Calling all Knights

[Cooper Ballion]

There was nothing more that Cooper wanted then to meet with each Knight individually but between Stryke and him they compiled a rather large list of BK prospects. It would take him forever to meet and converse with each and everyone. And so the male would send out the same letter to each one of the prospective members and give them a secret location in which they would all meet together. Such a meeting could be quite fun.

The letter would be sent to the following creatures....

Name: Granuaile
Gender: Female
Age: 22 (equivalent human age)
Species: Mouse
Faction: Foot Troops / Twilight Trackers
Mount:



Name: Aryela Jade Secray
Gender: Female
Age: 35
Species: Timber Wolf
Faction: Foot Troops / Twilight Tracker General
Mount:



Name: Stryke Opaleye [Invitation Sent]
Gender: Female
Age: 30 seasons
Species: Otter
Faction: Foot Troops / Wildstone Sentinals General
Mount:



Name: Kota Greysong
Gender: Male
Age: 25-30 in human years
Species: Wolf
Faction: Fort Resident & Civilian
Mount:



Name: Keltset
Gender: Male
Age: 33 (Equivalent Human Age)
Species: Sea Otter
Faction: Foot Troops / Twilight Trackers
Mount:



Name: Rose Lovestorm
Gender: Female
Age: 25
Species: Wolf
Faction: Foot Troops / ~?~
Mount:



Name: Sandy Luram
Gender: Female
Age: 7 1/2 years
Species: Ferret
Faction: Foot Troops / ~?~
Mount:



Name: Kirah Lovestorm
Gender: Female
Age: 23
Species: Wolf
Faction: Fort Resident & Civilian
Mount:



Name: Bowen Lark
Gender: Male
Age: 24
Species: Wolf
Faction: Foot Troops / Twilight Trackers
Mount:



Name: Shazza Vandalin
Gender: Female
Age: 29
Species: River Otter
Faction: Keleanth Windspiral's NPC
Mount: Magnis



Name: Darrow Lark
Gender: Female
Age: 21
Species: Wolf
Faction: Foot Troops / Twilight Trackers
Mount:



Name: Rosethorn Gingivere
Gender: Female
Age: Equal to 19 in human years
Species: Wildcat
Faction: Flotilla / Wave Stalker
Mount:



Name: Serena Brighteyes
Gender: Female
Age: Young Adult
Species: Grey Wolf
Faction: Fort Resident
Mount:



Name:
Gender:
Age:
Species:
Faction:
Mount:



Name:
Gender:
Age:
Species:
Faction:
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Name:
Gender:
Age:
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Now all that the male otter had to do was sit and wait. The location of the meeting was in a building that Coop used to store all of his faction weaponry. It was quaint and inside was a few wooden tables and chairs. Thick curtains were drawn over the windows so that no beast could see in from the outside which made it a bit darker and so the male took the liberty in getting some candles to decorate each table.

Coop was the only one with a key, aside from Brooke of course. Who she gave a key to was entirely up to her. Either way the male sat inside, twirling a dagger in his paw while he waited for the others to arrive. In front of him was a parchment and quill. Each beast would know to sign it and then take a seat. Cooper of course would maintain his demeanor and appear to be a callous leader.

[Keleanth Windspiral]

(I'm hoping this is the right place to respond...)

The odd letter Shazza had received weighed heavily on her mind as she worked the currycomb over her gelding's brown coat. She had been at the fort for some time, but she'd never expected something like this. It had come from what she could only assume was a secret faction within Emerald Bay. She assumed this because the document had given strict orders to speak to no one about its contents, and to burn it after it had been read. She'd followed the orders without question, but now she was wondering if it had been the right decision.

She stepped back from Magnis' side so she could exchanged the currycomb for a body brush, then went back to work. The gelding seemed completely content with his partner's ministrations, as was evident by his quiet sigh and half-closed eyes. He'd had a good roll in the mud earlier, and now the otter was trying to get him cleaned up while she worked out what was on her mind. The body brush moved briskly over the horse's coat, whisking away dust and dead hair and leaving a slight shine in its wake.

"So what do you think?" The words were whispered, and caused one of Magnis' black-tipped ears to flick back so he could catch them. His only response was another gentle sigh, and Shazza smiled. "Must be good t'have no worries. Wish I could say the same.

Another sigh this time, then the gelding shook his head, causing his mane to fall out of its neatly brushed state. The otter chuckled, then patted his neck before tossing her brush back into its box. He was about as clean as she was going to get him at the moment. Besides, he was just going to go out and roll again in the morning after their ride. Shazza gathered the box of brushes, let her gaze wander over the amount of hay and water in the stall, then stepped into the barn aisle and latched the stall door.

"Alright then. Rest easy, friend. I'm off to see what this is all about. Might be new adventures for us."

The lack of response drew another slight smile, then the riverbeast quickly moved down the aisle. It was the work of a few minutes to store her brushes. She'd already cleaned her tack, so there was nothing left to do. No reason to continue procrastinating. She meandered out of the barn, then let her footpaws carry her towards her destination.

Before long the sand-colored female found herself standing outside the small building described in the letter she had received. There was a final moment of hesitation, then she opened the door and casually entered the room. Once the door closed behind her she hesitated again, now to let her eyes adjust to the darkness. Shazza took a quick look around to get her bearings, then spotted a male otter sitting behind one of the tables towards the front of the room. By the looks of things she was supposed to sign in, so the female made her way up to the table. She nodded to Cooper, then took the quill and scrawled her name across the top of the parchment. With that done the female turned and took a seat, wondering who else might be making an appearance.

[Vexa Blueclaw]

Kota Greysong

The day was slow, sun warm on his ash-grey fur as Kota made his way out of the infirmary. Two foot soldiers had gotten banged up while sparring but luckily enough the dagger wounds and bruises had been minor, easily patched before noon. Picking his way across the courtyards and markets, bound for the faction barracks, Kota examined the unusual letter he had found in his office when he had returned from buying herbs in the market. The letter described a location for a meeting though Kota wasn't entirely sure what it was for. Either way, the peaceable healer made his way toward the barracks in no real hurry.

He briefly wondered if Rose would be around the infirmiry at all when he returned. He had missed her company sorely since she had helped him after he'd been stabbed. Giving his head a firm shake, Kota passed the barracks from the Twilight Trackers, heading back toward the weapon storage buildings. He was a head healer for crying out loud, he had no time to fawn for lovely she-wolves despite their alluring beauty and personalities.

Sighing, Kota paused outside of the building before pushing the door open and stepping inside, jade green eyes adjusting to the dim indoor lighting. He caught sight of a burly otter sitting at a table and a female otter already inside. Hanging back near the door, Kota inclined his head politely but made no further moves.

---

Serena Brighteyes

Closing up shop early on a busy summer afternoon was never a wise thing for a trader to do. Today however, the commitments Serena had made outweighed the need to keep her wares avalible for buyers. Tomorrow would be another fine day and today she was due, according to the letter she had found, to meet someone important. So, the tribal wolfess packed up her handmade jewelry and daggers, packing them away with care. The bangle bracelets on her wrists jingled lightly as she moved about, skirts swishing quietly. Her blue-grey fur and purple tinted blue eyes making her stand out in the market but at the same time disappear as she slipped away from the hustle and bustle.

Serena was honest with herself, she was a bit nervous. A mysterious letter seldom meant anything good but nonetheless, she would face whatever it was. She had her trusty dagger hidden in the sleeve of her shirt for protection if nothing else. Still, Serena's nerves were not really directed toward the fact that she was going somewhere unknown. The unknown was always a fascinating thing to Serena. What did make her nervous was that unlike previous theft attempts, there would be no Arctic Fang to catch the crooks.

Walking past the barracks, Serena swallowed her fear and straightened up. She was a she-wolf darn it and by all means she was going to act like one. Calling up her normal calm way of taking things, Serena slowed her speeding heart. Confidently as she could manage, Serena pushed open the door of the designated building described in her letter. Inside there was a male wolf near the door and two otters, one seated at a table. Shifting her pack of wares on her shoulder, Serena entered, closing the door behind her and headed toward the front of the room, following the lead of the female otter. She accepted the quill from the male otter and wrote her name under the female otter's.

---

Rosethorn Gingivere

A growl of frustration came from the throat of an irritated looking red-gold wildcat as she paced down the docks. She had yet to find the captain of the Wave Stalker and it really was becoming a hassle. She had almost considered simply setting her standard lower and looking for the captain of another ship, perhaps the Coral Glider or Star Gazer but no, Rosethorn had been raised to be far too stubborn for such things. Still, it would be the death of her if she didn't get in touch with a captain before the ship left dock.

Placing her paws on her hips, Rosethorn regarded the docks with a sharp green-eyed glare. If any of the workers noticed her annoyance they gave no notice. Sighing, Rosethorn pulled a slip of paper from her pack and looked it over. She wouldn't be haunting the docks this afternoon it seemed. Someone seemed to have noticed her and was interested in her...skills as a sailor. Really that was all Rosethorn could think they would want since that really was her only skill apart from throwing daggers but that was not the point.

Shrugging, Rosethorn stuffed the paper back into her bag and made her way to the place the letter listed. It was an unimpressive looking place but she could hear other beasts moving around inside. Pausing only a moment in hestitation, Rose pushed the door open. Her cat pupils widened as she stepped into the darker place, allowing her to see two otters and two wolves inside. Straightening up a bit, Rosethorn put down her bag at her feet and leaned against the wall, eyes roving from wolf to wolf, otter to otter. Her only hope was that this didn't involve anything illegal. She'd done illegal smuggling in her time and nearly done time in labor camps for it. This place was her new start and she didn't intend on starting out in prison.

[Cooper Ballion]

Cooper was almost asleep when a creature walked in. The room was so dimly lit that it would be hard for the new ones to discern what their leader would look like, let alone what species he is. But Coop on the other paw could see clearly, his eyes being adjusted completely to the surrounding light. He could see that the creature was a female and she was an otter. But wait! His eyes squinted as he sat down on all four legs of his chair. He knew this femme. It's Shazza Vandalin. The very same femme that suddenly disappeared seasons ago. Clearly though she did not remember him. Perhaps it was the light or perhaps it's because she chooses to make believe that she does not remember him. Or perhaps he wasn't an otter that was all that memorable.

The male had some pride. He wasn't sure why she didn't know who he was and so he simply nodded at her as he watched her sign and then move to her seat. Yep that was her all right! The male twirled the paper toward himself and took a gander at her name in order to confirm his speculations. His odd colored eyes read her name and he almost grinned. The stern leader gaze was not betrayed by the happy feeling that he felt when the realization hit him.

He had no time to react because soon others were filing in. First a male wolf you just stood at the door, then a female wolf that had sense enough to use the quill and parchment. After she sat a wildcat entered who seemed to follow the male wolf's lead. Coop just patted his paw down hard on the table, his voice rough and fearless. "Who ever wants to be a part of the Black Knights will need to sign their name here!" His eyes darted mostly over the male wolf. He certainly hoped that he wasn't going to be a problem.

[Keleanth Windspiral]

The dim lighting in the room had indeed kept Shazza quite literally in the dark about the identity of the otter sitting at the table. She could only tell his species and that he was a male. Beyond that, nothing. So she waited in her seat to see who else would arrive, and before long her patience was rewarded. A wolf was the next to enter the room, causing the riverbeast to lift an eyebrow. She wasn't sure how many other beasts had received the type of invitation she had received, nor did she know how many of those would accept.

Shazza probably would not have accepted her own invitation had she not received one like it several seasons ago. The female had been at FEB once, but urgent matters had taken her away for awhile. When those had had been settled she had returned to the fort. This place felt more like home to her than home, and she was happy to be back. Magnis might not feel the same, but the otter knew he'd settle in again.

The entrance of a female wolf and a wildcat broke her train of thought, and blue eyes glinted in the candlelight as she looked up to greet them. None of the newcomers seemed inclined towards conversation at the moment. Shazza couldn't exactly blame them. There wasn't a lot about the atmosphere of the room that prompted light-hearted discussion. She tapped her claws lightly against the tabletop in front of her, then stifled a sigh. Hopefully they could get this started soon. She didn't mind waiting, but she had had a long day and wanted to get to bed at a relatively decent hour.

"Whoever wants to be a part of the Black Knights will need to sign their name here!"

Now that voice was familiar. Blue eyes turned towards the otter at the front of the room as he patted his paw on the table beside the parchment. Was it really him? A small smile tugged on the corners of Shazza's muzzle as her suspicions were confirmed. Cooper. The female had wondered if he was still around, and that curiosity had factored into her decision to come to this meeting. While nothing had ever really happened between the female and the commander of the Black Knights, she had enjoyed his companionship. The sand-colored river beast leaned back in her chair and waited to see if the male wolf and the wildcat would step up and sign the parchment, or if they would turn and leave.