Rico nodded, "I used to do that. I used to wanna be along, used to not like people. Don't know why that changed, it just did." He smirked, "Bit of advice? You can walk around longer if you eat something and get some sleep."

The cub bit his bottem lip a little and looked back toward his safe spot under the tree roots, something clearly trying his mind. Finaly after a few seconds he looked back to the fox, the weekened smile acompanyed by his usual gloom ".. I-I am kinda hungry... think I missed dinner. Can't remember too well."

Rico looked more compassionate than usual, then nodded, "If I had any food it'd be yours. Unfortunately I can just make sure you get home safe to get some. By the way..." He held out a paw, "Rico."

For a moment the kit looked at Rico's extended paw with some level of bemusment. Then something finaly clicked at the back of the child's mind, and with a blick of recognition, took the fox's hand "I'm Astral.. not sure who this is," the kit said, indicating the kitten "but he seems nice enough."

Craig gave a smile and a small wave of the paw at the old fox. This was certainly becoming quite the little gathering...

Rico nodded at the kitten, "You're welcome to come along too. Rather not have ya roaming around alone out here, could be..." He stopped, looking almost lost. He didn't know when this was. Luke was still here so not too much time had passed, but he had not clue what was roaming the woods. "...well, shouldn't out here by yerself anyway. You hungry too?"

Daryk narrowed his eyes. His keen sight telling him when to act. When that moment came he threw his paw up and caught the dagger by the hilt. He looked it over carefully before looking back at Riku. "such an attitude you have toward me... didn't your mommy ever teach you not to play with sharp pointy objects? You could really poke someones eye out with this thing. I think i'll hang onto it for you..."

---------------------------------

"You can call me Stash..." he said while crossing his arms trying to look tough and dangerous.

"You can call me Stash..." he said while crossing his arms trying to look tough and dangerous.

Lucas smirked at him, "Alright Stash, lets go back with the group - were going to go to a town where you can be safe from the unknown." Lucas said.

Riku shrugged it off. "Whatever," She said, more eager to separate from the furries and head for the city but she didn't have her weapons or a ride. "Is there any Overlander settlement nearby that I could walk to?"

James shrugged and gestured towards the helmet in the human's hand. Normally, he'd be very suspicious of a human wandering the Great Forest, but he had greater concerns at the moment. Besides, ever since Robotnik showed up, Mobians and Overlanders had a greater enemy than themselves. Fighting amongst themselves would do noone good.

"You can borrow my bike. I can't exactly ride it while carrying her, anyway.", the fox said, nodding his head towards Breech, "Just bring it back in one piece. Tails will kill me if I lose this one... Anyway, I've got to get back to Knothole. Anyone who wants to join us is welcome to do so."

"But I gotta find my mom... She's out there somewhere and I gotta find er." he said losing his tough look and his eyes unvoleneeringly started to water.

"Kid, you should at least go to the village and rest and eat before you go out searching for her. Besides, whose to say those robots aren't still out there. And they ain't the type for a kid your age to mess with. You'd be in Robotropolis and in the roboticizer before you could blink. You should let them tag along with you... at least."

His ears perked, Rico's eyes shifted off the two cubs and he stood up quickly. The suddenly movement almost did in his weakened muscles but the mention of Them put him on end. "Did you say robots?" Part of him had honestly hoped the war would be over when he returned, that the metal monsters would be gone.

"Yes I did say robots..." the wolf replied. "They still come around the forest from time to time. It would be nice if they didn't come around no more. It's nice that they don't come this far into the forest."

"Robots?" Riku asked. She hated robots a lot even though many Overlanders had almost a fetish about them. She folded her arms. "So how often do they come around here?" She asked.

Rico let out a low growl before forcing his emotions back down, "Luke, you didn't tell me the war was still going. Lets get outta here, I'm in condition to fight off some of fatso's tincans." He gritted his teeth, a sharp contrast to the laid back fox he'd been not a few minutes ago.

"The war's never over," said a sleepy Breech, "Even when Lardnik dies his dumb robots will keep going just to spite us all..."

"Dosen't meen that things would be any better, even if the 'war' was over there'd always be something worce to take it place." The cub muttered, his usual gloom reterning as his panic failed and he became calmer "just the way things are..." he sighed lightly, looking back to 'his spot' again, thinking. After a moment, he spoke again, still not looking back to the group "So, are we going back now? Caus I think I'm gona set off anyway.."

Rico gritted his teeth till he was calm again, "Yeah, just wait a sec, no use running off alone." He looked over at Lucas, "Hey Luke, grab the other kid and lets head out. No point staying here."

Craigs left ear twitched when Breach spoke up, before turning around to face her. He then looked at astral when he spoke up too, before turning his gaze back to the older cat. <Wow, you two a quite the optimists> he retorted a bit sarcastic, using sign. Which by the way is pretty difficult to convey through sign language.

James didn't understand the signing, but he caught the emotions in it.

"Heh, yeah, I know. She's just like that...", he said with a smile, "But we can worry about the war some other time. I really need to get these two to the hospital."

He wasn't going to wait any longer. He had to go, and so he did, walking towards Knothole.

"Bring that bike back in one piece.", he said over his shoulder to Riku.

"Yes we should get to the knothole village... A bit of rest and some food would suffice since most of us have been traveling around for a long while." Daryk stated.

The cub didn't want to but the promise of food and a nice soft bed sounded very nice. But he wanted to find his mom.

Luke nodded as he turned to the cub that had wanted to find his mother. "Perhaps she may, just may be in Knothole." he said. Though the assurement was not a promise it was more of hope. The red fox turned to Rico. "Knothole...god it's been almost what... three years since I've been and gone in that town?"

"Its more of a city now." Daryk stated.

Lucas nodded as he spoke. "Lets go."

Rico narrowed his eyes, darting a quick glare at James and muttering, "Part of me doesn't want to go back."

James' ears twitched, and the fox paused. He looked over his shoulder to Rico.

"But another part of you does. I know that Tails has missed you. ...Personally, I think you need to find a lifestyle that doesn't involve continuously venturing into Hell. It doesn't help you or your friends, and it can't be good for your head. ...But that's just me."

He shrugged and continued on his way.

"I trust you'll make a good choice."

"Theres no way around it. If I don't become stronger I can't protect people. If I don't become stronger I can't stay here. Theres no room for freeloaders." Rico said plainly, the last line almost sounding like a quote.

The maned wolf stepped forward. "well then lets just go then. I'm not liking all this standing around." he said while combing his claws though his black mane.

The although reluctant the cub finally gave in and took the older foxes offer. "Okay I'll go... But if momma's not there I'm going to keep looking for her."

Rico shook his head as if clearing it. Then looked back at the cub as he sped up to keep up with the rest of the group, "If she ain't there, I'll be the first to volunteer to help you look for her."

Breech heard this, and blinked, "Thought you didn't like Freeloaders," she said dryly.

She was busy trying to remember what she'd noticed about Rico last time they'd met - when they hadn't been shouting at each other - but her head felt as if it was filled with fog.

"It is the strong's duty to protect the weak. It's not me that 'hates' freeloaders." He looked wary of saying too much and quickly and vaguely ended his comment, "It's someone with more power than me."

He'd gone from laid back to overly serious suddenly. As if the fact that he was back in his own timeframe on mobius had somehow made him angry. It was like he'd had wanted or expected everyone he knew to be gone, or dead.

The kit plodded along side the group, blending with the scenery in the same way a drop of water would in the ocian. Whenever his eyes were not focusing on mildly fasinating objects around him, they were fixated with the floor, his entire demeana screaming in loud protest of being around people in much the same way a child is afraid of thunder, the fact being that it was just there, something that happened with no way to escape it, for it was simply'there', an unavoidable but unwanted coinsudence. 'The only thing any of us can do is ride with the storm.' to quoth the grate poets, and yet, though the child was clearly afraid and depressed, there was somthing elce that stired that small well of curiosity in the dark corner of the psichy. For some one so small, so frail and insignificant, his 'presence' sent chills though anyone who looked at him for too long. His mussles were thread bair and he was clearly a total coward. And yet, looking into those dead, inocentless eyes one could not help but feel that spark of fear make its pressonce known, the flere that would send even a grown man to flight if kindled in the corect fassion, for even the strongest and bravest of souls fears death.... that was what lay beyond those eyes, Death himself. It was hard to put it anyother way. Like an intangable proposition of mind that became itself for only a fleeting moment, but always would escape you before it could be fraimed with words. It was odd, even the gratest of wariers didn't get that look, that instanly boan chilling gance untill they had experanced much in the ways of death. His depressive mood din't help ease any tention either, if not feeding the parranoya that was driving the group to suspect the worst of their compainions. Yet, even though he was certiantly there, if it weren't for the ocational glance it would seem that he had blended with the scene, faiding from mind and thought as quickly as a gesture of the hand might. For this reason, no one actualy intentualy looked at the child, instead he merely happend to be where they were looking at the time. Yet the boy showed nothing in a way toward bettering his social situation, content just to have escort back home, where he would have the time to be alone once again, left with his thoughts and thankful that he'd left the group behind.

Had the fox had a real third eye, he would have had one on each of the cub's in the group. Not to mention a 4th on Lucas, dispite his vastly increased power.

Warden had a curse, that curse was other people's salvation. Paraphrasing Kenji, he said a Warden will always ignore himself if it means saving someone that couldn't save themselves. This is exactly why he also said Warden should not allow people to care about them. The life of a true Warden, according to the Second Kenji, was always near death. It was always close and looming overhead, a sharp contrast to the public opinion of the ageless Kydane warriors they saw the Warden as.

Rico was no exception, although he'd cast off and ignored all of his teachings for many years. Those same years and caught up with him and made him realize the truth in those words. If the depressed cub behind him was to suddenly run towards a cliff and jump off, he'd do the same and use himself to cushion the fall. He'd be dead. What would the people he'd let get close to him do then? All that pain would be his fault, because he knew that one day a simple misjudgement by another could mean his death.

It wasn't fair, but it was the way he was born. Every Warden has a type of person that they are meant to protect. That Warden knows on sight if someone is their charge or not. Unfortunately for Rico, several of his charges started to care about him.

The fox walked quietly for once, glancing randomly between the cubs. He knew any of them could mean his death at any time, but still he held nothing but empathy and defensiveness for them, strangers or otherwise.

Craig was glad when the group started moving, though in the short moment of just standing around, it was very awkward for the kitten to be there. Never before had he met so many new faces in such a short period of time. None the less however, he was determined to try and make the best out of the situation and see the experience as making new friends. Living here alone in the forest didnt leave much in the way of socializing, and this would most certainly be an interesting experience for the young feline.

Craig trailed behind Breach and James, who for the most part seemed to be leading the way. Craig himself was just off to the side of the worn out fox, Rico. The kitten found him to be a bit odd, excluding his unusual height. More then likely the most interesting of the bunch, but something about him seemed to make the fur on his tail to just stand on end. His over all look seemed to suggest he had the entire weight of the world on his shoulders as well. Despite the over all uneasiness he picked up from Rico, Craig for the most part could tell he was overly protective of the kids in the group. The occasional glances were a dead give away.

Of course it could hold an entirely different meaning for some one so old to take such interest in the minors around him

Stash looked around as they walked hoping perhaps that he would catch a glimpse of his mother along the way and have a happy reunion. But nowhere he looked was she there. For the whole trip he was silent. He didn't really have anything to say to any of these people.

Daryk made sure that he looked at everything memorizing every tree and shurb along the way. So that if he had to leave he could find his way back.

Astral walked at his contiued pace along side the group, still seeming to be moaping and yet passing suspissius gances at all the strangers that walked around him. As they approached the outer edges of Knothole, he stopped and looked around to the others.
"We're here...You'd better tell sally that your here..." His dead eyes settled on the human, all sign of fear leaving them as he razed an acusing finger as if it were the hand of fate "But she can't come in..."

"Yes, she can.", James said simply as he walked into the village. "She is our guest, and she will be treated as our guest. As is young Stash; he can stay while he searches for his mother. You don't like it...take it up with Sally."

The fox didn't know what had gotten into Astral to make him so...well, so rude. Human or not, she still had the right to enter the village. She was not their enemy. Despite what many bigoted Mobians thought, not all humans were wicked.

Rico said nothing, something James found odd considering last he knew him the fox hated Overlander, Human, and Robot alike. And he also stayed by the entrance instead of running to find Tails like he always did. Something strange was obviously going on with the alien.

'If they let me in...' Breech said.

'Why the hell were you giving birth in the forest anyway?' James asked her.

'I don't trust doctors,' Breech said simply, 'Or nurses.'

The child's eyes settled on James, their surface becoming clouded for a moment and a slight gleem running accross their surface. The guard lifted a scolding finger, glearing at the kit in a way that firmly said 'Don't you dere' and the kit promptly looked away with out objection. Though continuing his fassination with the floor, Astral had developed a meyander to his stride as a way of protest, as if sugesting that he could run off if he wanted too and the only reason he didn't was because he wanted to rub it in a little longer.

The group emerged though the treeline and into the clearing that was Knothole, the trees kept just sparce enough so that the canopy was mentaind, keeping the town safe from prying eyes.

Knothole just ahead... and there had to be a few guards positioned around to keep out unwanted guests. Daryk kept his eyes open. He hated to be taken by surprise. His ears moved around trying to pick up any sounds from the trees.

Serori, is this still alive.. I think the only thing proventing it from moving is that last post of your's. You are the GM, and thus it is up to you to dictate our arrival in Knothole, the reactions of your charactors and NPC's in the general vecinity. Only then can we move on. Simply posting that your wolf charactor is on his toes is what the RP'res should be wrighting, as they aren't ment to push the plot through specific bounderarys. This is one of those bounderies and the only one who can safly make a bridge across it is you. I know you're busissy with personal matters, but I also know you don't want this to peter out like Endagered did, I'm just trying to help...

Yes i know i have been pretty busy with personal matters and i have been ignoring a lot of things that i was so dedicated to before. i will try to get back to rping again starting now

IC:

It seemed that the wolf was right in his assumption, for no sooner had he thought it had something moved and told them all to halt. The black cat wearing a brown berret and a vest, with a red bandana around her neck. White face, belly fur and tip of her tail. "hold it..."

OoC:
Serori, are you deliberately trying to kill your own RP?

It's just that you've shoved this new character into the mix and who the hell is she? What's she want? What are we supposed to do?

ooc: I belive it is the guards she talked about in the last post, asking us to stop.. not like astral will pay them any attention, he has a heathy dislike of authriory.

OOC: @.@ omg i can't believe you don't know that she's an NPC, Hershey hello! what other black and white feline wears a berret and a red bandana around her neck. And you call yourself a sonic fan when you can't even recognize one of it's famous female chars. And for your information i was trying to think of something to get this rp moving.

OOC: Not every SOnic fan is also a Archie fan. XD

IC

Luke blinked as he looked around, "What's going on now?" he asked in a mutter.

OOC: True.

IC:

Hershey looked around at the group only recognizing a few of the people but not knowing who the rest were. She looked at James whom she had worked with once or twice on a mission to robotropolis. "Who're your friends?"

Lucas eyebrowed the cat. "Whats the problem here?" he asked in a irratable voice. "What, can we not come inside or something?" he asked in a low scowl.

Rico seemed to be ignoring them. After they had started talking the fox simply tried to walk right past Hershey.

"Oh, hello there, Hershey. I'll have to explain later...", James said, looking down at Breech and their daughter, "But don't worry. They're all with me."

He hoped Hershey wouldn't give them trouble. He needed to get Breech to bed so she could rest, he wanted to see Tails again, and he was ready to resign from the Guard.

Beyond the guard post, Astral stood stairing back at the others who had been held up by the feeline guard, the cub just continuing to walk as though he hadn't heard Hershey's order to stop. It wasn't that he did the oposite to what people told him, it was just that he did exactly as and how he pleased without even so much as paying the guards a second glance. It was a well known fact amoung the border patroles that there was little or no point in bothering to stop the kit as, no matter how higher rank the officer was, Astral would simply ignore their orders, as though he hadn't notised. Those that did stop him would simply get the silent treetment untill they let him pass. In fact the only people who had even a snowflake's chance in hell of getting the boy to do what he was told was Sally and a few select others to who the lad was close too, and even the groud-squirrel-leader of the freadom fighers was fighting a loosing battle when it came to his wandering off once or twice a month.
The cub turned around when he was about three or four meaters ahead of the group, looking back to observe as Jame bargined his way into the hidden town. He wasn't procicely sure why he'd stopped in the first place, just that something in his head had told him that he should wait for them, even though he could have carried on toward the palice... hmm, maybe it was that Sally wouldn't be so mad if there were so many other people there to distract her?