With Swords, Claws, and Teeth Bared

Korkoa nodded and smiled. "Y'know, that sounds almost like a plan." He joked, chuckling to himself. "And if the wolves do come down on Lantern Waste harder, if we bring back enough food we can share it with the other good talking beasts there, yes?"
 
"Of course. If nothing interesting happens in the next coupe of days (aside from constant wolf presence) I think we ought to move toward the Stone Table and Cair Paravel. I just feel like the world is about to change."
 
Meanwhile, Blossomhand the Centauress brought Exeter to an obscure hollow, where some Talking Horses and Talking Goats had gathered. Setting down the Satyr, Blossomhand said, "These good creatures will help you to keep safe. And since they have no hands, you can be useful to them wherever there is need to handle something. They and you will soon be joining an army that is forming."

Exeter was still gawking at the mention of an army as the Centauress galloped away. With his knowledge not extending beyond Narnia proper, the Satyr was not aware of any armies having waged war anywhere in this world in his lifetime. So he began asking the Horses and Goats to explain to him what this was all about.
 
Cerek, meanwhile, was curled in his cave, pondering his meeting with the Bird and Dog. He generally avoided the smaller forest animals, knowing that the Wolves frowned on that sort of thing. Agraf, he felt sure, would have yelled at him for fooling with the Bird in the first place.

He was rather used to Agraf's yelling, however. His older brother had always wanted Cerek to become a great Wolf in Her Majesty's service, second only to Agraf (of course). But Cerek was too small to be admitted into the ranks of the Secret Police. Besides, he lacked the instincts for that sort of thing, as he had proved by helping the Bird free itself from the bush.

But the Bird had promised friendship--and that was what had kept Cerek awake long past sundown. He hadn't had a real friend since Gwidon's death. What would it be like--?

Gwidon, though, had been at least mostly Wolf. To befriend another kind of Talking Beast was a different matter altogether.
 
Zamron and Grimgrunt arrive at the home of the recently deceased Septimus. Telling the bear to keep watch, Zamron quickly gains entry in his usual 'subtle' manner. After kicking the door in, he enters and searches the house thoroughly from top to bottem, seeking to discover whether Septimus had links to anyone else.
 
Septimus' home contains absolutely nothing that could be construed as a clue. Meanwhile, Grimgrunt becomes interested in watching some crows flying overhead, and completely fails to notice two Centaurs galloping past less than a quarter-mile away.
 
As a warning to others, Zamron completely trashes Septimus's home. Then he rejoins Grimgrunt. "Right," he says, "Back to the lamp post, and then Tumnus's cave. What are you staring at? Did you see something?"

(O.C.R: Is a minotaur is capable of writing? If so, Zamron leaves a note, similar to the one in Tumnus's cave, with the information that Septimus has been executed in the Queen's name, for high treason against Her Majesty. If the ruling is that Zamron cannot write, then no such note will be left).
 
(I see no reason why a Minotaur should be unable to read and write.)


"Crows," replied Grimgrunt simply. "I ate a crow one time."
 
Zamron snorts derisively in reply. "Birds aren't a problem," he explains patiently. "Those that remain in Narnia cannot talk, so are of no interest to us. Her Majesty's harpies have killed all of the talking birds, and good riddance too! Traitors the lot of them, not one of them was a friend to our Queen! And talking about traitors, I've wrecked that satyr's home, good and proper, and left a note as a warning to his treacherous friends. Now we need to be heading back to the Lantern. Keep your eyes and ears open for any sign of the Queen's enemies, in particular any humans!" (Zamron spits in disgust).

Zamron then, fully alert, sets off at a brisk pace towards the Lantern, followed by Grimgrunt.

(OCR: Zamron is obviously unaware of the reappearance of centaurs, especially as Grimgrunt failed to spot them, nor of the fact that Exeter has been taken to safety. Nevertheless, being on the alert, he should be able to spot their hooves if they cross his path, I would have thought, although whether he can distinguish them from ordinary horses hooves is another matter).
 
Zamron snorts derisively in reply. "Birds aren't a problem," he explains patiently. "Those that remain in Narnia cannot talk, so are of no interest to us. Her Majesty's harpies have killed all of the talking birds.... "

During the next several minutes, Grimgrunt seems to be trying to remember something. At last he recalls it, and taps Zamron on the shoulder. "Wait. You say... no talking birds. But... I see one. Before you join me... a bird come to me... him do speak. Him say Queen send him... him say Queen want me... go with Wolves... to look for enemies. But you.... find me first... so me hunt with you. Him bird have blue feathers. Fly away, not see where him now."
 
OOC: Well at least if you guys have to come up with two pages of RP while I've been sick they're full of stuff which has nothing to do with me or my two little charies.:p


IC: When Marble reaches the faun's house he darts inside and hides under a pile of furniture.

'Nobody'll look for a kitten here,' he thought, 'If anyone wonders why I'm here I can just tell them I was looking to see what had happened and this stuff fell on top of me.'


****

Susan was curled up in a little black ball, partially asleep underneath the tree she had caught her mouse in, when she heard something above her. Yawning she opened her eyes to see the bluejay, Flakefeather above her perched on a branch in the tree.

"Any luck finding my brothers?" she asks him.
 
FLAKEFEATHER: "I spoke to one who matched your description of your brother Marble. He refused to come with me to see you, because he feared I was working for the Queen and setting a trap for him. I suppose that the rarity of talking birds these days worked against me. If you wish, I will guide you to where I last saw him, then point out the direction he was going when I lost sight of him, with my speculation of his course. If your answer is yes, you can run the narrative from this point, since the man who is playing me is going to be busy elsewhere for awhile."
 
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It did not take long for Mia come on the trail another animal. The Western Wilds teamed with wild animals despite the lack of food on the Narnian side of the border.
 
"A Talking Bird? Are you sure about this? asks Zamron. "This should have been reported to Captain Maugrim, for any talking bird will be an enemy to Her Majesty!" He thinks for a moment, whilst they continue towards the Lantern. "If such a bird gave you a message of that kind, my guess would be that it was done to divert you from a specific area, because there was someone or something there that the traitors didn't want you to see. Can you remember where you spoke to this bird? Is it near where we are heading?"
 
Susan stood, "Should I tell the others where we're going?" she asks the bird, "Or what we're doing at least because I'm not sure where he'll be, he always was more suspicious than I was...." as she continues to think about this though Susan realizes that the older creatures might not want her going off on her own and if someone other than Flakefeather goes with her Marble will likely smell them and bolt in fear.
"Actually.... maybe we should just go. At any rate the others are hunting and we probably shouldn't disturb them." she said, "So... you'll take me to Marble? Right now? Oh I hope he hasn't run into trouble..." the little black kitten is practically twirling in circles in anticipation.
 
With luck, the scent that Mia had picked up was the rest of the deer herd. They were grazing about an acre away from where the other deer was. Taking on the whole herd would be tricky and even dangerous, but there were a couple of other stragglers nearer the rest of the herd but far enough away that they could be cut off from the herd and hunted.
 
Flakefeather to Susan: "Since the larger beasts already expect me to be scouting on my own, and they have not asked you to do anything in particular, we may as well go ahead as you suggest. West-by-northwest from here."


Grimgrunt to Zamron: "Me think was west of here bird talk." (The Bear gestured more toward southwest than true west.)
 
Flakefeather to Susan: "Since the larger beasts already expect me to be scouting on my own, and they have not asked you to do anything in particular, we may as well go ahead as you suggest. West-by-northwest from here."

Susan shoots off, her back paws kicking up snow in her haste, in the direction Flakefeather had given her. She tries to avoid where the smells of the other creatures are strongest so that they don't run into anyone who might ask them what they're doing. Once she arrives at the Narnian border however she slows a bit and proceeds with extra caution as she remembers that there might be wolves and other dangerous creatures in the vicinity.
 
Flakefeather overtakes the enthusiastic Susan and tells her: "You overshot the place I meant to show you! I was more than two miles inside the border when I last saw Marble. Shall we backtrack, or have you caught your brother's scent hereabouts?"
 
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