Getting Through to Them

He said we smell...? All I smell is the damp ground, some wood and... uh, maybe... Actually he probably has a much better nose then I do... it is much bigger than mine...

"I don't know how you duped these nice farmers here... but you're not going anywhere now..."

The slightly less dark than his black protective clothes Dog-man announced, stepping between Nina and her other family members, while still pointing his sword at Tracey.

"Uh... I'm not - eh?"

A spear tip jerked closer to Nina, who had her hands already raised, while the holder looked to his superior Dog-man, who'd shaken his head.

"I don't know you at all, so you must be with them."

Nina's ears turned back some more, as she gave a wounded look, while Tracey tried to have he released.

"Hey, you want us remember - leave her be..."

All Tracey initially received back was a brief smile.

"If you're concerned for her, she must be an accomplice..."

Oopsie... sorry Nina...

"She'll be treated no different to you... wait - where'd that one on top go?"

The lead guard twisted his head about, looking for Shizuka, who had somehow disappeared from sight, as Tracey couldn't see her either.

"She was just-"

One of his fellow guardsmen started, but stopped when he received a harsh glare from the senior.

"Find her!"

He turned to a couple more waiting offside - who dashed away from the scene, perhaps to see behind the surrounding stone walls.

"Where is she?"

Tracey had the sword thrust her way, but the owner was still keeping a fairly good distance.

"I have... no idea."

She replied honestly, having seen nothing, though not relieved by her words, the black Beastman regained his calm, and began openly interrogating her.

"It matters not... we'll find her soon enough. All I want to know... is why you're sneaking into this well off town... were you hoping to get behind out defences - to attack us from within and cut us down?"

"Not exactly... and we'd rather not kill anyone actually."

Her words didn't get much of a reaction, as he continued on.

"Are there any more of your kind about?"

"Yes."

He flinched with that answer.

"Are they near...?"

His dark, wet fur got a little prickly, as he got nervous again, but Tracey was less telling about the details.

"They're... close."

He lowered his blade a little, and resisted the urge to look around again.

"You're being far more... reasonable than I expected of your kind... what are you playing at huh?"

Some of his men had very carefully started to disarm Tracey's people, but none had gone near her, Amanda, Todd or Dale yet, but they all had spear tips and archers pointing readied arrows from above at them all.

"We're not up to anything... shady. We were just hoping to get a little look about this nice town is all."

Tracey had recently reminded her group that if anyone of them found themselves captured, or otherwise at a disadvantage, to first go for the diplomatic route, and only fight as a very last option. Not only was that safer for these with the seemingly disadvantage, it would also, potentially, be seen as a more civil act, to try and paint them in a better light and do well in the longer run.

"Is that it? I don't believe you'd try to get in here for only that."

The lead guardsman grumbled, while finally lowered his blade, only once his other men had come around to take Tracey's own from her person, very slowly.

"Well we'd like to talk with your leaders, if that can be arranged..."

If Tracey and her small group were indeed captured, the others with Natalia in charge, had been tasked with remaining as inconspicuous as possible, and to do their best to gather as much information as possible, and step in - only if something dire was going to happen.

"We'll see - but for now you're all in our custody... until something is decided."

That seems fair enough... we did try to get by without permission after all...

Tracey and her group, including the most vocally opposed Horse-girl, were then led away, a little further past the last wide moat, but to a waiting set of cells, where each were put into one small space, and then the heavy metal doors clacked shut on the fifteen of them.

With them secure, the Dog-man ordered his guards to re-double their search, for the light-footed Fox, who still eluded them, leaving the others behind in the surprisingly warm and good conditioned prison.

At least we're not in the cold rain anymore...

As the spokesperson for her group, Tracey had been let out, and then escorted, out of sight to others, to a fairly grand looking building, with a big domed roof, and a circular design throughout, before coming to a dark-green room, and directed to stand in the centre of it.

A row of five chairs sat on a slightly higher ledge before her, while a small polished railing held her in the more open space before them, and while Tracey looked about and waited to be seen, she took in that the well looked after room appeared to be rather old and sturdy, so probably older than the Empire itself.

After a moderately brief and silent wait, were Tracey patted down her light-blue dress to be as neat as possible, the seats were filled by five much older Beastmen, from different tribes, who tottered in and got relatively comfortable.

"We shall begin proceedings..."

A mostly dark-brown Rabbit-man, with drooping ears and greyed edges spoke first, once his colleges had ample time to sit.

"Since you have behaved well, and none of your... lot have caused even the slightest ruckus... yet..."

The one in the centre; a well aged and greyed Dog-man, shut the large book he'd brought along and turned his attention to the much younger woman in the room.

"...We the Counsel of Kibble will hear from you."

The room went real quiet, as they eyed the teenager, who did her best to appear meagre and humble before them.

"I-"

Tracey was instantly cut off by the rabbit-eared member of this counsel, who seemed rather professional, but also a bit snappy.

"Before you are permitted to speak, you will require somebody else in attendance."

Tracey closed her mouth.

Okay... I'll play by their rules...

"You will need someone of character to vouch for your words... and they can be called from far away - however, you'll have to wait if you do, and if they'll come of course. So, have you any trusted soul who can be here... for you?"

They might not have been openly smiling, but this need for a referee could have been a huge disadvantage for the 'judged one', and they obviously knew that.

But Tracey had some options.

I could maybe call for Shizuka... if she was watching me and not up to something else... but tactically that would be a definite disadvantage, for both of us I guess... But I think someone who seems very trustworthy is needed here... so...

"Nina Apalay."

"The one who was captured with you?"

The Rabbit-man huffed.

"Yes."

Tracey assumed her voice would still carry some weight, since she was a Beastfolk, like them.

"Very well then, fetch the other prisoner."

The lead member called for, not looking impressed at all.

Tracey again waited patiently, while all they did was closely watch her, standing quietly and calmly before this counsel, until a familiar face arrived in the dark room.

"Uh... greetings counsel of Kibble... You summoned me; I'm Nina Apalay from Yarn..."

Nina came near Tracey, but stayed besides the small wooden railing that separated the Human from all others.

"Do you know this... Human?"

The mostly brown rabbit featured member asked, going through the processes.

"I do... this is Tracey ...uh Spikelet; the leader of her group... and 'Silver Savoir' sir."

"Only the facts please."

A particularly grumpy cat featured man spoke up for the first time from the far left.

"But it is true..."

Nina said, softly as her ears flicked.

"Please show us your credentials - Tracey Spikelet."

The lead questioner resumed, leaning on his chairs arm.

Tracey revealed her parchment - making the rabbit slip on his chairs side.

The big room got even quieter, if that was possible, while the majority shifted about and looked to one another, before most settled on Tracey's still visible silver 'stat sheet'.

"So you admit you are a leader among your savage people..."

The wrinkled Dog-man in the slightly bigger chair spoke up, seemingly not bothered by the reveal, and went to go on some more.

"No doubt your many victims will-"

The neighbouring woolly and curled horned member suddenly tapped his shoulder, then whispered in his big, grey pointed ear, before the lead counsellor found a small pair of glasses from his pocket and put them on, before he too shifted on his seat and reluctantly muttered.

"I see..."

"But you - she has come from... the Empire?"

The cat with faded spots half yelped the words out, partly her way.

"That's true...."

"Tracey has been in Yarn for nearly a month recently."

Nina spoke up, trying to be helpful.

The head grey haired man sighed strongly.

"We heard... that Yarn had been overrun by depraved Human hoards..."

"Not exactly... we did take... uh, ownership of the area though..."

He passed over Tracey's minor correction without thought, continuing his already planned sentence, like she'd rudely interrupted him.

"...we will mourn the many slain in that once beautiful town..."

"Um, sirs, Yarn is still undamaged, and not one single local has been harmed either."

Nina this time rebuked, making the old men pause, then whisper to one another for a little.

"We will send someone to confirm that, right away."

The Rabbit-man seemed slightly dubious, but at least slightly more relaxed than the others.

They stayed hushed then, before the professional sounding one finally asked Tracey a direct question.

"Miss Spikelet... what did you... wish to gain by coming here?"

"I... my group heard of an imminent attack here, and we have come to intercept these others, and prevent a great loss of life... to all here."

Tracey said a practiced sentence she'd hoped to say, one she'd been contemplating over a little.

"You want to intervene, on behalf of those who live on this land?"

The grumpy cat almost hissed out.

"Yes we do."

Tracey said assuredly.

They looked to one another again without making a sound this time.

"I only ask that we be given a chance to prevent unnecessary harm, to this town and its inhabitants."

Another long silence prevailed in the lofty room, before the brown bunny broke it.

"We will consider your request... is there anything further?"

"Not at the moment..."

Three of the five didn't even wait for Tracey to finish, as they haled themselves off their seats and made for their different exit.

"Take them back..."

The still angered cat spat as he left the quickest, and so Tracey and Nina were promptly ushered away, to be lead back through the buildings curved and narrow corridors by several guards.

"Do you think they'll let us go?"

Nina asked, slightly upbeat despite their situation, as she walked alongside Tracey.

"I'm not so sure..."

"They didn't seem particularly pleased..."

"No they didn't."

I wonder why some of them got more hostile after seeing my parchment... almost the opposite from when I revealed it in Yarn...