Lanny & Others

With Jeff and Tyler along for the ride, Lanny set out with what information Cassidy had given them to hopefully ambush Tahmores. Rather than use his bronco, which he knew many in town recognized as his, Lanny had taken Jeff's white SUV today, and parked that along a small side road that branched off from the half-mile driveway that led up to the house. Parked along the shoulder of the gravel road, the SUV looked like one of the many vehicles that could be found dotted around the country roads, while their owners were off hunting during the beginning of the annual mushroom season. From a distance, the tinted windows made it near impossible to see if there were any occupants in the vehicle, and Lanny hoped that it would be enough to give them the advantage, and spot Tah before he spotted them.

Tahmores

After the recent attack on the ranch, the young man had been forced to postpone his intended trip to speak with Nadeem, due to the need to stay and help nurse their surviving defenders back to health. And even though he was able to make the trip now, he hadn't dared bring Elder Brother with him, as he'd wanted to, in order to introduce him to Nadeem - after all, the ranch needed all of its protectors, to be sure that what had happened during his absence the other day didn't happen again. But he wasn't exactly alone, as he trod soundlessly through the trees, and crossed onto the bumpy gravel road; after much begging and pleading on the part of his children, Brother had consented to let Ayxiel accompany the young man, mostly because she was careful and cautious like her mother, and the male believed she would be least likely to wander away from Tahmores in order to try exploring on her own. So Tah had the young, small female cradled across one of his arms - she was slim and small-bodied like her mother, and still young yet; she remained the littlest of her siblings, and she was still light enough for him to carry easily. However, Ayxi and his knife were all he had on him aside from the clothes on his back as he stepped out of the trees and headed for the driveway.

Laurence Zelkovii

Tyler was the first to spot the young man and wolf, and quickly alerted the others. "Hey... there, is that him?" Even though they were in the car, he felt the need to whisper and make no sudden movements, in the off chance that Tahmores might glance their way and realize there were occupants in the vehicle. A bit of quick searching by the other two soon had them all looking at their target and the young wolfess he carried with him, and Lanny gave a small nod, "That's him alright. Can you guys see anyone else?" The forest was already beginning to fill out with vegetation, but it was still possible to see a fair distance through the trees before the clutter of leaves obscured the view. Jeff and Tyler shook their heads, and the former spoke in reply, "From what I can tell, he's on his own."

"Tyler, get ready. I have a feeling this might be a foot race - Jeff, have your gun handy." With Tahmores clearly in sight, Lanny started up the SUV and pulled off the sideroad and onto the start of the driveway, where he cruised along to catch up to Tah. As he did so, the windows along the drivers side rolled down, so that Lanny could speak to the other, "Are you Tahmores?"

Tahmores*Others

Long before the SUV pulled into the driveway to follow him, a soft, silver-colored ear had twitched back toward the noise, prompting Tahmores to tune his lesser-gifted ears to whatever noise she was hearing; soon enough, the soft rumble of an engine let him know he was not alone. A moment later, he turned his head to look at the vehicle, so by the time it pulled up beside him, he was already looking for a face to peer out of the window. His expression remained impassive as Lanny questioned him, and his replying tone was mild and soft. "Are you Laurence Zelkovii?" he returned, and it was impossible to tell whether he was truly asking that question, after recognizing the purple-and-silver uniform, or whether he knew perfectly well who this was, and was being facetious. Either way, he kept walking, forcing the SUV to idle along beside him if Lanny wanted to keep talking to him, and went on, "Yes, that's my name. And this is Ayxi, a friend of mine." He introduced the growing young wolf blithely, with the kind of air that a slightly-daft older person would use in introducing their companion-pet, and he fondled her ears softly. Secretly, he was just a little tense, mostly because Ayxiel was; he knew of the CrypticSilvers, of course, after living here for so long, but he didn't believe himself to be in any danger of them - after all, he dealt mainly in wolves, and he'd made no enemies since coming here... that he knew of.

Lanny & Others

For as long as the driveway was, Lanny knew he had some time to capture Tahmores before they reached the house, but he still had to act quick. If Nadeem saw them, the plan would be ruined. Keeping the SUV idling along in pace with Tah, Lanny's demeanor was cool and lacking in humor or the any of the lightness that was usually a hallmark of his personality, "The one and only." Even this response was a little frosty; Laurence was clearly not playing games here, and that was made more obvious when he completely disregarded Tah's introduction of Ayxi in favor of nodding to Jeff, who flashed the pistol he was carrying so that the young man could see it. "I'd like to have a few words with you, if you don't mind."

Tahmores*Others

One of the velveteen ears perked up at the cold tone to Lanny's voice, and a tiny snarl started up - but Tahmores silenced it with a touch to her shoulders as he turned his eyes back toward the younger Zelkovii. It was then that he spied the dark metal of the firearm, and one brow raised in a show of what might have been mild curiosity - or perhaps guardedness. "Is the firearm really necessary? All that I could tell you in your vehicle, I can tell you walking right along this road, and when we have finished, we can both go about our business." His tones were quiet and easy, and he didn't seem too bothered by the gun - though Elder Brother would have seen the way that the muscles in the arm carrying Ayxi, hidden by the young wolf's fur, had bunched in tension. He kept right on walking easily beside the car, just as though they weren't pointing the weapon at him; he didn't kick into a run to try to escape them, but nor did he stop to comply with Lanny's 'request', either.

Lanny & Others

For as young as Axyiel was, Lanny found himself regarding her cautiously still, remembering very vividly what had happened when he and his brother had taken Conan and Nadeem hostage in the old factory building that was the heart and home of the Lurker's. He wasn't necessarily afraid of dogs now, but he was certainly more leery around them, particularly any that looked the slightest bit wild. "It will be if you don't comply in the next three seconds." That was Jeff's cue to cock back the hammer, producing any audible 'click' from the gun, and to raise it so that it was pointed directly at Tahmores. "Your choice. Either we talk to you, or we find someone else... maybe John?"

Tahmores*Others

"If it were John you wanted to speak to, it would be he you would have found, and not me." Again, Tahmores answered Lanny calmly, even though Ayxiel was clearly getting more uncomfortable by the moment. She whined, something which translated to the young man's ears as "I don't like this, Tah," and he responded with a small pressure on the front part of her chest. He never stopped walking, and never made the slightest move toward his knife with his other hand, since he was sure they'd notice that - but he was getting more intent by the moment, and the young wolf could feel that. "Strange thing about Native Americans, Zelkovii," he murmured conversationally, just as though he and Lanny were old friends and he about to tell an amusing story. "We don't place quite as much stake in book learning as others do; I never went to school as a kid. I never did learn to count to three." That was his cue, though - in a moment, he'd dropped Ayxi entirely, who landed gracefully on her paws because she'd been notified by the young man's muscles just what he was going to do, and the two of them ducked quickly into the trees, prepared to give all three of the other men a run for their money. He might not drive, but Tahmores was fleet-footed, and he knew these woods better than anyone else in the area.

Lanny & Others

"Would you rather us find him then?" He threatened, not at all serious about considering going after the teenager so much as he was trying to use it as leverage against Tahmores. Where he'd been ready to give the young man one last warning before turning things physical, Tah up and bolted into the woods, and Lanny cursed sharply. "Get him!" Tyler was already out of the door before Lanny could even put the SUV in park, using his long legs to carry him swiftly after the retreating enemy. Lanny was out a second later and whipping his gun out from its holster. Jeff was last, and though he knew the woods fairly well on account of his avid hunting ventures, the older man was no where near as fleet as Tahmores was - but he was very skilled with a gun. Fanning out to the side so that his comrades were in his line of sight, Jeff fired off two rapid shots towards Tahmores, aiming more for his legs and feet, hoping to either slow him down, or frighten him into stopping.

Tahmores*Others

Thanks to his casual mode of behavior and the very sudden way he'd taken off, Tahmores had a decent head start, and as much walking and running as he'd done with four-legged creatures, he would have likely gotten away... but Jeff's good aim put an unfortunate crimp in his plans. He knew to dodge back and forth through the trees to make himself a difficult target, but he was at a disadvantage to the older man's skill with the weapon; a bullet passed through one of his calves and proceeded out the other side, pitching him forward onto the ground with the suddenness and force of it. Instinct took over at that point, and he rolled getting back to his feet and blocking out the pain in order to keep running, but with moderate damage done to the major muscles of his lower leg, his mobility was definitely impacted - unlike most, he could still run, but it was not nearly as fleet and smooth as his usual mile-eating gait. Knowing he couldn't outrun them for too long, and sensing as much as anything else that Ayxiel had wisely taken off in the opposite direction to circle back toward Nadeem's house, Tah took a moment, as he was running, to draw his knife. With it clenched tightly in one hand, he'd have a means of defending himself when they came to get him, since he pretty well understood that they wanted him alive, since they'd gone for his legs instead of a more deadly target.

Lanny & Others

Out of the three CrypticSilvers, Tyler was the quickest on foot, thanks mostly to a pair of long legs. Dodging through and around the undergrowth was not his cup of tea, but he hurdled along at an impressive clip regardless, and when Tahmores was slowed down by the leg shot, he was the first to close in. And where he'd normally have used a gun to bring down his quarry, he had to suffice for a simple tackle since they needed Tah alive - and that's precisely what he attempted to do if he got close enough. Knowing that the man was likely to have a knife on him, Tyler tried to catch the other by the shoulder if he could get close enough, and spin him forcefully to the ground, rather than go for a full-body tackle that would put himself more in harm's way. If he failed, Lanny was quickly catching up, and just as ready to take their enemy down, while Jeff was jogging fast to keep up with them all, but paying more attention to their surroundings, just in case Tah's friend showed up.

Tahmores*Others

Whatever else happened, Tahmores was no fool, and wasn't going down without a fight; the hand on his shoulder managed to twirl him easily enough, particularly as his weight was currently on the injured leg. But while it ended with him on the ground with his back to Tyler, he wasn't out of tactics just yet. Flipping his knife carefully around in his hand, he jabbed it blindly in the general direction of the man behind him, not really caring whether he hit flesh or whether it missed; his goal was to get Tyler to draw back so that he could roll over and regain his feet. Not realizing that he'd already shifted into predator-versus-prey mode, he let go with a guttural snarl and flashed his teeth - he might stay in a building with Martha and work a farm just like any other person in a small town, but when it came down to fighting, the young man was still very much a wolf inside.

Lanny & Others

Tyler ignored the impulse to jump on Tah and pin him down, as he might have with most targets that were to be caught for questioning. Relayed from Cassidy's information, Lanny had made it clear that Tahmores was likely to have a blade on him, and be more than a match with it than most others in the gang. Tyler's caution paid off when Tah swung the knife at him, missing by a good inch as it sliced through empty air. "Hold it!" The shouted order came from Lanny as he sprinted up to the pair, having his pistol drawn already and aiming at Tahmores, "Drop the knife, or I'll give you a matching bullet hole for your arm." Letting Lanny take the lead, Tyler took a few steps to the opposite side, ready to draw his gun out if more intimidation was needed. "ou heard him, punk. Drop the blade."

Tahmores*Others

The momentary step back by Tyler allowed Tah to roll and face them - but Lanny's quick arrival kept him from doing anything else. Angry and next-to-wild as he was at the moment, the young man wasn't stupid; he knew what a gun could do to him at point-blank range. He was breathing hard, not from the run, but from the adrenaline that was rushing through him in response to both the pain of the injury to his leg and the intense situation, and for several moments, he lay there very still, neither speaking to respond to his captors, nor seeming to understand what they'd said. During that time, he flashed his teeth again in a useless communication that would not reach the other men, and let loose with another growl... but finally, he gave Lanny a look that could have killed, and dropped his knife without ever taking his eyes off of the gun... and without ever speaking.

Laurence Zelkovii

His blue eyes were little more than ice right now, piercing and without warmth, and they never left Tahmores for a second. The gun trained on the other man didn't lower when the knife was dropped, either, "Get up, you're coming with us." Reinforcing his leader's words, Tyler offered a swift kick to Tah's side, whether he started to get up or not, "You heard him Mogli, get up. You try anything, you'll regret it." Preparing to follow along behind Tahmores, if the man was going to cooperate so far as to stand up and start moving under their orders, Tyler circled around behind him. Meanwhile, Jeff was moving cautiously along, still paying more attention to their surroundings than to Tah himself, since the younger men had him under control now.

Tahmores*Others

He might have been persuaded to stand up and follow without incident, but Tah didn't take kindly to the insult Tyler added to injury; a hand shot out, quick as lightning, to catch hold of the offending leg by the ankle and provide a sudden jerk that was meant to dump him on his rear in the grass and leaf litter. Less than a second later, he released his grip, scowling over at Tyler regardless of whether he had to look up or down to do so, and got slowly to his feet, not making a move to reach for or harm anyone else. It was just a blunt statement that, even without his knife, he was not defenseless, and his voice was even and calm as he answered, "Mowgli was Indian, but not Native American; according to the novel by Rudyard Kipling, he was born in India - the eastern country. The two cultures are entirely different." However, with that said, he seemed prepared to follow them, and by this time, Ayxi was clambering up onto Nadeem's porch, prepared to wait there until Tah came back... or until some other event caused her to move. So the three men were in no danger of her as they started to direct Tah toward the van.

Lanny & Others

He'd gotten a little too cocky, as he was well known to be in the gang, and failed to consider Tah as a threat anymore. His kick at the other man and the following insult were turned right back at him when he was cast off balance and sent falling backwards in a frantic flailing of his arms that did nothing to stop him from falling in a graceless heap. What it earned Tahmores was a vicious smack from the pistol that Lanny carried, and a bitter glare from Tyler as he picked himself up and tried briefly to flick away a few burs that clung to his shirt, "Whatever, wolfboy, you're one in the same." While Tyler desperately wanted to take a swing at Tah, he knew better than to do anything more without Lanny's permission. It was the co-lead who roughly nodded his head in the direction of their vehicle, and began walking that way as Tah oblingingly followed along. "We've got a few questions about the boy you look after for Conan. You tell us what we want to know, and we'll consider leaving your 'family' alone."

Tahmores*Others

A grunt was all that Lanny received for the blow he'd dealt; Tah took it quietly across the jaw without protest, and then picked himself back up, beginning to follow the two young men, with occasional glances back to Jeff, just to account for his presence. At one point, he stopped for a moment, in order to pause and spit out part of a tooth that had broken off from the impact of the younger Zelkovii's gun against his jaw, but he endured that silently too. In fact, silence was a definite pattern in his behavior - he had absolutely nothing to say to his captors as they began to head for the vehicle again. Even when Lanny identified what they wanted, and put a threat against Martha and John, he was wordless, and continued limping along between the men without any sort of readable reaction. Aside from information about Conan, he wasn't sure what they wanted from him, but judging by his behavior, he certainly didn't intend to make it easy for them.

Laurence Zelkovii

He may not have gotten a reaction out of Tahmores, but he gave him something to think about. Above all else, it was Lanny's intentions to keep things as low key as possible, and stick with Tah as their victim rather than actualling going after Martha or John, but those two would quickly become targets as well if they didn't get the needed info from this young man. He only hoped, for the sake of having less mess to clean up, that Tah would talk before it came to that. "Turn around." Once they'd trekked back to the driveway, Lanny gave Tah the orders to remain still and turn his back to them while Tyler fished some duct tape out of the SUV, and moved over to attempt to tape Tah's hands together behind his back. At this point, Jeff was getting back into the vehicle, this time taking the driver's seat so that Lanny and Tyler could focus more on their enemy. "Cooperate, and maybe you'll be able to attend the little meeting you had planned for today. Whether that happens or not depends on you."

Tahmores

He walked along calmly enough, managing to keep pace with the other men even though he was injured, and continuing to quietly endure anything in the way of verbal suggestions and threats they had to throw at him. He'd reached out to trip Tyler because he'd attacked when he was already down, but words had no effect on him. He turned around when he was prompted to, but didn't lift his arms up; he wouldn't resist if they moved to take hold of his wrists, but he wasn't going to hold them up while they were bound - he let them lay limp, allowing the others to manipulate them as they wished, but not giving them anything to help them out. His face had closed down now into one of neutrality, and his growling had ceased - he was giving them a blank slate, with nothing to work off of to determine what he was thinking or feeling. It was something that Ravenwing, back at the house, did very well - if he didn't want to speak to someone, he could remain still and silent for hours or days at a time.

Laurence Zelkovii

With not bit of gentleness, Tyler roughly took hold of Tahmores' hands and applied enough duct tape to make sure he wouldn't be getting out of it without some help. During this, Lanny held the gun aimed squarely on their enemy, taking on chances with him, even if he was outnumber and weaponless. "Get in." After his hands had been secured behind his back, Tah was shoved towards the SUV's open door, where he'd be riding in back with Lanny. After he was in, Lanny and Tyler hopped in, and Jeff turned the vehicle around and sped out of the driveway before someone might see them. Instead of going back into town however, he cruised along the side road that led further out into the Valley's wild lands, giving the younger men time to talk with Tah. "So what is it? You going to start talking, or are we going to pay a visit to your family?"

Tahmores

He continued to behave as though he were in a sort of daze, allowing the others to tape his wrists and drive his less-than-gently toward the car without a word or action in his defense. It was difficult going to try to get in the tall vehicle without his hands to brace himself, but he managed it in the end, and settled into the seat with only a glance around the car to account for just where the other men were. Only the eyes indicated that he was fully aware of what was going on - they darted to Lanny when he spoke, indicating that he'd heard what had been said, but he still didn't answer. Instead, he turned his head to gaze out the window and made a vague sound at the bottom of his throat; if there had been any canines in the SUV, they've have recognized a suppressed sound of pain, but to untrained human ears, it would sound as though he'd merely cleared his throat. And aside from that, Lanny was offered no replies.

Lanny & Others

Lanny waited for a few moments for Tahmores to speak, and when he said nothing, a flare of anger and annoyance crossed his cool eyes, "Still not willing to talk? I think we can fix." The veiled threat went without any immediate action however, aside from a brief glance from Jeff as he navigated down the dusty gravel road. After driving a long stretch of this, he turned off onto another road, and continued to navigate around the isolated back country, knowing these gravel streets as well as Tahmores knew the woods around them. After a fifteen-minute drive, they rolled to a stop near an overgrown cabin that was situated near a small river. Tyler jumped out of the SUV to open the gate, allowing Jeff to drive down the short dirt lane to reach the old cabin.

By the looks of the place, it was one of many summer cabins, not meant for living in permanently so much as it was a place where you could camp out at during the warmer months. And unlike the cabins that lined Requiem's River, this old building was on a smaller river, if the shallow waterway could be called such. "One way or the other, we're going to get you talking." It was Tyler that was speaking now, after rounding on the passenger side to open the door, and haul Tah out.

Tahmores

Throughout the ride, the stoic indian was silent, offering none of them any return for their insults and barely-veiled threats. his eyes flicked actively between the speaking men, indicating that he was hearing and understanding everything they said, but he didn't give them any reaction for their efforts. Instead, he spent most of his time looking out the window, memorizing where they were going so that, if he were ever given a chance to escape, he would know which way was best to run in so that he might shake any pursuers. Once they'd lurched to a stop, he exited the vehicle calmly enough, regardless of the harsh grip on his arm, and took his time about quietly studying the little cabin. "There is a wise saying that tells us that when one has nothing to say, it is best to be silent." Those were the first words he'd spoken since he'd taken off away from the vehicle, and they weren't exactly informational - nor were they easy to understand, due to a thick accent that had dropped into his voice, even though he'd proved back on the road that he could speak English perfectly clearly when he had the mind to.

Lanny & Others

Instead of leading him into the cabin house right off the bat, Tahmores was led down towards the back yard, near a bank that sloped steeply downwards for a good two yards before it reached the murky waters of the small river below. At the edge of the embankment, Jeff was hauling two cinder blocks near each other, and re-tying a length of rope that had previously been used to anchor his john boat to the bank. Without ever making mention of the simple objects, it was meant to be a veiled threat to Tahmores about what could happen to him later on. "The thing is, I'll get the information I want, one way or another. I'd prefer to have fewer messes to clean up along the way though." Lanny came to a stop in the backyard, after giving Tahmores time to look about and take notice of the cement blocks being lashed together. Appearing from around the side of the old cabin, where he'd rumaged through a shed, Tyler was approaching the group with a baseball bat in hand. Always wanting to take the easy route, the small group preferred to use psychological warfare before things got physical.

Tahmores

With his hands bound behind him, the young man had to be very careful where he stepped, though at least he was in his bare feet, as usual, and didn't have to contend with slippery sneaker-bottoms in the mud. Still, even with this advantage, he was more focused on where he put his feet than he was on the display they were putting up for his sake. Certainly, his eyes flicked to the cinder blocks and the baseball bat, and his brain was unaffected by his fall - he knew perfectly well what these things implied, and drew the proverbial lines without trouble. But he was still not going to offer them a reaction; he was not up to the level of Cassidy in manipulation, or even up to Conan's level... but he knew that to give these men any emotional reaction was to put himself - and his loved ones - in danger. So he merely answered quietly, "Kindly have the decency to ensure my head faces the sunrise, when you sink me - it's the only honorable way to be buried."

Laurence Zelkovii

Tyler exchanged a dark look with Lanny, wordlessly asking whether it was time to employ the bat. A single shake of Lanny's head held the man off for the moment, "You'll be lucky if your head is still attached to your body by the end of this." Without ever looking back to Tyler, the co-lead stretched his hand that way, and the baseball bat was transferred to him, "You've still got time to make this end well for yourself. But I can see now that it'll take a bit more persuasion." A good deal of threats, both verbal and subtly - and not so subtly implied - hadn't done the trick, so Lanny didn't waste any more breath trying to talk Tahmores into giving up any information. In fact, he didn't give Tah any sort of warning before he drew the bat in a sudden and vicious swing towards their captor's stomach.

Tahmores

"You have a penchant for using force to gain what you want, and a desire to enact cruelty upon others - do you honestly expect me to believe that I will remain unharmed if I speak to you and tell you what you want to know?" That was Tahmores' blithe question, but a pause was put to anything else he might have said when pain erupted in his mid-section, courtesy of the makeshift weapon that had been employed. It doubled him over for a moment, but didn't send him down, and Lanny was rewarded for his actions only by the snarl that Tah produced. It was a little breathy in quality, indicating that it had hurt more than he was letting on, but his resolve was strong - he was not going to crack so easily as all that. When finally he could speak again, the young man continued to talk very calmly to his captors. "I may only be a wolf boy who tends a farm, but I know a few things - among them the reputation of the Zelkovii's in this area. Never think that I am not prepared for anything that you can serve to me."

Laurence Zelkovii

"If you know me so well, then you know what will happen if you don't answer my questions. That ought to be incentive enough to try for survival. You've already given up the chance of getting out of this unharmed, and if you keep at this rate, you'll lose the chance to get out of it alive as well." Whether he was being truthful or not, he knew his chances of getting an answer out of Tahmores was rather poor if he let the man know he was going to be murdered regardless of what he did, so he offered that false hope. "Prepared, huh?" A whoosh cut through the air as the bat arched towards Tah, going this time for one of his knees. "Just remember, if I don't get anything out of you, there are two more people in the lineup that should have what knowledge I need."

Tahmores

Shaking his head some, the young man continued to speak calmly and rationally, not letting Lanny's threats rile him any mite at all. "There are fates in this world that are worse than death. I know many of them, and have suffered a few - there is nothing you can do to me that has not already been done to my species." Of course, by 'my species', Tah wasn't really speaking of humans, but then even after so long living with Martha, he still thought of himself as a wolf. Still, for all his quiet defiance, he couldn't cut back a half-animalized yelp that escaped him for the pain as wood met the lower part of his knee and upper corner of his shin, and this time, he collapsed down, awkwardly saving himself from a faceplant by managing to keep his unharmed knee more-or-less solid beneath him. Still, he didn't look too impressive, knelt before Lanny and now effectively shorter, even though his words continued to display his lack of intent to cooperate. "You speak as though I had no plan in place to protect those I care about. Do not believe that I am ever unaware of where John goes, and all of his doings... if ever ought happens to me, both of them will be gone before you have time to seek after them; by this time, my companion has alerted Nadeem of my absence, and soon enough, my allies will be aroused - you will find it very difficult to get near the ranch unless I am safely returned there. And my allies come silently - you will all be slain in silence and left to rot and feed the wildflower before you ever see my home."

Laurence Zelkovii

Laurence watched with grim satisfaction as Tahmores sank to one knee to the ground, while Tyler watched on with a faint smirk. Jeff remained more or less out of the immediate picture, still playing the part of a sentry rather than taking part in the interrogation. "I think you underestimate just what we can do." Lanny shifted his grip on the bat, but he held back swinging it right away, "You really think you can hide Martha and John? Nadeem? I own this town, wolfboy. No one can hide from me for long." His words were as dark and violent as his expression, revealing the ugliest side of Lanny's personality, and a flare of ego. "What are you going to do, have your friend shoot me with arrows? Sick your wolf friends on us? I'd like to see them hold out against our guns." A third blow was struck, followed immediately by a forth from the bat, one for Tah's side, and the other square across his back.

Tahmores

Showing only a slight edge of the anger that was roiling in him, Tahmores spat violently at the ground. "Own the town? You own buildings, and people... the government. But you do not and cannot own the trees, the wind, the rain, the wildlife - that is a kingdom outside your jurisdiction, where your kind cannot roam safely. We have seen to that." The blow to his side sent him down altogether, but he rolled to one side and narrowly avoided the hit to his back, which would have been liable to knock the wind out of him, with the force behind it. In the end, he struggled to his knees again, not about to remain lying down, and kept right on speaking, though a little more quietly, likely because the various places were starting to bruise, and causing him a good amount of pain. "Those I would send after you, your guns would be useless against - you would be down before the gun was drawn, your blood spilt before the first shot could be fired. Guns are only effective if one sees the target coming. And we have our ways of ensuring that you cannot hear us when we come for you."

Laurence Zelkovii

"I can go anywhere I want in this town. I can buy the land if I thought it'd do me any good, sell the animals to the blackmarket if it was profitable enough." Perhaps he was exaggerating the reach of his gang to some extent, even though they were known for having a very tight hold on the small town. When dealing with an enemy however, he showed no restraint and certainly no fear, despite the seed of doubt that Tahmores planted in the back of his mind. Tah and his friend had one definite thing against him, and that was knowledge of the wild lands and a stealth that he couldn't hope to match - out there in the wilds, Lanny was out of his league, out of his realm. But he never let that show through his words or expression, and didn't hesitate to give their target another fierce swing of the bat, "You won't get the chance to send anyone after me when we're through here. I'm giving you one last shot at protecting Martha and John before I decide you're more trouble than you're worth. Now what's it going to be?"

Tahmores

Even from the ground, where he'd been thrown from the newest blow of the bat, Tahmores continued to speak calmly and rationally, despite all of the gang's efforts to break him down. "You have your guards, and your weapons to intimidate, and some of the physical features are different... but you're still a nervous, insecure young male who poses and puff up his ruff in an attempt to frighten others away from what is his. Beneath the snarls and the fangs, you have nothing to back up your threats but cowardice, and nothing to fill your belly but fear." He shook his head. "I have nothing to say to you in any regard on that topic. If you'd like to discuss the weather or the latest migration pattern though, I can be quite the conversationalist."

Laurence Zelkovii

Lanny laughed now, low and forceful as he stood tall above Tahmores, with the bat held in one hand, "Nervous and insecure? Trust me, my bite is worse than my bark." More of a taunt than anything, he used a bit of analogy against Tahmores, right before he dealt the man yet another blow. This time it was with his foot instead of the bat, with a kick aimed savagely for the man's face. And he didn't stop with that, but went on to deliver several more wallops, kicking at the man at random to try one last go at breaking him before they would anchor him to the cinder blocks. "I'll see to it that those dogs of yours are looked after real nice when you're gone."

Tahmores

"Perhaps... but fear is fear, whatever guise it is in. And it is certainly in your eyes." He might have had more to say, but the blow to his face stunned him a bit, making him close his eyes as dizziness struck him - the kick had been just perfect enough to slam one of his eyeballs back in the socket, and the effect was immediate nausea. Spitting out another large piece of tooth, which came out with a decent volume of blood for the injury, suggesting he'd likely cut the inside of one cheek on this teeth, the young man tried to roll - but with so many minor injuries already, he wasn't nearly as mobile as usual; he couldn't dodge effectively. But somewhere in the midst of the attack, he found the breath to make a sound - a shriek, of sorts... and a whoosh of air would be the only warning before claws would scrape over the top of Lanny's head, with or without actually coming into contact, if the young man was fortunate enough to duck. Either way, Elderwild swooped back up with a cry and was circling around for a second go, and Tah was rolling onto his knees again. "There are no dogs in my family. I'd never met any, until you detained me today."

Laurence Zelkovii

Tyler had joined his co-lead in giving Tahmores a good beat-down, knowing that at this point, they almost certainly weren't going to get anything useful out of the man whether he were alive or dead. Letting Lanny decide how far the thrashing would go, Tyler didn't stop until both the young man were distracted by the swoosh, and a sharp curse from the blue-eyed man when Elderwild's talons grazed through his short hair and skimmed across his scalp. Dropping the bat and likely looking a bit foolish as he swung his hands defensively about over the top of his head, Lanny ducked away from Tah and sprinted a few feet away to try and get his barings straight and figure out what had just assaulted him. Tyler was caught just as much off guard, and was darting away as well before he thought to pick up the bat that Lanny had dropped, and prepare to use it against the goshawk if she dove for him. "What the hell is that?!" "An eagle or something-" "Goshawk." Between the three of them, Jeff came up with the correct name for the raptor, which he pronounced while circling back towards the younger men with his rifle being trained upwards; he wouldn't dare take a shot while she was near them, but if he had an open window for it, he'd try to pick her out of the sky.

Tahmores

With the men's attention attracted by the goshawk, Tahmores was left to catch his breath now, and watch as the feisty bird rained insults down on them, beating the air with her wings and clenching her claws menacingly. And unfortunately for Jeff's desires to bring her down, she was clever enough to stay out of the range where he'd have a good shot; instead, she banked hard to the left and soared over to Tyler, and if he didn't turn his face away in time, he'd get a nice, pre-digested present right in the eyes - using a favorite tactic of some raptor birds, she'd avoided getting close enough to be harmed, and had gone for gross factor, emptying her bowels right over his head. But where that was only stomach-turning and mildly irritating, the next-coming attack was not - grunting against the pain of a badly-bruised middle and what felt like a dislocated knee, Tahmores took the moment to swipe his feet swiftly toward Tyler, to hopefully bring him down while they were all distracted with the bird. At the same time, there was a whir of sound - and Jeff might feel something pass over him, leaving behind the slight stench of burn hair and gunpowder; a bullet had just passed a hairs-breadth over the man's head... and judging by the lack of noise, the wielder had a silencer.

Laurence Zelkovii

It was almost comical how easily the raptor had thrown their control out the window, and had both young men so thoroughly distracted that they weren't paying as much attention to Tahmores as they should have been. Tyler in particular was more concerned over the mess that had been left splattered across the side of his head and face, and didn't account for the fact that their enemy didn't have his legs bound up yet, and that lapse in knowledge cost him as he hit the ground for a second time when he was kicked off balance. When all of that was going down, and with Jeff's attention now on the bird rather than their surroundings, they were greeted by a second attacker. Jeff froze instinctively and lifted both his arms out to the side in a pose of surrender, "Guys, we've got company." The semi-calm alert from Jeff, and the pose he was in, warranted quick action from Lanny. He had his pistol out in a heartbeat, and was training it for the woods behind Jeff, "Show yourself!"

Tahmores

Despite his concentrated effort to get Tyler on the ground, Tah wasn't in any shape to try to run from them now - oh, he might be able to get up, and provided that his injured knee would hold, he might even be able to move forward... but it would be at a hobble that would make it pitifully easily for the other men to capture him. So he stayed where he was, crouched half-upright in the dirt and muck with his hurt leg stretched out awkwardly in front of him, watching the events unfold around him. "What was that you said earlier, Zelkovii... something about wanting to see how my allies would stand up against your guns? Not believing that I'd have a chance to send anyone after you? Word travels fast among wolves." And as if waiting for the end of Tah's words, a second whoosh sounded, though it was an arrow that grazed past Lanny's thigh, slicing neatly through his trousers but not doing any real physical damage just yet - this was more aimed for the fear factor, thus far, though if he panicked and moved too quickly, he'd get a good burn as the wood rubbed the hide off of him. All of this was carried out in the dead silence, as whomever was in the trees declined to answer Lanny's threat. Still, judging by the black fletching on the arrows, Tahmores knew the identity of at least one of his protectors, as if the goshawk's presence wasn't enough to make that clear. The second was a mystery to him, just yet, but at the moment, he wasn't in a position to decline the protection of anyone - and if Raven had brought this person with him, they were to be trusted.

Laurence Zelkovii

Generally not one of the front-line 'fighters' in the gang, Jeff hadn't even turned around yet, nor did he lower his hands away from the surrender pose that they were in. Common sense told him that they all needed to stay as calm and rational as possible, but given the flare of attitude that Tyler was capable of, and Lanny's own volatile temper when it came to confrontations like this, the older man knew things weren't liable to stay very 'rational'. Tyler was back on his feet in no time and aiming his pistol blindly towards the forest, while Lanny was recovering from a spell of fright when the arrow whizzed past him. In a split second decision, he turned his pistol down towards Tah and pulled the hammer back, "Show yourselves, or your friend pays!" That could warrant another arrow in his direction, but he was banking that they wouldn't risk shooting him when he had his aim on Tah.

Tahmores

Aside from twice dumping Tyler on his rear on the forest floor, Tahmores had taken very little part in the physical fighting to obtain his freedom; with a bullet in his one leg and his knee out of place in the opposite one, he didn't have just a whole lot he could do. But his defenders were making up for that; even Lanny's threat against Tahmores, which saw the gun shifted for the effectively-crippled young man, didn't see any result. The only answer Lanny got for his words was another silenced shot, this one hitting the broadside of his gun which, depending upon just how tight a grip the man had on it, might merely knock his hand fiercely to one side and disrupt his aim, likely with a little pain to go with it... or dislodge the firearm altogether and send it flying a couple of feet away. Either way, it was after this that a voice sounded - though not in any tongue they would understand. "Chak igoot! Bat ith maltz ninche."

Lanny & Others

The group flinched simultaneously at the second shot that knocked the gun clean out of Lanny's hands, which he didn't dare reach to pick up yet. With as good of aim as their mystery shooters had, he didn't want to risk it. "Lets everyone relax for a minute." Jeff raised his voice, and as he did so, slowly began to turn around; the good was still in his hand, but he held it out to the side in a neutral manner that would hopefully spare him from getting shot. Before he could continue on to try and bring the situation into any sort of control, at least among their ranks, Lanny was speaking up again, "Take one more shot, and I swear it'll be war. You don't think the gang back home is waiting for our return? That they don't know who we're after today? You do anything to us, and they'll take you all down before you knew what hit you!"

Tahmores

With no immediate threat to Tahmores' safety now, the shooting from the trees stopped, though it was pretty well a given that they were still watching Tyler and Jeff - moreso the older man, who still had his gun out, even if he wasn't pointing it anywhere. But Tah finally spoke up with a shake of his head. "You're wasting your time... he doesn't speak much English. He has very little need for it, aside from the basics." He fell quiet then, not translating just what had been said on either end, even as the thick voice from the trees sounded again. "Chak igoot! Jik maan likt!"

Lanny & Others

"And I don't speak whatever the hell he's saying either!" His eyes were darting from one spot of vegetation to the next, trying in vain to see past the breeze-fluttered foliage to catch a glimpse of their attackers. "You tell him what I said. Tell them both they'd better be putting their weapons down or they risk turning this into a war." He was too riled up and unwilling to back down to try for any other compromise yet, and even though they no longer had the upper hand, he was still trying to call the shots.

Tahmores

"It's Blackfeather... and he's saying that they want me back." Still keeping his voice low, Tahmores pointedly set about clarifying just what had been said, and then returned his attention to Lanny's words, working on translating them into something that the voice in the bushes would understand. "Jak nigret jaknav. Metkaah... jrakh eenteht louk ven ytarvun kah juut." The language sounded a little awkward and jerky in places, rather like some oriental tongues do to English-speaking persons, but Tahmores spoke it quickly and with ease, and was quickly answered by the defiant tones of the speaker. Shaking his head some, as though he'd expected that, the young man switched back into English. "He is not interested in your threats. He says that he has done no harm to any of you, and you have no cause for your actions. He has asked only that I tell you that, if I am returned to them peacefully now, he and his allies will back off with no further incident."

Laurence Zelkovii

"I think we can work something out here." Without turning his head too much, still trying to move as little as possible to give the others no reason to shoot at him, Jeff side-glanced at Lanny for permission to elaborate on the plan. The young man returned a hardened look, letting the older man know that he wasn't willing to bend much for these guys, though the situation was clearly not in his control any longer. "If we allow Tahmores to go now, you know that things will only get worse later on. We need information that he has, and once we have it, you're all free to go, but until that time, you will continue to be targeted." At least he spoke the truth on the matter, straight-forward and brutally honest, even if it was in a voice that was perfectly calm and raised only enough that it would carry clearly across the yard. "We have a chance to resolve this without any more bloodshed, right here and right now. Lets take that opportunity."

Tahmores*Others

This had come to a curious set of circumstances, with the three gang members relying solely upon their captive in order to speak to and understand the persons hiding in the trees. But Tah kept on patiently translating between the two, just glad for a reprieve from the repeated blows that Lanny had been dealing to him - as it was, he was badly beaten and bloodied, but aside from his legs, he was in decent shape; he wasn't keen on giving them any more reason to cause him damage. Still, he didn't have happy news to impart when he spoke back up again. "He says that you are wasting your time. He points out that I will not give out any information that I have, so thus it is not worth your time to force me to divulge that information. He reiterates the offer to let this stop right here, provided I am returned." If he felt any awkwardness for speaking about himself in translating for them, Tahmores didn't show it, though his tones were slightly distracted - he'd become aware of a below-the-average-human-hearing whimper, which indicated the presence of Ayxiel in the trees, likely crouched by Ravenwing, if his ears were hearing things right. He was worried about the growing young wolf, and sorry he'd brought her into this situation that had ended up being so dangerous; she hadn't been harmed, that he could see before he'd been grounded by the gangsters, but she was still very much a pup, and Brother's daughter at that. So he was very relieved to hear her voice next to Raven, whom he knew would protect her. These were the things that occupied his mind, more than the awkward situation he'd found himself in, as he waited for Lanny to come up with a response.

Lanny & Others

Without his gun, there was very little Lanny could do. If the unseen weapons in the forest weren't trained on him, he could have either risked reaching for the fallen pistol, or made a quick call to his brother to bring in reinforcements. Even Jeff was more or less harmless, since he reckoned they could and would shoot him before he could bring his riffle into both hands and have it properly aimed; not that he even had any specific target to aim at past the dense leaves. Tyler was the only one who still had a decent chance of getting a shot or two off with his pistol, but he'd still be firing blindly where the attackers had their targets in clear view. Lanny's temper soared as he realized all of these things, and he struggled not to let that fury blind his common sense and rationale, as it tended to do with his brother sometimes... only, as this situation was more personal to him, it was harder to stay as focused as he would have liked. "Fine, you know what? You can leave now, and go crawling back to your friends, but this isn't over. In the end, I will get what I want, and you'll be sorry that you didn't take my first offer." Based on the situation, he probably shouldn't be speaking as he was, but then, he was a bit more emotional about this than anyone else, considering it was ultimately leading back to getting Randy in their possession again.

Tahmores*Others

A hawk's cry split the air, but it wasn't Elderwild this time; she responded to it by banking from where she'd been hovering over the confrontation, and settling onto a branch high above their heads, to remind them all that she was there, even if she wasn't attacking. Tahmores lifted his head to watch her settle, noting how she was keeping on eye upon Tyler and Jeff, who were still armed, with the curiously-intimidating quality that only a bird-of-prey can instill, and shuffling her slate wings restlessly to indicate that she could take flight any second if they decided to be troublesome again. With that noted, he issued a quiet whine to the trees, and then took up speaking again in the foreign tongue. There was no answer to what he'd said, save for a brief rustle in the trees - but a moment later, Ravenwing stepped out of them, a crossbow laid carefully over one arm and pointed boldly at Lanny, who was the nearest to Tah, still. He was head and shoulders shorter than the younger man, and even an inch or two shorter than Lanny himself, but he made up for it in the sheer muscle of his frame that shone with a slight sheen of sweat around the mostly-leather makeup of his traditional garb - smaller he might be, but it was clear that he could easily out-wrestle any single one of the gang members here, though he might have trouble if all three attacked him. Still, the crossbow made up for the difference as he drew close, speaking to Tah without looking at him. "Come. We go. See Martha." His face was as calm and even as Tah's had remained, but his eyes upon Lanny were cold - he didn't trust the younger man not to try for a last attack, even though he still had his backup in the trees not a few feet away from them. So his gaze remained upon Lanny as he reached his free hand to Tah, giving him the leverage and extra strength he needed to get up, and lean against Raven's shoulder to be able to walk with greater ease. "No harm has come to you today, Laurence Zelkovii," Tah pointed out, his tones dry, "by virtue of my influence over my allies, and your choice to let this end here. But be warned - you may own the city, but you do not own this valley. Those that own the valley are my allies, and you would be very foolish not to acknowledge the fact that the animals in this area outnumber the humans, and could easily overrun the city. Take my advice - leave this matter be, and return to your girlfriend and your child. Because if you put to posts against this valley, the valley will fight back, and you do not yet realize how much you stand to lose."

Lanny & Others

If only Lanny didn't know there was a second shooter waiting in the woods, he would have braved his fears of getting impaled and made a rush at Raven, or in the very least given Jeff and Tyler a 'go ahead' look for either of them to open fire on the short, well-muscled enemy. His common sense managed to hold him back, but it didn't affect the glare of disgust and animosity in his gaze that was given to Raven and Tah as the former helped his friend to his feet. "I can handle a few animals, you two included." Lanny spat back in defiance, regardless to the fact that the idea did unsettle him, especially considering his mauling by the Shadow Lurkers that left his brother in the hospital for several days. While the attack didn't give him any outlandish fear of canines or other animals, it gave him a far healthier respect for just what sort of damage they could do, and made Tahmores' warning stick a little deeper in his mind, even though he strove to conceal that bit of fear. "I told you this would be war, and I meant it. A few wolves aren't going to stop us."

Tahmores*Others

"One pack is 'a few' - I'm sure even you have heard how many there are in this valley. And that counting only the wolves... there are other creatures here." That was Tahmores' quiet answer, still keeping his cool and speaking with authority, even though he was having to lean upon Raven to remain upright. As Ayxiel moved slowly out of the trees and pressed her small frame up against him, the young man went on, "You say 'animals' as though it were an insult; strange how you fail to consider that they were here before you, and will remain here long after you are gone. Not to mention the fact that for all of their 'barbaric' qualities, the human race is the only kind that kills other members of their own race for no other reason than pleasure in the killing. So in the traditional sense of 'being an animal', in the manner of behavior... I would say that Ayxi here has more sophistication and advancement in intelligence and morals than you do. And she's barely eight months old. So who is the animal here, Zelkovii?" He might have said something else, but Raven spoke to him again in that cryptic tongue, and Tah nodded quietly. "I'd love to stay and trade jabs all afternoon, but I've tasks to complete this afternoon. I'd advise you against attempting to track us to our destination - my friends will not take kindly to it. Come, Ravenwing." And with that said, the older man began to slowly turn, until he could keep his aim upon Lanny, but still help Tah toward the treeline, where they would be more secure. What Tah hadn't told them was that he was still going to Nadeem's, before he headed home. His injuries were painful, but not life-threatening... and besides, he thought that Nadeem might be able to get a hold of Martha, or perhaps give them a ride. And it would give them the opportunity to discuss all this, in any case. It took only a few steps before the two of them and Ayxielmoved into the thicker woods, and were gone, leaving the gang members alone... more or less.

Lanny & Others

"The PDP can take care of that." Not that they really had punched a hole in the number of animals in the Valley since the formation of the group four years ago, and it still stood that the PDP was an organization more under ATHA's control, and one that the CrypticSilvers failed to gain any sort of hold over. Lanny couldn't hope to garner their full support for any sort of campaign against the animals unless he pulled some serious strings, and he wasn't sure if James or the Elders would be willing to do so much just for the sake of declaring war over a few people in the city. "You can't compare them to us; you, maybe, but not to me. The CrypticSilvers are the best things to happen to this city, and we'll prevail here longer than you think." Ayxiel was watched with some wariness, though even to Lanny's untrained eye, her behavior was seen as far from intimidating, and didn't provoke much of any fear in him. "Just remember, this isn't over!" As they began to depart, Lanny raised his voice to get the last word in, but neither he nor the other two men dared to move. For all they knew there was a still a gun that was trained on them from the woods, and they were going to give the group some time to clear the area before they dared to make a move.