Expedition [Urk Climax #1]: The Long Watch

[Silvertongue Songfox]

Swifttail stood still for a moment after Silvertongue walked off. That glow hadn’t faded. It wasn't just from the kindness, but from the way it was given, without show, without strings, just... genuine. He was a sucker for things like that. Chivalry. Compassion. Beasts who meant it when they said you mattered.

Crushes aside, beasts like him were just... good.

He smiled faintly, a soft breath leaving his nose. “Hope he knows how rare that is.”

The quiet settled in then.

He turned, expecting to hear Barrett’s voice or Kaii’s stoic commentary, but the tent was empty. Barrett was gone. Kaii wasn't there. And he hadn't noticed where Finny had gone.

“Huh.”

He stepped toward the tent flap. The light outside caught on the edges of the canvas and he lifted the flap and emerged out into the Urk sunlight.

Silvertongue was still standing outside the tent, gripping his gloves against his chest. He startled when Swift suddenly walked out of the tent. His heart leaped into his chest. There was such a warmth in his body that he felt the cold Urk air could never chill him again. He opened his mouth to speak. But no words spilled forth from his lips.

After what seemed like an eternity of awkward silence, he finally managed to squeak out a single sentence. "I think we need to talk."

 

[Arthur Barrett]

"I intend not too miss on rest and sleep for that would make me inefficient. Yet I cannot take more than one needs for the sake of all of us." Kaii responded automatically. He already decided that he needs to keep focused and sharp while maintaining the conversation. Delegating a chunk of his mind to it while leaving the bulk for more pressing matters was thus the best approach. Of course it meant that filtering and work he normally put into crafting his speech wasn't as effective.

"Personal matters kill everyone who isn't wary of them. You are correct in your observations, but solving them for me would require breaking the laws of the universe. After all, statistically, not everyone is meant to be happy." He continued like a machine, speaking with no emotions, no gestures, no mimics. Only letting the conversing part do the speaking but naught more.

Though Barrett didn't visibly react to Kaii, his focus on the younger fox was intent. Good heavens, the kit was a bundle of nerves -- and Barrett knew change wouldn't happen overnight. But some times, as a surgeon, simply relieving the pain is merciful enough. While a hug might go a long way here, the pine marten wasn't the touchy-feely type. However, Barrett had a plan to help take Kaii's mind off of things.

"Kaii, if I asked you, would you do me a favor?" he said warmly. Finding a nice sword sized stick on the ground, Arthur scooped it up with his footpaw and caught it, before giving it a little toss to Kaii. "There's an orange fox kit over there that's currently losing a one-on-one. It would give me great satisfaction to see you beat his fluffy little tail for me."

 

[SwifttailTheFox]

Swifttail blinked as he stepped through the tent flap, nearly brushing into Silvertongue.

“Oh...Silvie. I thought you’d gone.”

He paused at the sight of him, still standing there, clutching the gloves to his heart. His eyes lingered on the bard’s face just long enough to read the tension there, like something was caught in his throat, or his heart. Swifttail’s tail gave a small flick. Whatever Silvertongue needed to say, it was clearly heavy.

He softened his tone.

“We can walk a bit, if you’d rather not stand in the open,” he offered gently. “Or we can talk right here. Either way, I’m listenin’.”

He shifted slightly to the side, giving him some space.

@Silvertongue Songfox

 

[Kaii Nashirou]

Though Barrett didn't visibly react to Kaii, his focus on the younger fox was intent. Good heavens, the kit was a bundle of nerves -- and Barrett knew change wouldn't happen overnight. But some times, as a surgeon, simply relieving the pain is merciful enough. While a hug might go a long way here, the pine marten wasn't the touchy-feely type. However, Barrett had a plan to help take Kaii's mind off of things.

"Kaii, if I asked you, would you do me a favor?" he said warmly. Finding a nice sword sized stick on the ground, Arthur scooped it up with his footpaw and caught it, before giving it a little toss to Kaii. "There's an orange fox kit over there that's currently losing a one-on-one. It would give me great satisfaction to see you beat his fluffy little tail for me."

Kaii, turned sharply at the request. His attention captured and his mind again focusing on the conversation. His heightened senses also made him hear soft murmurs from the tent. Swifttail's and Silvertongue's voices. He pondered what was it that made them speak in such way. Personal secrets maybe? He wouldn't be the one to pry in but he of course were somewhat curious.

Banishing those thoughts for the moment he again processed the request from Chirurgeon. Why he wished for him to fight what he presumed was Finnian? And specifically beat them? Kaii came to conclusion it was about training and humbling. Making sure the kit is sharp and ready for what is to come. He could agree it was important.

Looking at the stick he twitched his nose. Too short, inefficient. But he was content for this. It meant that anyone assumed so fair he fought with a blade like a sword. His trick worked. He didn't reach for the stick, instead he reached for his blade and unscrewed the hilt and then he pressed two little nubs that were holding the spring. Soon after it expanded into a long pole thanks to it's telescopic build. With blade detached it was safe, even if it was still made of steel.

Armed now with what would be a quarterstaff, Kaii nodded and turned to Barrett again. "Naturally, Where can I find him?"

 

[Arthur Barrett]

Barrett's muzzle curled into a smile. He swung a heavy paw, and clapped Kaii between the shoulders. "That's the spirit!" Several poems and essays about the nature of war came to mind -- and Barrett longed to give them as some parting wisdom... but the foxkit would explain them in a practical manner, in a way Arthur never could.

The pine marten slipped behind Kaii, and gave him a little push around the back of the tent. "He's the foxkit hopping on one foot, go get'm while he's weak and distracted!"

 

[Duchess Dusk Rainblade]

Greeneye huffed and rolled his eye. "Sure, it maybe ain't of ate any meat yet, but it drank milk from it's mum, who definitely did eat meat. The thing's likely already got a taste fer flesh. Just yew wait, as soon as it's got teeth, it's gonna tear into ye."

He chuckled a bit. "Ye know, why do I even give a damn? I ain't the one who's gonna be begging the Cap'n ter keep it. Yew have fun wif dat conversation, mate!"

"Fine, I will!" Piper glared at Greeneye, tears brimming in the corner of her eyes that indicated, despite herself, that she feared he might be entirely correct. She looked to Vihma, inquiring, "Can you handle keeping him alive if I go back to camp?"

 

[Kaii Nashirou]

Kaii went to see the kit. He didn't like the words Barrett spoke however. It implied he was happy with fighting in such way, but there was no joy in combat for Kaii, even less so in making in dishonourable. He thus decided to see and speak to them first.

Soon after he managed to find Finnian, busy with... Mock fighting with one of the crewbeasts. That put to question if chirurgeon even knew his protégée was actively doing such things. Learning through fun was most adequate for the kits so Kaii decided to not interrupt for now. He stood still and simply waited, observing Finn's movements and trying to analyze them for the spar to come.

 

[Silvertongue Songfox]

Swifttail blinked as he stepped through the tent flap, nearly brushing into Silvertongue.

“Oh...Silvie. I thought you’d gone.”

He paused at the sight of him, still standing there, clutching the gloves to his heart. His eyes lingered on the bard’s face just long enough to read the tension there, like something was caught in his throat, or his heart. Swifttail’s tail gave a small flick. Whatever Silvertongue needed to say, it was clearly heavy.

He softened his tone.

“We can walk a bit, if you’d rather not stand in the open,” he offered gently. “Or we can talk right here. Either way, I’m listenin’.”

He shifted slightly to the side, giving him some space.

@Silvertongue Songfox

Silvertongue slipped his gloves back on. "I don't know if I want to walk or just spill my guts here and now." He said shakily. He took Swifts paws in his own, trembling slightly. "Swifttail... I think I am..." He hesitated for a minute, pain was evident in his eyes. Uncertainty. "I think I am falling in love with you. And I don't say that lightly." He looked away, ashamed. "It's true that I try to be kind and caring to every beast I meet. But my love... my true love... that is something I would not dole out so callously." He swallowed, his voice becoming hoarse. "I'm afraid I have fallen for you, ever since that night we shared, looking at the stars. I feel as if I am an awful beast, playing with your heart like this. I'm already with Greeneye, and I do love him still- but I also love you now. How is it I can love two beasts at once?" Tears started to form in his eyes.

@SwifttailTheFox

 

[SwifttailTheFox]

Silvertongue slipped his gloves back on. "I don't know if I want to walk or just spill my guts here and now." He said shakily. He took Swifts paws in his own, trembling slightly. "Swifttail... I think I am..." He hesitated for a minute, pain was evident in his eyes. Uncertainty. "I think I am falling in love with you. And I don't say that lightly." He looked away, ashamed. "It's true that I try to be kind and caring to every beast I meet. But my love... my true love... that is something I would not dole out so callously." He swallowed, his voice becoming hoarse. "I'm afraid I have fallen for you, ever since that night we shared, looking at the stars. I feel as if I am an awful beast, playing with your heart like this. I'm already with Greeneye, and I do love him still- but I also love you now. How is it I can love two beasts at once?" Tears started to form in his eyes.

@SwifttailTheFox

Swifttail’s heart fluttered like a bird against his ribs. Silvertongue’s words landed with all the grace and sorrow of falling snow, beautiful and heavy. His grip on the bard’s paws tightened instinctively in quiet comfort. He needed to feel something that wasn’t fear, because fear was already there. In the back of his throat. In the pit of his belly.

Greeneye.

Swifttail could picture him clear as day. That glare. That simmering fury just beneath the surface. He was the kind of beast who snapped like rope under tension, and Swift had no illusions about how far that temper might reach.

He blinked back tears, trying to hold it together for both their sakes, but Silvertongue’s pain was plain as day, and it cracked something inside him too.

His voice, when it came, was soft and fragile.

“Greeneye... he scares me, Silvie.”

He swallowed.

“I don’t want to get between you two. I don’t want either of us gettin’ hurt.”

The admission hurt more than he expected. His ears dipped slightly. His tail, once wagging gently, now stilled.

“Maybe... maybe when it’s safer.”

He didn’t let go of Silvertongue’s paw. He didn't want to.

 

[Vihmastaja]

"Fine, I will!" Piper glared at Greeneye, tears brimming in the corner of her eyes that indicated, despite herself, that she feared he might be entirely correct. She looked to Vihma, inquiring, "Can you handle keeping him alive if I go back to camp?"

Vihma felt awkward, stressed. Frustrated. Pulling cloth wrapping away from her face, her muzzle, she looked back between her two companions as they bickered, still trying to make sense of everything that was happening.

"I..."

It was maddening. She'd wanted to go out and find shrews hiding in the village - yes. Warriors, though - beasts like the one that had slain Honeytail before her eyes. Not kits. Not some baby shrew not quite done suckling milk for sustenance.

She closed her eyes, breathing forcefully. Trying to clear her mind.

"This whole thing's gone to 'ell. Might as well all go back, all of us. Report what we've found an'... come back without this trouble."

The weasel still wanted to hit something. Picking up her bow - with some difficulty, carrying what she was for Piper - and slinging over her shoulder, she made ready to head back to camp with the rest of the group.

 

[FinnianBrightfur]

Tultow was genuinely having trouble fending off Finn's attacks now; the kit had talent, he had to admit it, plus hopping about on one foot wasn't the easiest way to fight. Still, he caught both the blow on his blade, and the setup for a retort. "Better that than a vole in a bad toupee!" he retorted, going for a smack this time to the kit's legs, hard as it was to reach.

Finn wailed as his clever insult was retorted so effortlessly. The shock sent him staggering backwards, and Tultow's stick collided with his shinbone with a satisfying thwack. "Owwwowww! Ey!" he cried out, rubbing his leg with a paw. Oooh that was going to leave the most annoying welt! Finn lifted his stick back up defensively, before remembering that he technically didn't have his right leg anymore. Augh! And it took his right paw out too!

Hop hop. Wobble. Hop.

Just as the foxkit was getting his sword back in the game, he caught a particular marbled fox in his peripheral vision. His grin grew even wider, and he hopped backwards until the trio formed into a small triangle. "Oh, I see how it is! Yer only chance of takin' me down is two of you at once? Have at you! Cower in fear before...

THE PIRATE KING!"

And with a fearsome battle cry, Finn began pogo-sticking his way across the tundra towards Kaii.

@Duchess Dusk Rainblade @Kaii Nashirou

 

[Silvertongue Songfox]

Swifttail’s heart fluttered like a bird against his ribs. Silvertongue’s words landed with all the grace and sorrow of falling snow, beautiful and heavy. His grip on the bard’s paws tightened instinctively in quiet comfort. He needed to feel something that wasn’t fear, because fear was already there. In the back of his throat. In the pit of his belly.

Greeneye.

Swifttail could picture him clear as day. That glare. That simmering fury just beneath the surface. He was the kind of beast who snapped like rope under tension, and Swift had no illusions about how far that temper might reach.

He blinked back tears, trying to hold it together for both their sakes, but Silvertongue’s pain was plain as day, and it cracked something inside him too.

His voice, when it came, was soft and fragile.

“Greeneye... he scares me, Silvie.”

He swallowed.

“I don’t want to get between you two. I don’t want either of us gettin’ hurt.”

The admission hurt more than he expected. His ears dipped slightly. His tail, once wagging gently, now stilled.

“Maybe... maybe when it’s safer.”

He didn’t let go of Silvertongue’s paw. He didn't want to.

Silvertongue gripped Swifttails paws tightly, holding them close to his chest. "Swift- I..." He sighed. His relationship with Greeneye was a strange one. That much he knew. For so long, Greeneye was the only other beast his age he had known. Now things were different.

"Don't... don't wait for me, Swift." Silvertongue's voice was barely a whisper. "If you find some other beast who loves you well and true... don't cast them away for my sake. That's the last thing I'd want you to do."

He leaned in and he kissed Swifttail. It was a mere moment, but to Silvertongue their muzzles brushing together felt like an eternity. "I hope that..." He faltered. Whatever he wanted to say, what he needed to say.... He didn't have the strength to say it.

"Can we still be friends?" The question lingered in Silvertongue's mind. "Of course we can. But that question usually implies rejection... I don't want him to think that..."

 

[Greeneye]

Vihma felt awkward, stressed. Frustrated. Pulling cloth wrapping away from her face, her muzzle, she looked back between her two companions as they bickered, still trying to make sense of everything that was happening.

"I..."

It was maddening. She'd wanted to go out and find shrews hiding in the village - yes. Warriors, though - beasts like the one that had slain Honeytail before her eyes. Not kits. Not some baby shrew not quite done suckling milk for sustenance.

She closed her eyes, breathing forcefully. Trying to clear her mind.

"This whole thing's gone to 'ell. Might as well all go back, all of us. Report what we've found an'... come back without this trouble."

The weasel still wanted to hit something. Picking up her bow - with some difficulty, carrying what she was for Piper - and slinging over her shoulder, she made ready to head back to camp with the rest of the group.

Greeneye shrugged, muttering some obscenities under his breath. Hey, less work for him. He turned and caught up with Vihma. Arriving at the camp, he glanced around idly. He spotted Silvertongue, holding... paws... with Swifttail? Strange, but he didn't think anything of it. Silvertongue always was a more affectionate beast than him. Maybe holding paws was common among friends. He knew the two of them were close. Little did he know... they were quite close now.

 

[Kaii Nashirou]

Kaii nodded approvingly at the Kit. Combat awareness was there. It was a great ability to know that someone is trying to sneak up on you or simply not get tunnel vision on your current target. Being unable to include spacial awareness into your combat repertoire was sure way to die. Kaii however had not considered Finn would charge him. Truly it would be equal part glorious and foolish endeavor in real combat. One that quickly led to death and such was first lesson he wished to show.

Kaii didn't wish to harm or discourage the youngling. So he did use the length of his pole to push the hopping kit on the chest. Using his temporarily hindered state to knock him onto his back while Finn couldn't really defend. Kaii was, as with almost all of his skills, self-taught on matters of combat. His brain did what was needed to make it work. "Stand up pirate king." He spoke calmly, not giving out any emotions. "That is sadly where you would fail. In such state, upon spotting another enemy, you should run." He moved and turned the metal pole in his paw.

"Consider yourself restored back at full health. Aplenty of enemies may use a polearm like I do. Those undergo very different rules than swords." Kaii explained keeping his eyes locked on the kit while he was standing up. "En garde!" He lunged at the kit without warning as soon as he was on his paws. He aimed at the stick Finn was holding. Should he dodge he would be fine and have correct reaction. Should he try to parry or block? Finn would quickly learn a lesson on bilateral arms and combat at the same time.

 

[SwifttailTheFox]

Swifttail hadn’t even finished gathering his thoughts. He’d meant to say something kind. Maybe reassure Silvertongue that he wouldn’t hold him to impossible promises. That he wouldn’t pine endlessly while things remained uncertain.

But then the bard leaned in and kissed him. And all thought disappeared...

Silvertongue’s lips pressed gently against his own, and something electric fluttered through Swifttail’s chest. A heat that bloomed out through his fur, down to the very tip of his tail. The cold of Urk vanished in an instant. He didn’t move. Didn’t pull away. He just... let it happen.

His eyes had fluttered shut without realizing. His heart was trying to leap into his throat. When the kiss ended, Swifttail opened his eyes again slowly, feeling dazed but light.

“I’ve never... uh,” he said with a breathless laugh, “That was my first...”

Then a nervous chuckle, this time more genuine.

“Silvie,” he said, still unsteady, “it’s up to the fates. I won’t wait... but I’ll be available ‘til it happens.”

He gave a lopsided, warm smile.

“Right now, we’re friends. And crewmates. And that’s enough for me.”

He turned his eyes out toward the camp, just for a moment. Just to breathe.

Inside his heart, though, something throbbed painfully.

He’s everything I want in a mate.
I can’t leave this here.
Ow, my heart...

 

[Duchess Dusk Rainblade]

As Kaii adopted a far more serious tone with the kit, Tultow let his footpaw touch the ground again, dropping out of combat and slouching. It had been a momentary distraction, enough to keep his mind from dwelling on dark places. He turned, walking away from the group and circling around a group of tents. He spotted a pair of foxes in the distance, shielded from the main camp by the body of a tent -

He blinked as he witnessed a kiss between the two. Wasn't that Silvertail and Swifttongue, or whatever their names had been? For a moment decades of military experience in a far less socially accepting outfit than the navy asserted himself, telling him that he had to run in there, roaring about pansies and military readiness, anything to make himself seem...

No. His shoulders slumped as the exhaustion washed over him. He'd done all that, hidden his affections from the world, and for what? It had ended with him alone, yet again. They still had a chance at happiness; he'd squandered his own. Good for them. He turned and walked the other direction, rubbing at his eyes to try to banish the tears before they could be seen.

~ ~ ~

The walk back into camp was tense. It was obvious that neither Vihma nor Greeneye were happy with her decision, and she wasn't happy with them in turn. She'd seen no point in arguing the matter with them further. Instead she carried the baby shrew, still squeaking, back into camp, heading for the medical tent that the surgeon and his associates had been in the process of erecting when everything had gone so far astray. "You don't have to come with me," she said quietly to Vihma. "I'll take responsibility for this one. You can just set down those bags and... and I'll do what I can." Her eyes started to water; she hated feeling like she'd done something wrong, and it was hard to shake that perception, instilled by those around her, that she was in the process of making some terrible mistake.

 

[Vihmastaja]

Vihma stewed in her thoughts the whole way back. She knew Greeneye wasn't happy with her. She knew Piper wasn't - the weasel was pretty open about it too.

Gates, what a disaster.

She didn't notice much on the way back in, mostly trying to think of what to say to Tultow on their arrival - how to explain their swift return, and the kit they came back with. She almost flinched when Piper spoke to her again, trying to give her a way out of the situation.

The situation... Vihma looked at the kit in Piper's arms. It was a shrew, like those beasts that had nearly killed Morgan, Silvie and Greeneye, and slain Honeytail right before her eyes, just in this one voyage.

"No, I'll come with. Was my scouting trip. My responsibility, if this goes poorly."

She shook her head, following her into the medical tent.

"Yer not all in the wrong, mate. Just... just wish it weren't ours t'deal with."

 

[Duchess Dusk Rainblade]

Piper hesitated just before the entrance to the medical tent, her eyes brimming with tears as she looked to Vihma. "Thank you," she said softly before pushing her way in.

"Mr. Barrett, was it?" she addressed the surgeon. The shrew babe was wiggling in her arms, something in the medical supplies carried to shore irritating its nose. "I'm sorry to ask this of you, sir," she addressed the pine marten, "but could you look after this babe? We found it in the ruins. Its caregivers are dead, killed in the bombardment. Poor thing probably wouldn't have lasted much longer on its own."

 

[Arthur Barrett]

Barrett, left to his own devices in the infirmary, had returned to organizing and staging his equipment. The pine marten was inventorying his medicines again, making sure nothing was upset or broken during the voyage over... Though it must be said, tents aren't known for their sound proofing. Being a terribly unsentimental beast, he made a slight gag at the emotional professions happening outside the tent. Ugh, relationships! Such messy, nauseating things.

But something else caught his ear: the cries of an infant. Nothing sounded so out of place as the fussing of a dibbun. Given that none of the crew were expecting, it meant only one thing. Barrett stormed towards the tent flap, and fumed at the sight in front of him.

"Absolutely not!" he thundered, cutting Piper off mid sentence. "I'm a surgeon, not a nanny! Do you want me doing amputations with one paw, while bouncing the rotter on my knee?"

The Imperium had gone down hill ever since the empress went soft on woodlanders. Now they were bosuns. Not to mention, the war on Candlemas. Santafox didn't even steal presents from woodlanders any more. The pine marten fumed, and folded his arms across his chest.

"That thing doesn't stand a chance in the Imperium. The best thing you can do is take your little scouting party back out, find a band of shrews, and leave 'im with them. If'n they don't eat 'im alive!"

 

[Duchess Dusk Rainblade]

Piper's eyes widened as Barrett chastised her for bringing the shrew back. "It's just a child!" she protested. "We can't just leave it out there in the cold!"

"What's this then?" Tultow was stalking his way toward the front of the tent, a dangerous look in his eye.

"Sir," Piper addressed him, turning with the fussy infant in her arms, "we found this one in the village, in the arms of its deceased caretaker. The army code of ethics as instituted by the Empress clearly mandates that we provide aid to civilians in occupied territory -"

"Except where provision of such aid would deplete mission resources or otherwise undermine key military objectives," Tultow finished for her. "We cannot afford to spare personnel to care for this infant. Take it back out and put it in a clearing; let its own kind find it."

"Sir," she protested, "none of its kind will come to rescue it because they'll presume it is bait for an ambush! If we leave it out there, it will freeze or starve to death."

"That was an order, soldier," Tultow snapped, "not a suggestion."

Piper straightened up a little bit, glaring at her superior officer. "Sir," she insisted, "we have supplies right here to take care of it, we don't need to expend any of our own! At least let me feed and swaddle it."

Tultow lowered his voice as he stepped closer to Piper. "I understand this is difficult for you because of your daughter," he stated quietly.

Piper tensed. "Sir, that's not-"

"That thing," Tultow continued quietly, "will fare better among its own kind. They will know how to raise it properly. There's no life for it if you take it back to Bully Harbor." He sighed before amending his instructions. "Use the supplies you found only to feed and dress it, then take it back out and put it in a place with clear lines of sight, where we would not be able to stage an ambush. Then continue on your patrol. Crewbeast," he addressed Vihma. "Go with her to ensure my orders are followed exactly, and take anyone you choose with you. If Piper deviates from my orders in any way, I expect you to report as much to me upon your return. Understood?"