With Swords, Claws, and Teeth Bared

CORIN THUNDERFIST II said:

Bronon suddenly realises that night is rapidly closing in. "That's amazing!" he exclaims. "However, there are many in my country, especially amongst us younger generation, who believe as I do, that Tash does not exist. Now, I know better, I hope I never meet him!" The boy gives a shudder. Quickly changing the subject, he observes, "It's getting dark quickly, we need to find somewhere to sleep. I shall look for a hollow tree or something similar. What about yourself? Are the trees suitable for you?" He asks these questions sincerely, clearly concerned for Wideglide's needs as well as his own.

Many miles away, Sergeant Zimcar and the loyal Narnians with him have established a camp and are preparing to settle down for the night.

Even further away, Sareg is hurrying back to his camp. (O.O.C: I assume wolves can see in the dark?)

Meanwhile, even further south, the hunting party is getting near to their camp. Suddenly a dark shape, leaps out in front of them, blocking the path. It is Parcash, another senior wolf. "Go no further, if you value your lives!" he orders. "Whilst you have been away we've been busy too! Upon the orders of Lord Zamron and Captain Ashraf we have laid and hidden many lethal traps and snares leading from here into our camp. Follow me, treading where I tread, and you will pass without injury or worse!" Soon the hunting party cross safely into the camp at Beaversdam.

Click to expand...

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =

OOC-- They can't literally see with NO light, but their other senses are very, very keen, so they can move smoothly at night.

Wideglide replies, "I can perch almost anyplace -- once I get a bite to eat." She flies out of sight, until her voice drifts back, exclaiming, "You down there, the squirrel! If you're a talking beast, say so at once! Hello? Do you understand me?" Six more minutes pass before the falcon reappears. What she brings back to eat is not a squirrel, but a gopher. She explains:

"The squirrel _was_ a talking beast, so I told her about the enemy movements; she will advise other woodland beings. Then I went on and caught this gopher which _wasn't_ a talking beast. It's rough being a sapient carnivore in Narnia!"

Although hungry himself, Bronon does not at all like the idea of eating raw meat. Normally, he would have caught a rabbit and cooked it prior to eating. However, being unaware that the hunting party have retreated, he feels such a course of action would be unwise, as it might indicate his location to them.
"If that bluejay hadn't come along when he did," he observes, I bet i'd have been inside those wolves by now!" He shudders. "I don't imagine for one moment that they are as considerate as you regarding talking animals or humans! No doubt that was why the rat, Vermwood I think he called himself, was pretending to be friendly!" He shudders again. He then excuses himself whilst he finds a suitable tree nearby to spend the night. He then returns and tells Wideglide where it is. "Do you agree with me that one of us should stay awake on guard, in case those wolves should come this way?" he asks. "I don't mind taking first watch if you are agreeable?"

Meanwhile, having arrived at Beaversdam, Mauron and his party make their report, taking great care to emphasise the role played by "that interfering bluejay!" in their predicament. When they have finished, Zamron and Ashraf hold a quick conference. Both know Flakefeather very well indeed, as the bluejay has previously been a nuisance to both of them. Zamron immediately orders that Flakefeather is to be summarily executed and puts a large bounty on his head. He also expresses his regrets concerning the deaths of the brave wolves and equally brave dwarves and assures his followers that their deaths will be avenged.

Privately, Wideglide would not trust Bronon to be smart enough to find his own nose with both hands. But remembering the ancient tales of how the famous Digory Kirke recovered from his failings, the Falcon wants to give this not-much-older boy a fair chance to do better. So she agrees to let him keep watch first.... not mentioning to him that she is an extremely light sleeper.


Hackroot the wart hog says to the minotaur: "Lord Zamron, in the absence of our divine queen, there could be no better leader for us than yourself. But how are we to cope with the hugely-increased numbers of our foes? The party I went out with saw only a few, but many thousands are east of here."

Meanwhile, the giantess Gruntabillary, and the satyr she rescued, have been admitted to Cair Paravel, where King Edmund the Just has officially pronounced Gruntabillary to be pardoned for her former allegiance to Jadis. Aslan's act of atonement for Edmund extends its benefit to Gruntabillary also. Tumnus then finds quarters for the giantess, so she can stay available in case this roleplay finally gains more participation and someone feels like playing as a female giant.

OOC: I had no idea this roleplay was even still alive.

Corin and I have kept it going!

SUMMARY: After Aslan's victory, Zamron the Minotaur led the few Jadisites who had neither been killed nor captured, and fled westward. Their retreat brought them to the magical instantly-maturing wheatfield that Flakefeather the Bluejay had been given the honor of planting. The Jadisites harvested this wheat to form a food reserve; but when a female giant among them named Gruntbillary ate some of the wheat, she instantly turned good! Rescuing a satyr held captive by Zamron, Gruntabillary headed for Cair Paravel to pledge her loyalty to Aslan and the Pevensies.

To prevent any good guys from trapping them in the location where Gruntabillary had last seen them, Zamron and the senior wolf led their force farther west -- to Beaversdam, which was vacant because of the Beavers from LWW being with Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy. From there, the wolves, joined by evil dwarfs and other creatures, ventured forth to hunt for food (potentially including people) and to try to convince any less-informed Narnians that Jadis might still return somehow.

Meanwhile, since the melting of ice made it possible again to enter Narnia by land, Archenlandish cavalry, accompanied by some Narnian beings who had been living in Archenland in exile, came into Narnia from the south, to act on the Pevensies' behalf by searching for surviving enemies. Some of these cavalrymen have made contact with a married couple of talking elephants and other faithful Narnians, and the Narnians reported an inconclusive skirmish with a hostile force that included wolves, evil dwarf archers, and a wild pig named Hackroot. Now these good guys are on the alert for more enemy activity.

Besides this, the Archenlandish soldiers have a deserter to think about. A lazy, irresponsible teenage draftee in the army, named Bronon, decided that he didn't want to remain a soldier, and sneaked off. Bronon would be dead by now if not for two facts: (1) Flakefeather warned him against a small beast who seemed friendly but was really trying to hand Bronon over to the wolves, and (2) Aslan Himself intervened by striking dead two wolves who were preparing to kill and eat Bronon.

Right now, Bronon's latest babysitter is a lady falcon called Wideglide. She has told the teenage boy that she believes the Jadisites will try to make an alliance with the Calormenes.

O.O.C: An excellent account of what has happened since the death of Jadis. Hopefully, this may encourage more players to join us. All are welcome!

Regarding the rider Seargent Zimcar sent to Cair Paravel. Would he be too far away by now for a pack of wolves to pursue him and catch him?

I.C: Zamron, replying to Hackroot, "Have no fear, brave Hackroot! Whilst you were away, Captain Ashraf and I have been planning a new strategy which will result in the human scum and traitors soon begging for our mercy! As you rightly point out, our enemies are many. Therefore we need to seek allies, allies whom we can trust and whose interests are served by ours, and ours by theirs. We propose sending envoys to His Majesty the Tisroc, ruler of Calormen, with a view to a military alliance. I know the Calormenes have long had concerns about the threat to their security from Archenland, only the huge desert between the two lands has enabled their survival thus far, as it is impossible, owing to a lack of food and, especially, water, to cross it with an army I have considered this problem at length and believe this can be resolved. I propose sending our noble sisters, the harpies, to Tashbaan, the capital of Calormen to offer their aid by flying back north along the Calormene army's expected route of march, carrying sealed kegs of water (and other supplies) to be placed at pre-determined locations on the way. Once news of this reaches those Archenlanders who have, with the connivance of the humans and traitors, invaded our country, they will be forced to return to Archenland. I'm sure you agree that it will be better for us to have a friendly nation to the south rather than the current hostile one! Without the aid of these mercenaries from Archenland, Cair Paravel will soon fall, and those whose right it is to rule, in the name of our beloved Queen, will govern the country for the good of all loyal citizens.
At the same time, I also suggest that we send messangers north to the wastelands. The giants who live there will, I'm sure only be too happy to gather their forces and attack Cair Paravel! Whether they win or are beaten does not matter, if they win we will soon deal with them, they aren't very intelligent! If they are beaten, the humans and traitors will have their hands full dealing with them and thus be unable to interfere in our affairs!

Whilst Zamron is outlying his plans Sareg returns to the camp, discreetly joining his comrades.

OOC-- Wolves _could_ overtake Zimcar's messenger; but it is not reasonable to suppose that Aslan is _completely_ standing neutral. In fact, I have this odd feeling that the seven Griffins already flying west at high speed, sure to catch sight of the messenger _before_ the wolves would catch him, just might have been _told_ by Aslan to go have a look. And wolf-meat would be a perfectly acceptable midnight snack for seven Griffins who've been flying hard. None of this, however, is an immediate threat to Zamron and Company, since the Archenlandish messenger knows very little about the location and composition of Zamron's troop.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _


Just before anyone has time to notice and greet Sareg, he hears a deep rumble in his ears, as if an unseen Lion were only inches away from him. An ocean-deep voice, audible only to Sareg, warns him: "No, you did not imagine it; I did pin you to the ground as if you were a mouse. You are still being given time; but if you remain stubborn, your time will at last run out. And do not imagine that the demon Tash can oppose Me; I can also destroy him any time I choose." Then the Lion's voice falls silent.

Zamron completes outlining his proposals to his followers by asking for volunteers to undertake the task of contacting the northern giants. Sareg, who had virtually forgotten about the first warning he had received from Aslan, is badly shaken by what he has heard. He decides to do what he thought of doing after his first experience, and ask one of the hags, Narticia, known for her skill in astrology, for advice. However, before doing so, he give his report to Zamron and Ashraf, not mentioning anything at all about the warnings he has received.

Noticing Sareg, Hackroot greets him: "Good to see you're back safely. Have you any news to report?"


Meanwhile, the Griffins sent out by Aslan spot the Archenlandish messenger bound for Cair Paravel. A wise female among these Griffins says to her kin-creatures: "Let's not all descend around him; his horse is probably only a plain horse, and would be scared out of its wits." She looks at the smallest member of the group, her own son. "Son, you go down and speak to him; you by yourself will be the least frightening. The rest of us will circle near enough to make sure you and our human friend are safe. His poor beast must be exhausted."

Thus, to be brief, it is ensured that Sergeant Zimcar's information will reach the Pevensies.

Sareg, with a great effort, manages to hide his shock at his recent experiences. "Thank you, friend Hackroot. Whilst you were on your mission, I was carrying out an assignment for Captain Ashraf. As we suspected, the human scum from Archenland are in league with the traitors in our own land! Moreover, it seems others, cowards who fled abroad at the beginning of our beloved Queen's enlightened reign, have come slinking back. No doubt they are planning to plunder Narnia of its resources! If they try, they'll be very sorry!"

Although Captain Zimcar's messenger is still far from Cair Paravel, the arrival of Gruntabillery the giantess has alerted the Pevensies to the fact that more trouble is brewing in their kingdom. High King Peter orders a council to be held in the morning.

CORIN THUNDERFIST II said:

Sareg, with a great effort, manages to hide his shock at his recent experiences. "Thank you, friend Hackroot. Whilst you were on your mission, I was carrying out an assignment for Captain Ashraf. As we suspected, the human scum from Archenland are in league with the traitors in our own land! Moreover, it seems others, cowards who fled abroad at the beginning of our beloved Queen's enlightened reign, have come slinking back. No doubt they are planning to plunder Narnia of its resources! If they try, they'll be very sorry!"

Although Captain Zimcar's messenger is still far from Cair Paravel, the arrival of Gruntabillery the giantess has alerted the Pevensies to the fact that more trouble is brewing in their kingdom. High King Peter orders a council to be held in the morning.

Click to expand...

Meanwhile, one of the griffins flies to where Zimcar is standing by with the elephants and others. He tells them that the messenger is safe, and carries the wounded leopard to where he can get more care.

The wounded dwarf from Mauron's party has also received treatment for his wounds, from one of the hags who is skilled in such matters.

Meanwhile, Sareg seeks out another hag, Narticia, a gifted astrologer, and asks her for advice. After finding somewhere where they will have privacy, and not be disturbed, he tells her about the two weird experiences he has had recently, something he has never had before, at the same time stressing his loyalty to Jadis, Zamron and Captain Ashraf. He asks Narticia whether she can explain the strange phenomena and what she advises him to do.

"Thank you, Narticia, says Sareg. You have put my mind at rest. Is there no end to the wickedness these humans are capable of? As for the idea that the lion is an omnipotent deity," (he laughs) "that is too ridiculous for words! What do I do though, if it happens again?"

Meanwhile, an ogre called Razmarl has offered his services to Zamron by volunteering to contact the northern giants. He feels that they may be more likely to listen to someone like himself. Zamron gratefully accepts his offer. Meanwhile, preparations are being made for the harpies to visit the Tisroc, including planning a route that will avoid populated areas of Narnia.

(I won't be hasty to depict the Pevensies directly after this)

When the wounded leopard is brought back to Cair Paravel by the griffins, Queen Lucy heals his injuries with a drop of her healing cordial. The leopard profusely thanks her, but is concerned: "Your Majesty, my injuries were not actually life-threatening, and would have responded to more ordinary care. Ought not Your Majesty to reserve this resource for those who are hurt nigh to death?"

King Edmund, whose own life was recently saved by Lucy's cordial, tells the faithful beast, "I believe that my sister views any needy creature as being the adventure Aslan is sending her."

Lucy herself adds to this: "Indeed so. And if Aslan so chooses, He can send Father Christmas to replenish my supply."

O.O.C: I have often wondered how it is that Lucy's cordial never seemed to run out, no matter how many people she healed! My thoughts were that it was automatically replenished, when the need arose, by magic. Lucy's explanation in your last post is much more convincing!

I.C: All through the night, and the following day, preparations are made for the long journey the harpies are to make to Tashbaan, considering possible safe routes and the message they are to convey. To minimise any risk, it is decided they will travel by night, starting the following night.

Meanwhile, Mauron and two junior wolves have been assigned to escort the ogre, Razmarl, to the Northern Wastelands, in order to persuade the giants to invade Narnia. They also plan travelling after sunset the next evening.

"No, not at all!" replies Zamron. "I have already explained how, because of the constant threat from Archenland, the ruler of Calormen will welcome the opportunity to deal with those barbarians once and for all! You must also bear in mind that, although they are human, the Calormenes are of a noble race very different to the scum at Cair Paravel. They also worship a benevolent god, Tash, instead of grovelling to the foul lion! Therefore they will be quite aware that the humans we have killed are totally different to themselves and that an alliance between our countries is in both our interests."

Preparations are made for both parties to leave at sunset the following night. Meanwhile, Narticia approaches Zamron and suggests an expedition to Jadis's castle to recover anything which might be useful to their cause. Zamron, not wishing any such items to fall into the wrong hands, agrees to the proposal and calls for volunteers to join the quest.