All Soul and No Heart Part Two - RPLOG

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Participants

Date

11/8/477

Log



It was raining again. Not even a little rain, either! The sky was dark, and thunder echoed in the skies above, creative quite the dramatic environment. A single silver spike with a pink ribbon tied around it was wedge into the earth outside of the cave, signifying the meeting point. Inside the cave, it wasn't so bad. A nice little rug, some mathemagic crystals for light, a table, a pair of bedrolls, and a single chair, to which was sitting the vixen that had answered the door the night before. Surprisingly, she wasn't tied or bound, nor did she look particularly mistreated.

Natska steps into the cave, releasing the swirling wind that had shielded her from the worst of the rain; still, she was a little damp, and rain dripped from her hat as she took stock of the cave's interior. The jaguar gives the vixen a small nod, but decides she will not be the first to speak.

Well, what better way to get to the meeting point than to follow Natska? The Husky made sure to keep her gear hidden beneath her heavy cloak so that her powder and other essentials do not get wet. "Rain rain rain rain... ALWAYS RAIN! I like rain as much as any other rain lover but I'm seriously getting rather tired of this." The Husky continues to mutter as she ducks into the cave to look around as she takes up her place next to Natska.

"Don't like rain, Wulf?" Walking into the cave, soaked from the rain, Thelergramor doesn't seem at all bothered by the rain. No coat or hat with him; scarf wrapped around his head with his plague mask over it and armed with his full assortment of weapons. Catching sight of the vixen, the wolf grows confused. He gestures to her, looks to the others: "Why ain't she tied up?" He keeps a hand on his blunderbuss and watches the vixen closely.

Fenris slips quietly into the cave in his guise as Denali the fox. The lithe, boyish red fox is wearing his tight leather pants and soft boots as usual, but has put on a short coat that exposes his midriff in consideration of the rain. Still, rainwater drips from his tail and whiskers. "This one apologizes for his lateness," he says in a high, warm tenor as he crosses his arms across his chest and bows low to those gathered in the cave. He can't help but wonder why a formal interrogation was being held so far from the city proper, but he keeps silent, as an unimportant witness ought to do.

As the group enters, the ocelot pair look over them, before Claud nods to his brother, the tower-shield wielding feline moving off to cover the entrance. "Hmm. I half expected an ambush group, to be honest. We had this fancy trap prepared and everything. But genuine answers are just as well." Claud leans up against his spear and gives a nod to those that came. "Thank you. Yes, I recognize several of you. Well met and good to see you again." He turns to the vixen and gestures. "The others were... Resistant, but she agreed to speak with us as long as we picked a defensible spot away from prying eyes."

The vixen looks up and perks her ears, before frowning. "It's not worth losing my life over. If you can make sure I won't regret it later, I'll gladly tell all of you whatever you want to know."

Natska nods at the two ocelots, thoughtfully considering their words. She gives the vixen a small nod. "I can promise to treat you fairly, and impartially, and offer my protection while you are in my care, if that works. Are we in danger? Expecting trouble?"

Wulf remains quiet, instead keeping her eyes on the cave enterence while those inside speak thereby leaving the husky to listen and think over the discussion.

Thelergramor shrugs, steps closer to the vixen. "As she said, you'll be treated fairly. So long as you do answer our questions." He looks to the ocelots, then to Natska, Wulf and Denali. "But, I'll keep you safe if you talk, yes." He holds his questions for after Natskas are answered.

Denali stays near the entrance for a few moments, allowing himself to drip dry a bit before moving lightly toward the fire. He wanted to be somewhere he could see the vixen's face during the interrogation. And where he could keep an eye on Thelergramor. He didn't trust the wolf half as far as he could throw him.

Claud decides to answer that one, himself. "Possibly. The other night in the shanties wasn't the first time something like that had happened. My brother and I are bounty hunters, you see. We've been chasing a woman from Cliffside for doing the same thing there that she was trying to do here." The vixen stares at the ground and frowns. "She came in speaking a lot of sense to us. She shared our own concerns, and said she'd help us do something about it. She escaped that night, though, when you came knocking. I don't know where, but I'll tell you everything I can."

Natska raises her eyebrows,.then nods. "Go on," she says, tone encouraging. "Tell us then." She places her hands on her hips, and waits.

Thelergramor coughs. Crosses his arms and leans back. "Don't stop there. Give me a name, doesn't matter to me which one of you talks." Referring to th ebounty hunters and the prisoner. "But, the name. Now." Tone much less friendly than Natskas, tries the time-tested 'good cop/bad cop' routine. He glares at the bounty hunters from behind his mask, doesn't like that they withheld that information last time. Or, maybe he just missed it. Either way; they know more than they are saying.

"Why steal soul gems?" comes Denali's warm tenor, "They are readily available at the Church and from the guilds, aren't they?" The fox fingers the gem glittering from his cuff earring. It is a decoy, of course. He didn't want his actual gem exposed after the way he had worried over it last time. "Why would you take them from those who need them?"

Despite the thunder having gone, the rain still falls heavily enough that it obscures most of the area outside of the cave. Claud looks at Thel and raises a brow. "Calina. She's a nasty mage from the academy there. Doesn't care much for getting her hands dirty, though, so she has others do it for her," he says, gesturing to the vixen. "Case in point." She fox squirms uncomfortable at Denali's question, looking between Natska and the other fox. "I, uh... We... Well. Only a few of us actually live in the shanties. I don't. But we feel like the soulless have too much power," she mumbles meekly. "The way they can just master all those talents as if it was nothing. Some of us get disgruntled by that, then she comes in, saying she knows how to make them pay. Asks us to take their soul gems. So we do."

A scowl creases Natska's features, and she fixes the vixen with a stare. "While I can understand your feelings on the matter, do you *know* what it is like for one of us to be without a soulgem?" she asks, her tone injured. "Have you seen what it reduces a *person*, one of your fellow citizens, to? And you know that it leaves them vulnerable to the Shadows, yes? There is no coming back after a Shadow has devoured someone's mind." Natska pauses, her ears drooping. "Firmament is practically one big family, and you would do that to your brothers and sisters because you feel they have it too easy?"

Husky ears flick and she digs into the side of her cloak to unsheath her sabre with a silent snick of metal leaving leather. Looking at Geoff she lifts an eyebrow to see if he heard the sound as well before she slides into the darkness of the cave. Best to hide and suprise the suprise. If anyone looks at her funny the husky with motion for them to continue as they were.

Thelergramor chuckles, both at Natskas shift in tone and at the foxes answer. Looks over to the ocelot: "Calina? Hmm...Don't know the name..." He turns back to the vixen. "Bitch. So you feel weak. Get the fuck over it. Instead of complaining about how easily we can learn things, pur more effort into mastering a talent yourself." He shakes his head. Glances at Wulf, noting something is wrong. Impulsive as always, he grabs his blunderbuss, readies it but stays near the vixen.

Denali's face falls in horror. "Don't you know what happens to the soulless without a soul gem?" he cries, "What kind of monster are you?" The foxy boy-toy shivers, not wholly an affectation. Fenris remembers well what it was like to be torn, to become one of the soulless. "It is cold and dark," he murmurs, "Your body seems distant, and the noise! The noise and the dark are terrible!" He whimpers and slowly sits on the ground.

Geoff draws his sword and brings up his shield, giving a nod to Wulf as he takes a step back further into the shallow cave, staying at the ready. The vixen lays her ears back and narrows her eyes. "Look, I didn't say I was proud of it, alright? I didn't say it was reasonable, or logical. Yes we know what happens when you take them. We know the feeling. That was the -point-!" She snaps before taking a few deep breaths to settle herself. "We can work all of our lives to master something, and they can do it in a week! And master several things many times over. But she, Calina, made the plans. She didn't tell us what her goal was, only that she intended to bring them down a notch. We were just the hands."

Natska sighs, and rubs at her muzzle. Her tail flicks. "Right. Business. How do you contact Calina? Where is she? How do we find her?"

Natska sighs, and rubs at her muzzle. Her tail flicks. "Right. Business. How do you contact Calina? Where is she? How do we find her?" She looks over at Thel as he readies his weapon,then glances to the pair on guard; her ear flicks and she thinks a moment, then looks back at the vixen in the chair.

Wulf gives Thel a glare, telling him that he should obey her this time if he'd like to get out of here alive. She doesn't say anything however and prepares to strike at the figures that hopefully show up soon for their demise.

Thelergramor supresses a laugh; Wulf telling him what to do. Glorious. He obeys, for now. An eye kept on the vixen. "Alright, have anything useful to add? You know, something that isn't spiteful bullshit?" He looks to the cave entrance, keeps his blunderbuss ready to fire; and hopefully not hit anyone with its spread.

Denali snorts, a very un-delicate sound from the delicate fox. "Most of us would gladly give that up," he says, "To be whole." The fox notices the commotion at the door and tries to keep the vixen's eyes away from whatever is happening there. Hopefully there is time to learn more before trouble shows.

Unfortunately, the vixen notices the prepping of weapons quite easily, and becomes visibly uncomfortable. "We never really contacted her. She always contacted us. She and her companion escaped through the tunnel, and we haven't seen them since. We've been in custody that whole time, and healing up from... Whatever knocked the house over. They always came by the shack every other day to collect the gems." She starts to stand, only to get pushed back down into the seat by Claud. Firmly, but not forcefully. "What's going on out there?" She asks, looking a little more worried.

A black arrow flies into the cave, seemingly blind fired into the cave, rather than aimed at anyone in particular. Unfortunately, Natska happened to be in the arrow's trajectory, but she's spared anything particularly bad when it glances off of her. Interestingly enough, there seems to be a small rain-flecked note scrolled tightly around the arrow.

Natska's ear flicks at the sound of- she suddenly twists, a wind snapping up to help her pivot, and the arrow catches in her jacket. It twists with the fabric as she completes her turn, and she jaguar growls under her breath as she feels at her side. "Felt something... a note?" She pulls the arrow from her almost-new coat, eye twitching.

Wulf stays near the entryway, despite a suspicion that was the only thing that would happen. "Black arrow? Looks ominous."

Thelergramor blinks as the arrow shot at one of his friends sets him into a rage. He charges the entrance, ignoring whatever was on the note. "Oh, you're fucking dead!" Wolf does not like to be attacked, even blindly.

Denali takes a quick step forward as Natska mentions a note attached to the arrow and scoops it up. Unrolling the little scrap, he scans it quickly.

As Thelergramor charges out into the thunderstorm, he is treated to the sight of... A whole lot of nothing, really. Water and the gradual onset of darkness as the sun sets. The vixen gives a squeak of panic when the arrow flies in, and Geoff retreats further into the cave, taking up a position in front of the woman with his tower shield, while his brother swaps places, moving closer towards the front with his spear.

Natska pokes at the tear through her coat and scowls, darkly, raising her gaze to stare out towards the front of the cave. She considers this new development, ponderously, and ajusts her position so that she is behind the cat with the tower shield as well. As she does so, she fishes her dual pendant out from inside her shirt, reverses the places of the two gems, then tucks it away again. "What does it say, Denali?"

Wulf snarls as Thel runs past her, that idiot needs to get in better control of his actions and learn some patience. You'd think he'd listen to a soldier but noooo. Shaking her head she sets her attention to Denali, an ear flicking in curiousity.

With a loud 'bang' Thel fires his blunderbuss randomly out into the night. "You better run, asshole!" Didn't see anyone, knows someone had to have been there though. He turns around, starts to reload his blunderbuss; pouring the contents of a pouch down the barrel. Nails, small pieces of jagged metal, etc. No real shot though. Walking back inside, he announces: "Didn't see anyone. Check the arrow for poison." He looks to Wulf, noting some disapproval. "What? I wouldn't have moved were we not attacked." He shrugs, moves to keep the vixen in her chair.

"They want her," Denali says, "They know she has talked to us and want her for themselves." The fox looks around the cave. "What do we do?" he asks.

For a time, nothing happened. But after Thel throws his shot and taunts into the rain, a reply is given in the form of an arrow being loosed through the dark. They weren't poisoned, but they were smudged with dirty, to reduce any glinting that might otherwise reflect off the light. The vixen goes pale from behind Geoff and his tower shield. "What? You can't give me away! I told you everything I could! You promised you wouldn't let me come to harm!" She pulls her legs up and hugs them to her chest, distraught.

Natska frowns as Denali relays the message, then rolls her shoulders in a shrug. "I have given my protection. Nobody is being handed over." She peers past the cave entrance, then draws her heavy knife and moves over against a wall of the cave. She frowns with concentration and quickly begins scratching equations into the wall to help her focus; basic callings of wind and water first, growing more complex as she works. "I can provide a distraction and cover. Perhaps enough to drive them off. Denali, move her with us. Wulf, you have our backs. We can get clear, and slip past them without having to fight our way out of this bolt hole."

Wulf doesn't comment to Thel... as the retort she would have given comes to hit Thel wherever he is hit. "Next time listen to me Thel, you might not be so lucky if you don't!" As Natska gives her a few nods. "Exactly what I'm thinking." Her sabre is sheathed and her musket is swung out from beneath it's cover to be readied for tjhe escape. "Don't worry lass, we will get you out of here."

The loading of his blunderbuss is interrupted as an arrow pierces Thels shoulder, sticks out of his back. A viscious growl his response to the pain, no hesitation before he tears the arrow out; likely causing further damage. "No fucking way are they getting her now..." The angry wolf turns and charges the entrance again. Dropping his blunderbuss, letting it hang from his side, Thel pulls the rusty axe from his belt; ignoring Natskas plan.

Denali says nothing, simply moving into place beside the vixen. He might not be able to protect her from projectiles, but should it come to close combat he was prepared. "Where to," he asks.

The air grows colder, and the rain turned to snow and ice while the winds kick up. It would certainly make archery harder, from both ends, but it should prove effective enough to misdirect any further incoming arrows. Geoff ushers the vixen to her feet and nods. "I will help cover the back with the musketeer, to prevent a flank. Claud, help take the front. We will operate under your plan," the ocelot says to Natska, giving a respectful nod. As Claud readies his spear and buckler and moves towards the front of the group to lead the way out of the cave, while the vixen glues herself to Denali's side. "We should make our way back to Firmament. They will not pursue us there," the former says.

Natska only wobbles a little as she finishes her working and the snow and sleet takes over the sky. She giggles quietly and grins, rather pleased, and then nods at the ocelots. "Excellent. I'll try to keep our way clear; we'll head down into the forest, lose them, and make for Firmament." She glances at her fellow Lightbringers to make sure they were good, mentally dismisses Thel, then takes a breath and makes her way to the cave entrance. A light wind whips around her as she walks, keeping the snow out of her way.

Wulf keeps a trained eye on the horizon as well as she can with her musket ready to fire before moving foreward to catch up with the group. Geoff gets a thank you however and she makes sure to keep in sync with him just in case something crops up.

Thelergramor stands outside the cave; blood trickling down his back giving him an idea. A sadistic smirk behind his mask, the wolf attempts to replicate some dark math he once inadvertently inflicted on himself. Holding his axe, the wolf mumbles out the calculations for 'Entropic Fortune'. If done right, should make the enemies bleed out of...places.

Denali follows the procession out into the snow, eyes peeled for trouble. He does his best to keep the vixen between himself and the other warriors. Noting Thelergramor's muttering, he can't help a little snort of distaste. There were not even enemies in sight yet!

As the group moves out of the cave. Claud keeps his eyes open, darting around. No further attacks come, but it'd hard to shake the feeling that they were being watched, from somewhere. While the blizzard doesn't get a chance to deflect any arrows, it proves to be a very useful deterrent, judging by the fact that no attempts were made in the first place. And it lasts for quite a while, too! The blizzard shrouds them all the way up until they reach the forest, at which point it finally dies out. Out of the pass, they do not have to worry about being left in the wide open any longer, with the trees to help prevent long distance shots.

As the reach the forest, Natska retrieves her pendant and swaps the two gems back into their proper spot. She tucks it back down her shirt, glancing around through the woods, tail swishing. "Can you tell me anything else about these... two?" she asks the vixen they are escorting. "Are they both mages? What do they look like?"

As the group hits the edge of the forrest wulf takes som cover behind a tree with no small amount of caution for where the archers could be located next. "I hate magery when it's not on my side... I hope that they aren't Natska." Her tail swishes and she looks over to the leopardess.

Thelergramor follows along after the others; keeps axe in hand. "...Fucking archers..." Rubs his shoulder again, blood on his hand when it comes away. "If they're mages, I'll kill them. If they aren't, I'll still kill them. No difference." The wolf delibereately stands out of cover for a few seconds, trying to lure them out; assuming they are still there. Then, mimics Wulf in hiding behind a tree.

Denali rolls his eyes at Thelergramor's bravado and keeps moving, watching the brush and the canopy for archers or other foes. Best to move quickly and talk little.

"Well, there's the bird folk, Calina, she's the mage. Then there's this big lion guy in heavy armour with an equally large weapon. Don't know much about him. Doesn't talk much, mostly just stays by her side," the vixen explains while they walk through the forest. The rain seems to have stopped, but there's the occasional rustle of leaves in the trees over head.

Perhaps it is paranoia, or perhaps it is a denger sense honed by hours and hours spent patrolling these woods, but when the vixen says 'bird folk' Natska glances up. She frowns. "Keep moving," she says quietly. "There is someone ahead of us." She glances from side to side, then runs up one of the trees and into the canopy herself.

Wulf follows Natska's lead... well not really but she now tries to start hiding in the shadows and sneaking foreward. "You all do as Natska says, I need to get set up for a good shot... Thel... DO NOT LEAVE THEM. It's imperitive that you do not." And with that she is hiding, skirting the group as a sort of picket.

Thelergramor notices some rustling ahead, coupled with Natskas indication that something is there. Figthing against the urge to charge and tear apart whatever is there, Thel stays with the vixen. Stands right next to her, using himself as a shield if needed. Axe held at the ready. "Alright, since you asked so nicely, Wulf..." Tries to use dark magic to create a shaded hex on himself. Might not affect archers; but the shadow might make him look more intimidating.

Denali watches the approaching figure in the canopy. "Claud," he says quietly as they hurry along, "someone in the trees." The dancer fox is taught as a wire, ready for action.

Up ahead on the path are a pair of beings. Two, standing side by side, each clad in back leather and sporting hoods. "Our trouble isn't with you," one of them calls out to the approaching group as they round a bend in the trail. "Just stand down, and hand over the fox and we shall go. She's just a traitor to you gifted folk, isn't she?" Natska goes unnoticed in the canopy, and the vixen scoots behind Denali and Geoff while Claud keeps his spear at the ready.

Natska slips into position within pouncing distance of the pair, although she holds her place, quietly observing for now.

Denali takes up a defensives stance in front of the fox, ready to attack or defend. "Traitor, maybe," he says, "But of more use to us than to you. And better alive with us than dead with you"

Wulf gently pads to the side of the group and begins edging her way forward so that she can get to the side of the pair and create a flanking position with a clear shot if she can.

Thelergramor remains at the back, staying with the vixen as ordered. Shaded hex takes effect, wrething the wolf in shadow. Hard to avoid charging, wounded, angry and with visible targets... "Frigging orders..." Calling out to the hooded ones: "Hey, assholes! Do me a favor and cut your own throats now! It will be much more gentle and quick than what I have planned for you!" Tries to be intimidating. Looks back behind the group, and to the sides. No way they stood up in front of a group of freeswords, bounty hunters and lightbringers without backup.

The pair look between themselves, then over at the group before shrugging. "Well then. Guess we're done here." They turn and starts walking away. They weren't about to pick a fight with a group that size. The one of them does glance to the other and asks, "Wasn't that loud one the ponce you shot back in the pass?" "I think it was!" They both get a jolly out of that, but for the most part they seem to be leaving.

Natska considers for a moment longer, then drops down to the path below. She takes a moment to adjust her hat, watching the pair. "I believe I have some questions for you, if you don't mind waiting a moment," she calls. Her tone is polite, but without warmth, and her tail lashes back and forth once as she eyes the pair.

Wulf keeps her musket ready to fire... just in case there is any funny business. Her finger on the trigger and ready to fire as soon as any action starts up.

Fortunately for, well, everyone, Thel didn't hear anything they said aside from 'done here'. Otherwise, would have charged them. He stays close to the vixen, both to keep her from running and being killed. He again glances back up the way they came from and in the other directions. Still not believing there isn't some group on its way.

Denali watches the retreating figures suspiciously. "They were stalling us," he says, "I don't feel good about continuing on this path." The fox scans the trees again, hoping to catch sight of the figure he had seen earlier. Had one of the hooded figures arrived in the trees?

The pair stop and turn around to look at Natska, one of them reaching up to adjust her hood. "Yeah? What's that? We can't exactly talk much, you know? Consorting with the enemy and all that. You know how it goes. And he'd have our heads if we told anything important." The other places his hands on his hips. "So make the talk quick!" Claud watches them suspiciously for the moment, while Geoff nods. "It is strange... What're you thinking?"

Natska rests her hands on her hips for a moment, studying the pair. "Well, obviously, I want to know when I will be able to meet your boss." She pauses, then holds out her jacket. "I also need to know where to send the bill for my new coat. One of you put an arrow through this one."

Thelergramor grumbles, clearly displeased by Wulfs orders to stay and watch the vixen. Which, normally isn't a bad job, but... "Dammit..." Muttered under his breath. Looking down at Denali: "Right, this is similar to what I used to do...send one or two to stall and make conversation while the other ten attack from the side. Need to move." He glances back up at the pair, then turns and looks around in every other direction again. The urge to attack is overwhelming... "Natska, make it quick over there..."

"Hard to say," Denali murmurs, his lips barely moving, "It could be a trap ahead or a ruse to get us off the road and slow us down." He shrugs, remaining ready for a fight or a mad dash. "Charge ahead or get off the road?" he asks.

The pair sigh, one of them scratching his head. "I don't recall shooting at you. Sorry 'bout that. I don't really have the coin on hand to pay for it, though! Take it up with the boss, if you see 'im! When that'll be depends on who you want to meet. We're associates of the associate of the bosslady. And I'd really love to stay and chat, but we'd rather not lose our heads over this, you know? It's clear you won't be convinced to hand her over, and no offense, but we're not about to pick a fight with six people." "Yeah, we might be criminals! But we're not stupid ones." They part ways, then, starting to head off into the forest in separate directions.

Natska lets her jacket drop and she puts her hands on her hips, watching the pair walk off. "Alright. Tell your associate to set something up." She drifts back over to the others, then glances around. "I think there are enough of us to keep going, but I'll defer to our expert Being-hunters," she says quietly, nodding at Claud.

Wulf still doesn't trust this and she steathily begins to moves in the darkness of the forest to the side, keeping an eye out for anything suspicious as soon as the group begins to move ahead once more.

The pair have wandered off, now, and the forest seems fairly quiet again, save for the nervous looking vixen. Claud and Geoff seem to relax, but they stay alert, casting glances around the shadow. "Let's stick to the roads. The sooner we get back to Frimament, the better."

Thelergramor grips his axe tightly, bites his lip, -really- wants to charge the departing criminals. He vents his frustration on a nearby tree; swinging his axe at it. Thel then shakes it off, glances back to the group. "I'm hungry...Lets just get the hell outta here." Remains near the vixen, as ordered.

"We've stood still for too long," Denali says softly, "Time to move." The dancer takes point and hurries along the road, trusting the big ocelots to keep the vixen safe while he scouts ahead a little. "Sooner we get out of here, the better," he says.

The group continues on through the forest, and, surprisingly, finds it a fairly easy journey! The rain stays gone, and no traps or ambushes seem to be waiting for them. The ocelots continue to safeguard the vixen, though no further attacks are made on her life. In due time, they do arrive at the city proper, when the ocelots draw to a stop. "I believe we should be taking the lady into custody, hmm? Did any of you have further questions, before we do? Might be hard to get them out of her later." The fox looks crestfallen at that, but hangs her head. It was better than death, at least.

Natska continues along with the group, warily. At the question from the ocelots, she shakes her head. "No further questions." She turns to the vixen. "Although. I hope your judgement is fair, and not harsh. Once you've made reparations, try to be kinder to people." She nods, then takes a step back, looking over at Denali.

Wulf sighs as she swings her gun back into place, thankful that there wweren't any ambushes whatsoever. "Thank Adrestia that nothing happened." She looks back at Thel and smiles. "Thanksfor sticking near the girl Thel."

Thelergramor drops his axe back through his belt lopp once at the city. He rubs his wounded shoulder; still bleeding. "...Assholes." He looks to the fox: "Never got your name; probably doesn't matter." Continues to rub his wounded shoulder. Turns to Wulf. "No problem Wulf." Something about that is far from sincere. Takes his blunderbuss out and finishes reloading it; likes to be prepared.

Denali sighs heavily. He is glad to be back in the city, but the city really isn't much safer than the forest. "Where will you be keeping this lady?" he asks the ocelots, "May I visit her later?" No reason to tip his hand here in public, but he might have an in if he can physically imitate the lion that the prisoner mentioned. The deception would be a poor one, but it might help later.

Denali bows low to Natska, Wulf and Thelergramor. "Thank you for protecting this one as well," he says softly, "It was very frightening!"

Geoff rubs his chin in thought. "Probably your prison. She is a thief, and has stolen from the people of Firmament. Thus, she should be punished in accordance to its laws, aye? We are not in a position to do that, so we shall turn her over to the proper authorities, as we did the rest." Claud approaches Natska, a bag of crown in his hand. "Apologies for your jacket, ma'am." Likewise, a bag is offered to each individual. The fox looks up at Thel for a moment before sighing softly. "Rita. My name is Rita."

Natska accepts her crowns, then salutes the cats by raising her fingers to the brim of her hat. "Let me know what you all find out." She departs, then, off to find out what repairs will take.

Wulf starts to follow Natska off after nodding at Denali with a wink. "Your welcome cutie." She giggles and then makes her departure. "Take care everyone!"

Thelergramor coughs, lets his firearm hang. "Have fun in prison, Rita. It's not really that bad. Might end up in one of the good cells...but I doubt that." He then takes his payment, drops it into a pocket, hand staying with it. The other adjusts his mask, reaches back to his wound. "...Should probably get this taken care of..." Heads off somewhere, probably to get some form of less than adequate medical attention.

Natska sighs, then calls out. "Thel! Come along with me, I'll drop you off with the manor's medics and make sure that you are properly seen to. By the way, I don't advise solo reckless charges very often."

Denali accepts the bag of coin with a bow. "My thanks," he murmurs, "Perhaps I may accompany the lady, for now? So that she may have some little comfort?" He looks at Rita with a nod. "Unless the lady would prefer another time?" he asks. He nods to Natska, "And I have not forgotten your appointment, lady jaguar," he says, "I will see you soon."

The ocelots give Rita a little nudge towards Denali before looking towards each other. "We should probably go and get back on the hunt. Thank you again, for your cooperation today. Have a pleasant evening!" The two brothers turn to depart, Rita left with Denali as she gives a gentle sigh. "I wouldn't mind, no." She hangs her head, certainly looking rather remorseful for what she'd done. "Thank you for keeping me alive today."

Thelergramor changes his mind, follows Natska.