Young Writers Society

the Premise: You are a young recruit in the Long Patrol. Your Sergeant just informed you that you have a scouting assignment east of Salamandastron.

The mission, good fun at first, turns deadly when another recruit (one of you all) is injured. Without officers, your first Patrol may be your last...

The Rules:
1. To keep this simple, most of you will be hares. (There's never been a squirrel or otter in the Patrol.)
2. This is strictly military. No magic or super-powers are allowed.
3. Send your information to the Badger Lord (which is me:)

Name:
Gender:
Reason for joining the Patrol: (Think about it. Don't say, 'because my brother joined.')
Rank: everyone starts as a "greenpaw", but ask me if you want to be a medic, cook, or quartermaster-in-training.
Preferred Weapon:
Physical description:

For otters, squirrels and mice:

Reason you were recruited:
Rank:
Preferred Weapon:

My profiles:

Name: Lord Renblud
Gender: male
Rank: Badger Lord
Preferred Weapon: nagunada (resembles a pole-arm with a heavy saber blade.)

Name: Starr "Tourniquet"
Gender: female
Reason for joining: She discovered a talent with herbs early on, which led to her nickname, Tourniquet. Never one to sit idly by, she joined the patrol as a medic.
Preferred Weapon: sling and stones. (She won't fight unless the Patrol is in serious danger.) She is also an accomplished kickboxer.

Physical: Starr's coat is an unusual sandy beige; she blends in well with rocks or dunes easily. However, she has to be careful: the tips of her ears are dark brown.

"I say, chaps, let a gel get some tuck!" Starr exclaimed.

Buff, a dark-gray leveret beside her, bellowed aloud, "Hoi, let Torrey through. She's hungry!" Ribald comments answered him:

"So're we all, we're hares."

"Ah well, skill before stomach I always say."

"Shut up, Roc. You're one to talk!"

Starr grinned. "That rhymes, old chap... Oh, corks, M'lud's coming! Atten...shun!"

I have apparently been assigned a character, here she is though slightly edited:

Name: Maud
Rank: recruit
Animal: Very young/ small cat
Description: Orange-yellow from head to tail, with dark stripes. Her left eyes is closed over from a nasty wound.
Reason for joining: Maud fell out with her foster family; after many days, she found her way to the mountain.
Personality: A bit of an adventurer and a strictly vegetarian cat. Maud does not like the idea of eating food that talks back. She's not highly loyal and certainly not self-sacrificing but she's grown fond of some of the patrol.

Kitty! You didn't tell me!

Anyway.

Starr

"We're in for it now," she muttered.

"In for what?" asked Buff nervously.

Lord Renblud's voice stopped him in his tracks. "What's this... not deferring to a young lady? Perish the thought."

Suddenly, every hare present seemed to be vying for the last place in line.

Starr smiled happily at Renblud; he nodded in return. She ventured, "Excuse me, sah, but I think Buff here should take my place. He's ever so gallant."

"Why, miss, that's a splendid idea. After you, Master Buff."

None of the three noticed a small orange cat slipping quietly into the line.

I've always rather liked surprises though ^^

Maud

Hares. Lots of them. They were talking funny and walking along acting almost as if they were humans. Maud knew hares talked but she'd not seen them act like this before, walking on their hind legs and being... polite. Yes, that was the word.

She shuffled quietly down the bank, her paws bristling against the wet grass and she slipped silently to the back of the line that had just previously seemed to be the prime target of all the males.

"No you go in front, I insist," the one currently in front of her had said. She looked at him from the corner of her swollen, puffy eye. He seemed to sense her watching and turned, a rapier raised. She ducked but small though she was it was rather difficult for an orange cat to hide amongst the grass. The hare stared. Maud blinked at him. She knew smiling wouldn't work, that tended to cause panic amongst the rodent family and she'd yet to distinguish much difference between hares and mice. And there were mice here besides that and a squirrel or two. But mostly hares.

"I say, what's a cat doing here?" the hare wondered. Maud slithered forward a little; he didn't seem afraid.

"I'm a vegetarian," Maud said quickly. "Wouldn't dream of eating anyone... I don't eat things that talk see. I'm a vegetarian cat." The hares were staring at her. She looked back and then she made a mistake. Maud smiled. Strangely, the hares seemed to smile back.

"Good luck for us then, eh?" one hare said.

Ooh!

Name: Tarmeo
Gender: I'm a flippin' female, don'cha know
Reason for joining the Patrol:Well sah, 'tis like this; My mater and pater joined,and they want another jolly good female fighter. So here I am, and reporting for duty M'lud!
Rank:I say, can I be a jolly old runner?
Preferred Weapon:I prefer a dirk, but don't think I cant box.
Physical description:Good show, a inspection, wot wot! Sandy brown, with dark brown around me eartips.Unusually long ears, huge hindlegs. Is that good enough for you sah?


-ClimberSquirrel

Lord Renblud

It's hard to smile when a part of your face is disfigured. Instead, I knelt down to look in her eye.
"What's your name?"

"M-Maud," she stammered. "If it please you, M-My Lord, I w-wish to be no f-further nuisance."

I shook my head slowly. "You mustn't think of yourself that way. Come with me."

Starr
I saw them leaving and nudged Buff. "I say, can you get enough for two? I want to follow them."

He nodded, but didn't say anything.

"Right," I muttered, "by the left... wait for it... for'ard marrrrch!"

Tarmeo


Tarmeo could not wait. "I say old lad, where's Starr going off to?" She asked Buff.

"Lookin' for Maud and M'lud, I s'ppose. Do you need her?"

"No, just wanted to speak to her. Did'ya know, we are both kin to Tarmelo de Formelo Tussock?"

Tarmeo

I say old lad, where's Starr going off to?" Tarmeo asked Buff.

"Lookin' for Maud and M'lud, I s'ppose. Do you need her?"

"No, just wanted to speak to her. Did'ya know, we are both kin to Tarmelo de Formelo Tussock?"

Starr

I don't think I could eat anything now, really. Poor cat.

The feeling surprises me; why should I care about some mangy kitten?

Because you're a medic. You're supposed to care. Of course, that's my conscious talkin'. Well, it's right. I care for any creature in need.

Lord Renblud

I know she's followed of course. You don't get to be Lord of Salamandastron without eyes in the back of your head. And my ears are as keen as any hare's.

The best place to be alone is in the forge, near the top level. No one comes there unless I summon them or there's an emergency.

"Now, Maud, how did that happen?"

She looks at her paws. "Fight with a tom cat," she mutters.

"I say," Starr breaks in, "stop being such an ogre, m'lud. She ain't a prisoner, you know."

Maud shoots her a grateful look.

Tarmeo

Starr's acting strange. She won't talk to anyone except Maud about anything. She keeps disappearing. "Something's wrong." Tarmeo muttered. "Never has there been a more silent hare. Got to find out what's wrong."

"I say, where are you off to?" inquired Troggs.

"I'm off to bed. Not feeling well m'fraid."

Now I can trail her. I must find out where she's going.

Maud

The hares were all about, sneaking along, their ears pricked up, all sneaking after one another as if this were some wild game. It unsettled Maud, sent a tingle along her spine. But she was grateful that the first female had. Their leader scared Maud a little, the way he fluffed his chest up, the way he wrinkled his nose. Both actions reminded her of the tom cat, the large, mottled ball of hiss and claw. She shivered.

"Me an Ogre? Perish the thought, an Ogre indeed, wot wot? I'm just asking the old girl what's been going on."

"You could be nicer about it," the female injected somewhat more cautiously. Maud flicked her another glance, what a brave little hare. But what if the male hare attacked? Like the tom cat had... males did that. She'd need protecting, she'd need help...

Maud realised they were both watching her now and she let out a miaow of distress as she hunkered down, trying to look small and deferential. There's nothing here you old rat bag hare, just a little cat, she'll not be no trouble to you. Now go on, move on and leave the female alone and we can all go our own ways and I can find somewhere safe and somewhere warm...

"Beggin' your pardon sir, I... I didn't mean to stare so. I... I'd like to be goin' now, sir. Need to find somewhere warm before dark... sir," Maud said.

Starr

Did I really say that? It comes of being his adopted daughter, I suppose.

Poor Maud, she's shivering. Some beast must have hurt her very badly. How could could anyone do that to her?

"Starr!" His voice brings my thoughts back. "Find quarters for Miss Maud; I think your own room will do."

"Yes, sah," I say, like a reflex.
**

"Well, Maud, it's not much. I'll take the floor; I don't mind really."

She isn't listening. Instead, she seems to be looking at my weapon, the dirk.

"Do you like that?" I ask her softly.

"Yes," Maud replies.

Name: Ghost (its just a callsighn)
Gender: female
Reason for joining the Patrol:This sounds intresting and i am very stealthy
Rank: i would like to be a medic but anything you assighn me to works just fine
Preferred Weapon:Sword
Physical description:young, sleek,and agile hare,with a dark gray coat with black speackles
Personalaty- very loyal that will obey any order without question, somewhat stubborn, doesn't like to admit to pain (i also belive that a medic would have the most athoraty when it comes to the safety and health of the team)

*Reactivated by author request. Good luck folks!*

Starr

I couldn't hide forever- especially if I wanted that spot in the Patrol!

The first hare I ran into was Ghost. She steadied me, then remarked, "You could stand to eat something." I smiled.