads tends to be. She can see it, perhaps some of his friends back at that mountain see it, that he is far too old for his age.

Tyree’s attempt to get her on the same, offended ground doesn’t quite work, probably not the way he had planned. She returns his smirk with one of her own, a deviousness in the twist on her muzzle. The female gets her ale and she snatches it up, blowing froth from the top at him. “I may not like civilization, but I know how to have a little fun once in awhile, Tyree.” She takes a big drought of her drink and then winks over the top of him. “I guess it’s the hare in me, God help me. You really need to try ‘fun’ sometime before you’re too old.”

The barkeep sets Tyree’s wine in front him and smiles. “Your meals will be out shortly.” And then he leaves the two alone. Nekela leans her elbow on the countertop , turned towards Tyree and shrugging her shoulders lightly. “So, you from a family of Long Patrol hares? Or did you defy your parents wishes and sign up to aggravate them?” She looks down into her ale and swirls it around. She’s going to guess at least one of his parents were in the Patrol, he is definitely not the disobedient, rebellious type. But she supposes that there is room for anyone to surprise her.

[Rockpaw Steeleye]

Tyree's ears sprang up again at the mention of him getting 'old' but he frankly didn't feel like continuing that particular line of conversation. He was only twenty-seven seasons. That wasn't old at all, he had plenty of time to get to this "fun" business that Nekela kept going on about. Perhaps they just had different notions of fun. His was a little quieter, a little more bearable, hers was just a little more... loud. And annoying. He glanced down at the wine and took a calm sip from it, spinning on the barstool so he sat with his back and one elbow on the bar, propping him up as he put his footpaws out in front of him. Even he could strike a relaxed pose... if the mood took him, that is. The wine at least was acceptable. He didn't start lamenting the fact that he was missing the mountain breweries... more often than not, the stuff that outsiders made had a pleasant "kick" to it.

He glanced at the female out of the corners of his eyes when she mentioned his reasons for joining the Long Patrol. Setting down his cup, he turned to her and puffed out his chest rather proudly.

"M'gel, this hare happily happens to come from a line of fightin' hares doin' honorable service to the mountain, wot! It's quite a lineage I got! I had to make 'em proud, dontcha know," he said with a wag of his finger. "'Twas the only thing a good first son like meself would do, right? I mean I couldn't bally well just run away an' be a... a sailor or something. A Long Patrol hare sailing the ocean like a corsair! Or wanderin' off like some of those Redwall chaps. No, I live to make my family proud, and by extension myself. An' it's a good life, I might add."

So Tyree really was the almost insufferable 'good boy.' Never did anything wrong or unexpected, gave to the community, and made absolutely sure not to cause trouble wherever he went. Nope, there was nothing anomalous about this hare at all!

"Of course, there's not much character in it... you salute all day, cross your t's an' dot your i's, an', well... that's the life of the Long Patrol. You live ta' be a hero." He swished his wine as he picked it back up.

"An' sometimes you die like one, an' that's that," he murmured. He took another drink, though this was considerably larger to clear the lump in his throat.

[Nekela Sandrunner]

Her mood threatens to turn sour, her eyes narrowing and her paw tightening on the handle of her beaker as he speaks of dying like a hero. “Balderdash,” she sniffs as she downs the rest of her drink and sets it down loudly upon the bar top, searching for the barkeep so that she can get a refill. “Living to spill your blood and guts, eventually forfeiting your life, for a bunch of beasts you don’t know? Not my style.” This little venture has become a twofold plot, she could really use another drink with the way this conversation is going. “There are plenty of heroes that don’t have to suffer in boring, tedious propriety for years or be shoved into some mold that someone thinks is suitable. Just...like...them...taking away the outside world.”

She gets her refill and mimics he position, this time crossing her legs but not as prim as the posture is often coupled with, glaring at nothing in particular as the rhythm of the place swaying around her is somehow lost, shoved out of the little world forming a bubble around her. The rest of reality disappears. ’I’m not the hero though.’ So she doesn’t have to worry about that. She’s one of the villains, a bad-guy, practically a vermin, fraternizing with one of those that would be constituted an enemy by the ‘folks’ back home. And suddenly it feels more odd than before and she feels completely out of place here, with Tyree.

“Bah!” she states and throws her head back to guzzle down her half her ale with gusto in one go, licking foam from her upper lip and setting the container behind her on the counter. “I suppose back home ain’t much different. Step out of line and you’re shot down for it, or at least cracked upside the head for being cheeky. Only difference is that your Patrol has the notion of comradeship and such. Hm...whereas we were learned everybody’s your enemy and nobody’s your friend. You’re on your own unless you want to get cheated and stabbed in the back eventually.” She watches a couple of drunken beasts, twirling around in a circle, arms locked together, as they dance to no music but the laughs of their buddies all around them.

[Rockpaw Steeleye]

Tyree grew a little more tense as Nekela's mood soured. He hadn't expected her to suddenly grow so hostile towards the Long Patrol. Really he hadn't even thought that what he said was all that bad. Perhaps he had underestimated her capacity for mood swings! He stood up a little straighter and watched her out of the corner of his eyes, listening to her little diatribe against the Patrol. He had always assumed it was an honor. Of course they had the outside world! They were the Long Patrol, they went everywhere and did everything! Of course, they didn't always get to actually go out there and have lives of their own, since they were of the mountain, but he never thought about it. So surprised was he by her behavior that he found himself at a loss for words when she was done.

Where could she have come from to be so bitter about, well, everything? He wasn't bitter, just boring, and maybe a little sorrowful that he'd have to face his death on the battlefield eventually. But her, well, she seemed to be outright angry about the whole thing.

He stood there, holding onto his drink and looking down into it for inspiration. He felt like what she said needed, even deserved an answer, but what could he say? If he defended the Patrol she might snap at him instead of the system in general, and that he didn't want. If he tried to argue back or pry into her own past that would just make things even worse. So, he decided for the only option that would defuse everything and make the pallor that surrounded them go back to normal: the friendly one. He started up right where she left off.

"Well," he said, sounding quiet, dodgy, nervous, "good thing you ran across a Long Patroller, eh? It's what we do, you know, watchin' each other's backs. I, I'd... I'd be glad to... watch yours." He cleared his throat, gaining his confidence again. "No, you'll never have to worry about me turnin' on you, Nekela. Just bad form for a Patroller to abandon his comrades, wot!"

He threw back his head like she did as he finished off his drink and plopped it down, noticing their food was just now coming out.

[Nekela Sandrunner]

Nekela had not necessarily been meaning to make Tyree nervous. She’s bold, says what is on her mind, and sometimes just can’t help but to say something on impulse, but she had honestly had been meaning to get Tyree to have a good time instead of turning the mood so serious. She doesn’t know how she manages to ruin the good vibes, replacing them with the infection of her tense, bad-humored aura. Sometimes she even brings herself down with the way she tends to sway towards the darker side of life, the gloomy, cynical side of her psyche domineering over all that has the possibility to bright. If Neke thought about it, she’d actually consider herself surprised that her companion hasn’t already grown tired of her foul disposition and made his escape; maybe the hares from that mountain are different from the other beasts she has met along the roads she’s traveled.

Though she had bypassed the stiff, awkward silence that followed the end of her dialogue the tense aftermath is not so easily dismissed, taking much longer to diffuse through the inn’s air than any hush could. The female feels almost guilty, almost, if she weren’t so sure about her own opinions. Everyone is allowed to have them, right, even when they conflict with the strong ideas of someone else. That’s where debate comes from and debate can very often lead to growth and evolution and the bettering of entire societies even. Not that she expects for a minute that he would ever agree with anything she has to say. After all, he’s a diehard Long Patroller and from what she knows they can be pretty stubborn about their standing.

Yes, she’s angry. She’s angry that good folks have to die because of the troublesome, wicked doings of villains, angry because she knows many who are like that and never did anything to stop them or stumble their progress. She was amongst them, fought for them, protected them. And worst of all, she’s just like them. Nekela can’t stand the fact, but feels there is nothing that can change it, the past cannot be changed and it is what shaped her into being. So how do you flip something like that around? And if there were a way that she could make herself into a better beast how could she be accepted if others found out about where she’s been; and everything is found out eventually?

Tyree’s voice brings her back to the setting, her eyes focusing as she turns her nose in his direction and blinking down her short muzzle at him with her usual trained expression that tells very little. A hint of a smile curls on her furry lips as he speaks, her overall image relaxing a little bit as the words sink into her long straight ears, which twitch just slightly with all the sound filtering in. “Well, then lucky I am, then,” she says, intended to be genuine despite of the controlled tone. “You can count on me as well, Ty. Consider your back watched.” And she claps him lightly on the back in an amiable manner. Maybe she’s not like ‘them’, not entirely. But she’s not like the Long Patrol neither. She’s just destined to be in the middle but she can make that work.

Their food is set down on the counter in front of them by a cook from the back, Nekela mumbling a thanks to the otter as she turns around to face the meal. It smells and looks good and she nibbles at it experimentally to find that it tastes good (even if it’s a little searing on the tongue). For the time being it would seem that the conversation is over and she cannot help but to feel a measure of relief at that. She might be of serious nature on most accounts, but Neke still doesn’t enjoy tense discussion.
~Nekela Sandrunner

(It got long...sorry. Found some inspiration for Neke.)

[Rockpaw Steeleye]

"Mmm... this looks good," Tyree said as he turned about and greeted the food warmly. He leaned forward and put his nose towards it, taking in a long, deep sniff of the assorted fish and steamed vegetables. He knew that stopping here was a good idea, never mind that he had thought it wasn't a good idea at all when they first arrived! But an empty stomach had convinced him that sticking around wouldn't be so bad after all, especially now that they had food to distract themselves with. He was happy that he had marginally increased Neke's mood with his encouragement... or he hoped he did, at least. He picked up a fork and dove into the fish, which was sprinkled liberally with watercress, lemons, and other tasty things. He usually didn't go for a lot of meat, but salads were unfortunately not easy to find since they were so far from lands that were conducive to farming.

"Mmm... this is bally wonderful!" he said as his mouth watered. "We always have feasts back at the mountain, but good food is always appreciated," he said with a smile at Nekela. "I usually prefer salads myself though. Give me enough foragin' time in the kitchen and I can whip up a mean fruit salad," he declared, spooning up another load of steamed vegetables. He was a hare and could eat impressively, in spite of his reserved nature. In mere seconds most of his dish had disappeared, leaving only streaks of oil on the plate.

"Do you know... I used to think about bein' a cook," he said a little more quietly. "When I was younger, that is. I was just foolin' about with the idea... but I did like cooking. Always a very quiet, pleasant experience."

He tilted his head at Nekela, letting one of his ears drop... almost cutely. But Tyree didn't do cute at all.

"What... what about you? When you were young? What strange dreams filled that head of yours, m'gel?"