A little entertainment perhaps?

[Grickle Longcrest]

Grickle paced about his little section in the midst of the hustle and bustle of Topaz Square. His area was of course always packed with beasts but because of his food stuffs and herbs that he gathered from the Sandstone Swamp, (all of which he had already sold by this time). No the crowd gathered for the entertainment he provided.

Aside from the fact that he was an excellent swamp guide and a deadly guerilla fighter he was a performer of unrivaled quality. It was theatre or balladry which was his forte though he wasn't half bad at either. Nay he used his knives to the delight and astonishment of his audience.

He suddenly ceased his footsteps and the crowd stopped breathing. He smiled and winked rougishly at his watchers and without preamble one of his daggers made its way straight up into the air. As it came down and rose once more into the air a second dagger joined it. Then another and another, more and more projectiles made graceful arcs in the air. They glittered dangerously as the flew and he danced about performing a crazy jig even as the knives made their own dance in the sky.

The fact that one misstep or a bad catch would result in his death didn't seem to bother the drably dressed yellow and black speckled newt. Which it didn't a whit. He knew what he was doing he had been doing it since he was little more than a dibbun. This was all just an extension of throwing a knife as a weapon to him.As the crowd of beasts oo-ed and ah-ed Grickle smiled inwardly. This was a lucrative business this juggling and such but he in truth loved the exspressions of wonder on the faces of the little dibbuns beast.

Now his routine was coming to an end and he threw a particularly large knife incredibly high into the air and sotwed the others away into their sheathes to quickly for the eye to follow. Then almost lazily the great big dagger, the one he had nicknamed the Mauler, came back down point first and straight for his head. The audience gasped as at the last possible second he snatched the large dagger from the air and like a whipcrack whipped the Mauler around and flung it into a small wooden target behind him. As the blade stood quivering point first in the very center of his target he bowed low to the audience. Coins clinked into a box he had set aside for just such a purpose.

Grickle arose and smiled broadly at his astounded viewers. He retrieved the Mauler and bowed once more. He hten made a show of looking for something, utter confusion on his face. The gathered creatures looked even more baffled as he moved about searching. Finally a small mouse babe asked in his piping childish voice."Wotcher lookin fer Mista Lon'cres?"

"Why my volunteer finder of course! I need somebeast's help in discovering the location of an assisstant." The mischevious newt halted and then leaned down to look the little fellow in the eye. "You wouldn't happen to be just such a beast would you?"

"Sure ting Mista Lon'cres! Who'm ah lookin fer?"

"Oh I don't know how about this? You point at somebeast in the crowd and they have to help me?" The little mouse nodded emphatically and Grickle smiled. "Okay then I'll spin you about and when I stop you point out your paw and the unfortunate to be pointed at has ter help me!"

The little mouse giggled furiously as he was blindfolded with a rag and spun round in several circles before finally being halted by Grickle's webbed claws. The babe's paw went up and Grickle's eye followed. He smiled at the creature it pointed to as he took away the dibbun's blind. "Well then little fleeow i think we all know whos going to be helping me don't we? Now come on! Don't be shy my friend tis time for Girckle Longcrest to help you smile!"

[Kirah Lovestorm]

Kirah was ambling through the many crowds of people. Her aimless jewelry about her clinking together. She was lad in a white almost Roman goddess robes a dress. A tiara that fit well over her harks were more than sparkling this fine sunny day though the crowds were annoying. Kirah fought through the crowds like she was a bug in an ants army camp. Her golden fur shown with a certain air of authority and yes she was very much so rich but she didnt like to show it. She was clad richly and was the daughter of a widowed duke. She carried the Lovestorm blood in her veins and would someday hopefully maker her father name live on. Kirah was really irritated next things she know someone is pointing at her and she freezes making the bow on her back wobble as she stopped so suddenly. She hated being on stage even though she was the Lady Luck the best woman archer in the area. She was thinking whether to run away or stand her ground never knew what people out here these days were doing to either bribe you or take your money. Warm amber eyes watched the Newt and the mouse bairn come closer and Kirah was somehow uneasy.

[Grickle Longcrest]

Grickle continued to smile warmly as the beautifulshe-wolf halted abruptly and regarded him with a slight air of suspicscion. Sh obviously hadn't seen his performance before and had no clue what she was being dragged into. Too bad she wasn't going get out of it now because the mouse babe had pointed and ture to his word Grickle would use the little fleeow's choice in his next act whether she wanted to do so or not.

"Well then what're ya waitin' for? Get over here! I have a show to do and my official volunteer finder has chosen you from the crowd to be my volunteer!"

Grickle moved foraward and bowed low before the richly garbed femme. After all a mischevious pest he may be the newt still had a sense of propriety in rank. Of course even as he rose from the bow he siezed her paw and began to pull her forward towards his stall.

"Now what's your name Miss? I can't just keep calling you 'volunteer' now can I?"

[Kirah Lovestorm]

Ok first of all she had not been to sure what she was being pulled into probably an act of some sort. She may have been dressed richly only because her father bought her clothing though she preferred a good pair of breeches and a shirt though when she was in the archery range or practicing her sword handling on horseback. Kirah for one hated crowds and especially probing eyes. When they approached kirah resisted the urge to flee to runaway and hide in her rather large room. "Oh really I thought you were pointing to someone else" she stammered lightly plastering a small innocent smile on her face it saying completely she did not want to assist in this so called act. She allowed him to grab her hand though she resisted the urge to snatch her hand away after all he was a complete total stranger. Ok she couldnt do anything now she was practically being dragged to the dreaded stage now and she was trying to keep her cool. Then he asks her name how dare he drag her from her escaping the crowds then doesnt even tell her his name. She rolls her eyes and finally complies to the curious Newt and then speak "my name is Kirah...Kirah Lovestorm" she stated.

[Grickle Longcrest]

"Well Miss Lovestorm you have just stumbled upon us at a most fortuitous time! In case ya didn't hear me earlier my name is Grickle Longcrest and my little friend here is..." Girckle stopped dead. HE HAD FORGOTTEN TO ASK THE LITTLE MOUSE HIS NAME! He leaned over and whispered just loud enough for everybeast to hear him. "Psst! What's your name kiddo?"

"I'ma not tellin ya noffink." The mouse impudently whispered loudly back. Grickle nodded and once more directed his attention to the wolf. "Right this is Ima Nottellin Yanoffink. Odd name for a little fella but there ya go."

"That not my name! My name Chugga!"

"Huh? Well what're ye tellin' me a false name for? you runnin' from the law or somethin'? As the hare's say 'Bad form sah! Very bad form, wot'!" The two creatures then launched into a full-scale bicker seemingly oblivious to the chuckleing crowd behind them. Both of them gestured wildy and shouted and all manner of things until the resorted to just insulting each other.

"You little polly-woggle!"

"Ninneh-head!"

"Why you little bothersome pest! Alright that's it I'm gonna....Huh?" Grickle finaaly seemed to realize that he had completely forgotten the show. (Of course the whole thing had been an act. He had purposefully not asked the little mousebabe's name). The newt returned his attention to his audience. "Uhh sorry about that where were we again? Oh yeah! You," Grickle pointed to Kirah, "Go stand in front of that little target over there, you'll find some turnip's on the ground put one on your head and hold the other to on your open paws alright? Now go on I got a show to get done. As for you I'll deal with you later." he mumbled out of the corner of his mouth at Chugga, who stuck his tongue out at the incorrigible newt. The whole occurence had the crowd watching brely keeping a collective straight face.

[Kirah Lovestorm]

"Well I am just a lucky dog today" she said with a matter of saying with a roll of her eyes. Being dragged up here to be a volunteer. She was an unwilling volunteer wasnt this illegal. Her eye very much wanted to twitch with agitation and then this little mouse boy was arguing with the Newt. Oh how her day was turning disastrous. Kirah was seriously thinking about walking away she would have to if they wouldnt have stopped right when she took a step back. Then he was so demanding so Kirah obeyed her direct orders and went to where he told her to stand then bended down to pick up two turnips. She rolled her eyes oh what a fun day it was to die he better be as good as he thought he was or he would have a dead Kirah on his hands and have to explain to her rather grumpy sister and her father. She place one on her head right between her cute harks. Then she held one in her hands and suddenly was wishing she had a will.

[Grickle Longcrest]

Grickle grinned as the wolfess reluctantly did as he requested. He fingered an odd sort of throwing dagger from the east called a kunai as he twirled extravagantly to face the audience. "Alright then! You my lucky ladies and gentlemen are about to witness the marvelous skill I have developed over the years! I am the bestdagger tosser in the biz and just to prover my point...!"

Like a lightning strike the speckled newt whirled once more and his webbed claws blurred with a speed unmatched by anybeast. THUNK THUNK THUNK THUNK! In an instant of movement the three turnips held by Kirah were pierced by three very different daggers the one on her head split in half by the massive Mauler. Not only that but her head was framed by glittering blades of various shape.

The crowd looked like they were collectively pole-axed. Then all at once they cheered and coins clinked into Grickle's money box. Grickle bowed once and turned about and without further ado began to pluck his dagger's from the target. "Sorry if I startled you their ma'am," he whispered to Kirah,"but I have to act overconfident to get anybeast to take a second glance at me. Most of them have seen that act a million times. But they never seem to get tired with it."

Grickle finished pulling away the knives and stowing them away. He smiled mischeviously at Kirah. "Though I must say you did a lot better then my first 'volunteer'."

[Kirah Lovestorm]

Kirah was relaxed cause if he had messed up she was pretty sure she would haunt the miserable newt in his dreams and choke him. Kirah waited and froze not moving an inch not breathing. With that she smiled at him knowing where they would hit and she waited and felt the bare brushes of the wind off them and she shook her head. "Sorry I dont scare that easily" she said moving away and looked at him with amber eyes knowing good and well with that look there was more to this woman than met the eyes. She snorted "well then seems I have no nerves and was welcoming death and somethings are just not meant to survive when other things are" she said. Which meant if she died she died if she lived she lived it wasnt her option at all and she was just a pawn in a giant game of life or preferred word chess.

[Grickle Longcrest]

At her words Grickle suddenly went rigid his expression one of a freshly landed fish. Grickel shook his head flabbergasted. "Well ain't that a tad fatalistic view of things now ain't it? Me I think when we die its cause its our time but that don't me we shouldn't try our best to live. Life is somethin' to treasure and cleave to. An' all that. Now I do believe I owe you some of the take here."

Grickel stepped over to the coin box and checked the insides. Nodding to himself he counted out a few coins and stood. He turned about and pressed the handful into the wolfess's paws. "Now before you say ya can't take the money I 'm gonna tell you that you earned it. Ya didn't have to let yourself get dragged into the show but you went along so here ya go."

[Kirah Lovestorm]

Kirah was watching her. Nobody really knew her past but they thought her snooty rich blood. However Kirah participated in the war she had seen a lot of things this newt before her probably hadnt. She waited watching like a hawk being a guard and such had made her learn to read body language and right now she was pleasant solemn not showing any emotion on her facade. "Indeed Grickle I understand your reasoning but everyone had their own understanding our being slightly different but nevertheless almost the same. She gave him a smile then one that happened to actually reach her eyes. Though they widened slightly as though she was shocked that he was giving her money. She did not understand she supposed he didnt know she was one of the wealthier breed. "Why thank you Mister Grickle" she said holding the weighty money in her paw waiting for something to happen.