Blue and the Warden

== Summary ==
== Full Text ==
Blue: Blue was hanging around the edge of camp, doing his best to avoid confrontation at the moment because yes he did belong to the rebellion but he was still a stranger, and he didn’t want to face any kind of questioning in particular at the moment. Perhaps people would be passive and his sudden appearance would go unnoticed. He was doubtful of that, but he tried to remain inconspicuous as he waited to figure out what sort of ‘working things out’ Haddock and Stonegit had managed. He sat himself on a log and piped away in an attempt to busy himself with something, despite the fact it might attract the attention he so despised at the moment.
Treepelt Halfpaw: [quietly watching Blue from the woods, and after a minute of confirming his harmlessness, she approaches him and clears her throat]
Excuse me.
Blue: Blue paused his pipe playing, glancing over at Tree as she approached him. He set the instrument down in his lap abut kept a hand on it, offering a friendly smile. He could only pray this wasn’t the interrogation he dreaded. “Yes? Can I help you?”
Treepelt Halfpaw: Yes…he doesn’t know who I am…or he pretends not to, at the very least…
[nervously fingering her hair] “I was…I was wondering…oh, Thor, where do I start…”
Caution, cat-child. One wrong word, one slip-up or mention of deeds past and he’ll send for the king.
This is hard enough without you screwing with my head, Warden!!
Blue: Blue raised an eyebrow at her, wondering why she appeared to be so nervous and conflicted. This did not seem like a good sign at all to him. “C’mon, spit it out whatever you want to ask.” he said in a cool tone.
Treepelt Halfpaw: Perhaps he suspects…careful…careful…
"I…I wanted to know if…um…this is the camp of the King, right? I heard he was…not faring so well, lately…"
[there is an almost inaudible hum starting around them, just quiet enough to avoid detection]
Blue: Blue thought he felt…something off, but he ignored it for now, he was too lazy to use any sort of detection spell to check for he didn’t want to alarm this person. “I’ve actually only met him recently, but he had enough vigor in him to draw his sword.”
Treepelt Halfpaw: Oh? [perks up a bit] That’s good. I wouldn’t want him to get hurt. What’s your name, by the way? 
Blue: Blue touched a hand to his temple with the slightest of frowns, feeling strange now but he kept up the conversation with growing suspicion. “I’m The Blue Adept, or just Blue.” he replied. “And you, stranger?”
Treepelt Halfpaw: Nice to meet you, Blue. [glances down shyly] I’m nobody important…I just heard about all that you rebels have done, and I thought I’d meet one of them.
Keep talking…I almost have him…
Blue: "Oh I don’t know if I quite qualify to be with the rebels, I haven’t done much in terms of the rebellion." Blue explained, frowning when he knew something was terribly wrong. He moved to stand up but wobbled and fell to his knees.
The Warden: [tut-tuts and walks forward, dropping the nervous-girl act and lifting his chin up]
Not part of the rebellion? What a shame. Don’t worry, you’ll have a much larger role to play soon enough, young warrior. [grins] I’m surprised you didn’t even recognize me. You ARE new.
Blue: Blue was frozen in place, as if he had lost control of his body, but he still found the will to speak. He glared up at the girl, clenching his teeth and narrowing his eyes. “I knew I should have sensed your magic!” he spat. “What a fool I am…dare I ask what you plan on doing with the likes of me?”
The Warden: [chuckles] Oh, you’ll know soon enough, little Blue…I’m taking over your mind as we speak. Won’t Haddock be ever so surprised to see his new little recruit turning on him? [smirking, still holding him by the chin, she turns his head from side to side, inspecting him] Yes, you’ll do quite nicely. If only you’d been my first anchor instead of this wretched cat-child—you carry fire in your heart and iron in your will. You’ll be very useful indeed.
Blue: Blue’s fingers twitched ever so slightly as he fought for control again. He had never been possessed before, and it certainly was not a desirable experience he believed as he felt his thoughts get jumbled up like a hand was reaching into his brain and mixing them up. “How do you know they trust me??” he asked. “I am of no use to you, wench.”
The Warden: [sudden snarl] Wench? W͇̠̖͔ͣ̾̃͗ͦȄ̪͖̩̤̟̘̅̐͂ͅN̼͈͇͐̿ͤ̋ͬ͒̀ͅĊ͕ͪͩH͍͔̬̉ͪ̋͐?̥̺͕
[her hold tightens and she throws him down to the ground]
I’VE BEEN PLACES YOU’VE NEVER IMAGINED IN YOUR WILDEST DREAMS, BOY! COMPARED TO ME, YOU ARE BUT AN INFANT!! 
And as for your “incompetence”… well, you don’t need to be trustworthy. Just functional. [leans closer] You WILL obey me.
Blue: Blue gritting his teeth as he was thrown aside, struggling for control over himself again. Resistance did seem futile, but he did have a strong mind and certainly wouldn’t succumb to her control without a fight. “I obey no one.” he hissed, wincing at the strain before moving to grab a knife attached to his thigh and attempting to swing at her side during his short and brief moment of control over himself.
The Warden: Treepelt kicks away the blade easily. "Clever," she growls, looming over him and planting a booted foot on his chest. "You forget that you’re still just a puny human hatchling. You. Will. Obey. Me."
Jack Frost: Jack hears a commotion and decides to fly over to it and find out what is going on. At the sight of Blue in danger, Jack throws snowballs at Tree, distracting her from Blue “Stop it!”
Toshioka Kiri: Kiri is wandering about the camp when she hears the commotion.  Curious, she runs towards it -
And sees Blue on the ground with Tree standing over him.
She gapes for one second.
Then she whistles for Dagger, grabs the sharpened spikes from their sheaths, and enters a battle stance, ready to throw.
"What in the Hel is going on?!?!"
The Warden: Tree snaps her head around at the shouts and the snow, then bares her teeth in a feral smile when she sees the newcomers, pupils thin as a knife’s blade. "You’re just in time for the party," she purrs. The humming grows louder and surrounds everyone present.
Blue: Blue winced as the grip on his mind and body grew tight again, wearily reaching a hand to shove the boot away to no avail. “I OBEY NO ONE.” he insisted with a growl, attempting to reach for the blade again since playing his pipes seemed futile.
Toshioka Kiri: Kiri grabs more spikes out and shouts to Blue.  “You have to keep fighting!” she screams.  “Don’t let her win!  Keep your mind focused on your freedom, the fates of everyone around you, and whatever happens, don’t give in!!” 
The Warden: Hilarious. It was hilarious, really, how the hope continued to shine on their faces. The Warden withdrew from pressuring the girl and the snow-child and focused every last bit of her energy on the one pinned below her, trying to block out the girl’s screaming, attempting to force darkness down into his heart, filling his ears with her humming call. She leaned on him dangerously hard; any further and his ribs might even crack. 
"You’re mine,” she hissed. 
Blue: Blue’s thoughts swam as the pressure forced down on his mind even harder, drawing out a gasp from him. He could hardly even process anything Kiri was saying, and he was dangerously close to losing. Despite being an experienced sorcerer, he had never dealt with a possession like this and he found himself sinking quickly even through his struggling to stay above. “This is not over.” he breathed before he lost control of his body to the girl, the only thing left to him at the moment being his thoughts. 
Toshioka Kiri: Kiri screams.  This will not happen.  This will not happen to someone else. 
With all her might, she throws the spikes at the Warden, and charges.  She barrels her entire body into Tree, knocking her off of Blue and into the snow.
The Warden: She hadn’t been expecting the ball of energy to come ramming into her side; with an oomph, Treepelt slammed into the ground and rolled, blood and snow mixing in her mouth as she bit her tongue. Panting, she lay still for a moment, momentarily stunned. Then she felt her control finally solidify over Blue, and she began to laugh. Slowly at first, then louder, more maniacal, more out-of-control. Getting to her feet, Tree walked over to her would-be attacker and raised her claws, preparing to finish her off.
Jack Frost: Jack panicked seeing Blue get taken over by the warden. He sees a knife lying on the ground. Without thinking, he grabbed it and throws the knife, aiming at tree’s heart
The Warden: The Warden shifted Treepelt just in time, but the pain still ripped through her as the knife’s blade sliced her arm, causing a waterfall of blood to sheet down her skin. The shriek emanating from her throat was one of both agony and fury. She whirled around and screamed "KILL THEM!!" at Blue, clutching her wounded arm. 
Toshioka Kiri: Kiri rolls to her feet, glancing at Blue.  She is too late. 
I am so sorry…
"Dagger, on him!" she shouts.  The dragon flies down, shooting spikes to block his path and maim him.  At the very least, Dagger can keep him busy.
Then she turns to the Warden, grabs the last of her spikes, and holds her hands up in a familiar battle stance.  She knows this dance.  She only hopes that she will not regret this.
She jumps forward, parries the incoming claws and locks them under her arms.  Then she aims the spikes in her hands towards Tree’s torso. 
The Warden: Treepelt gasped and tried to lurch backwards as much as possible with her arms incapacitated, and the spikes sliced through her tunic and cut her skin. Grunting at the new spots of pain, she suddenly shoved forward, causing both of them to go down hard, and she managed to entangle her fists in the girl’s shirt.  
"What are you going to do?" she hissed mockingly. "Kill her? Poor little Tree, who can’t control her actions, can’t control the deaths she’s causing…" 
Toshioka Kiri: Kiri gazes evenly into the Warden’s eyes. 
"Sometimes, a little pain is needed to make any progress," she says softly.
And without any hesitation, with one spike, she stabs Tree deeply in the hip. 
Treepelt Halfpaw: The Warden shuddered and gasped as the cold spike of metal drove into her vessel’s flesh, causing her concentration to slip. “Kiri…” Treepelt said weakly. “Kiri…please…”
Toshioka Kiri: Kiri leaves the spike in Tree’s hip.  She peels the claws away from her shirt, but holds them together in her free hand.
"I’m sorry Tree," she replies, her voice sorrowful.  Then her expression grows cold.  "To you, Warden, do not think to do anything, or this other spike goes through both hands.  Good luck using your claws then."
Then she calls out.  “Dagger, Jack, go find one of the rebellion.  Or the King, even.  Someone.  Bring them here so we can take the Warden into custody.  Also, we’ll need a healer.  I’ll keep her under control.”
Treepelt Halfpaw: The clarity, the bittersweet clarity that the stinging cuts gave her…Treepelt wanted to cry out in relief. Her head was clear, if only for a few moments.
"What…what did…I do…?" she choked out, body tensed against the waves of pain. The wound wasn’t fatal, butThor did it hurt. “Did I…hurt…anyone…?”
Toshioka Kiri: Kiri’s gaze softens.  She knows that this is Tree.
She watches as Dagger flies off in search of Haddock.  The king may be on crutches, but Dagger at least can act as legs and wings for him if need be.
"Tree, just hold on," she urges, letting herself grow kind once more.  "It wasn’t you.  It’s never you.  It’s the Warden.  Good people under the control of evil beings like the Warden… do bad things.  It’s not your fault, understand?  I’m sorry for hurting you like this."
Gareth Ragnar Haddock the Second: Though it seemed a long time for both Kiri and Tree, their eyes finally spotted on the horizon Dagger returning, and on the dragon’s back, a skinny figure tucking a pair of crutches under one arm.
Haddock rushed up to the two of them, surveyed the scene quickly, and demanded, “What happened? Tell me everything.
"Gods, can’t I have one day of peace? Odin, please tell me what I did to deserve this.”
Treepelt Halfpaw: Treepelt laughed hollowly, a thin, fragile sound. To Kiri, she croaked, “None of you…get it. It IS my fault…my fault for not being strong enough…to fight her off…she’s gone now, she’s scared…of the pain…she doesn’t like the pain…”
She trailed off and turned her head sideways as the King approached. Her only reaction was a single blink, a tightening of the face as she scrutinized him and listened.
Gareth Ragnar Haddock the Second: The king looked to Kiri curiously and worriedly for a more coherent answer to his query.
Toshioka Kiri: Kiri gives a weak laugh.  “War makes everything interesting, doesn’t it.  Blue is over there,” she jerks her head towards where he is trapped under the giant snowman.  “He was fully possessed by the Warden earlier.  We might want to be careful.”
Then she glances down at Tree.  “Apparently, my nadder spike into her hip was enough to drive the Warden into some sort of submission.  I… may have maimed her…” she cringes.  “I’m so sorry Tree…”
Treepelt Halfpaw: "Better hope they’re not full of poison still," she tried to joke, shuddering as another flash of pain stabbed through her. "That would be…a problem…"
Then a voice entered her hazy mind and left a single message: Just like we rehearsed.
Treepelt sucked in a breath, trying to get her tremors under control. “Haddock…my King…” she half-whispered.
Gareth Ragnar Haddock the Second: Haddock’s hand subconsciously started moving up toward his heart before he moved his left hand back down again. His eyes surveyed first Blue, then Kiri, then Tree. He finished this all with a sigh. “The Warden returns again… and with more casualties, it seems. If the Warden isn’t going to come into Tree at least, shouldn’t we fly her back to the camp for a healer at once?.”
He then tenderly crouched down in the snow. It took him a cumbersome while to settle into the position, his left knee on the ground, his right leg propped up by the foot. And then he leaned in toward Tree and murmured, “Make sure she… hopefully… isn’t maimed.”
Toshioka Kiri: Kiri glances over Tree.  “She does need a healer.  She will at least have difficulty walking for some time.  If you can help me bind her hands first, then we can fly her back to camp.  Sorry Tree… you understand why we need to take this precaution.”  Her eyes harden.  “And Warden, my threat from earlier still stands.  Hope the healer’s good enough for that one.”
Treepelt Halfpaw: "I…understand." She coughed dryly and her hands twitched in Kiri’s grip as she adjusted them. "But…Haddock…I have to tell you…that…" She closed her eyes and tried to sit up from under Kiri, grimacing in pain. Caution. Caution…
Gareth Ragnar Haddock the Second: Haddock leaned in further. “What?” he asked.
Toshioka Kiri: Kiri feels uneasy and grips the spike tighter.  She watches silently, steeling herself in case something unexpected occurs.
Treepelt Halfpaw: Tree attempted to shift and move closer to him. The pain in her hip throbbed and pulsed, making her a bit woozy, but she refused to be deterred from her task. “Haddock…I…” 
Her eyes slid open and she stares pleadingly at him.
"Vox wants to see you."
Gareth Ragnar Haddock the Second: "Back to the healer’s now,” Haddock said, quite uncomfortable. “Get her on the dragon. She’s become delusional.”
Toshioka Kiri: "Right," Kiri nods, agreeing.  She puts away the spike, but keeps her grip on Tree’s wrists, and somehow manages to pull her to her feet and onto Dagger.
Who knows though, what with all the madness going around.  Two weeks ago she would have stated that the dead are dead, and only come back as draugr or for Ragnarok.  Now, she has no idea.Category:EventsCategory:Season 1
Category:Blue Heron
Category:Treepelt Halfpaw
Category:The Warden
Category:Toshioka Kiri
Category:Gareth Ragnar Haddock the Second
Category:BOTGD