Sparky yelped, and nodded furiously. Hazel tried to hand him a butterfly sword.
"Come on, use it." Hazel tried to give it to him again, but each time he shook his head and said he didn't need it. "Fine, then be that way...not that I would trust you with a sword anyway. Last time that happened..."
"Okay, okay! I get it, Hazel! I didn't mean to hit you with the sharp end of the blade. Haven't I already told you that?" His reply was a sharp sigh, and he looked down at his feet.
"I don't suppose you could tell us how you recovered from the bonding sickness." Sparky felt anger and tension rise between them, but he did his best to not answer. "And while we are on the topic of lies, tricks, and all that, what did you steal?"
Sparky slammed his fist against a tree. "Food, and just a touch of money. Now focus." His claws were out, and he felt the same nervousness as always right before a squabble that involved weapons.

Brandon was climbing a tree, going to use a bow and some arrows Jackson had given him. He would have preferred his 'claws', but whatever he could do to help, he would do.

Ashia was ready with both her bow and normal fox tricks, "Ready Scarlet?'
Scarlet barks once rready for the action.
Justin gets ready to rush the Conquerors.
"I'm sure Sparky wouldn't mind working off what he stole," Ashia sugegsted to Jackson and Sparky.

The Conquoeres were steadily approaching the group. Their black armor glinted in the sunlight. Blades, some spirit animals, and flags preparring for conquest.

Ashia and Justin both rushed the Conquerors their blades gleaming in the light. Ashia teleported in and out of the battlefield many times keeping the Conquerors at bay.

Sparky twitched involuntarily as he found a person he had used to call friend in the group. "About how many?" He wondered to himself, still positioned by the tree, unable to move for about a minute.

Hazel raced forward, fighting the few that challenged her. Drummer flew above the Conquerors, dropping down on a few unsuspecting ones, and clawing at their eyes. A slice to the wing disarmed him for the battle. Hazel renewed her efforts.

Brandon shot a few arrows, but the arrows nearly always missed their mark. He handed the bow to Jackson, and slunk forward, somehow ending up in the middle of the group, cause chaos there, and then jumping to a new area.

Jackson was now shooting arrows with profound accuracy. Barnabus was watching with wide eyes, cowering at the edge of the forest lined trail.

Ashia marveled at Jackson's skill, "Maybe you and I could have an arhcery contest later."

Justin sliced at the enemy while Shield kicked and bit.
Scarlet nodded once and Ashia did her power move knocking out half of the remaining enemy. Once the few seconds of the power move was over she fought using what weapons she could find.

After a while the Conquerors had been defeated.

"Now on the matter of the thief," Ashia spoke, "Jackson could Sparky work off what he stole?"
"Is anyone hurt," Justin asked.

Jackson nodded, absentminded. "Sure." You could almost see the wheels turning as he thought.

Sparky raised his hand/paw/whatever.

Hazel had Drummer on her shoulder. "Drummer is hurt."

Brandon shook his head and petted Matamba, who was pretending not to like it but was purely enjoying it.

"Let me see what I can do to help," Ashia got out a small bag of herbs and bandages.
Justin's stomach growled, "Can we please go get some food?"

Jackson shook his head. "Not if that half dead rat comes." He pointed to Sparky.

"I'm not half dead...maybe. But I'm definitely not a rat." Sparky pressed the back of his forearm to stop it from bleeding, and looked annoyed at the bear and his bonded human. "Also, I think there is one surviving enemy around here...just saying that because I couldn't exactly bring myself to attack him that hard. So he hit me and ran off." He lowered his gaze a tiny bit.

Hazel glared at Sparky. "Thanks Ashia."

Brandon nodded, "Food...yes, please."

Ashia gently treated the bird.

"Can we all just calm down then and have Sparky work it off," Justin bandaged Sparky, "look as much as we don't want to admitt it we all have a lot to loose right now."

"Right and besides if Sparky can't come then I'll just get this group moving again or we could make a wager. If I win the archery competition you fogive Sparky and have him work for the day to pay it off and we get food and traveling supplies ir you win we will work for you for a week. Sound good," Ashia asked.

Sparky flinched when Justin came close, but let him help. "It was only..." Jackson interrupted him.
"A hundred dollars. But, yeah. Sure. You can try." Jackson had accepted the challenge, and couldn't back down. Barnabus whined as a bear can, and put a paw on the man's leg. "I think we agree no animals." With a flash, Barnabus disappeared.

Brandon shifted, embarrassed that he still couldn't do that yet.

"Thanks again," Hazel gave Sparky a long hard stare. "Can I count out on this bet?" Jackson hesitated, and then reasoned with himself that if he lost, that would be one less person to hand money to.

"And you," he pointed to Hazel, "Can always opt out, just never can come back into the bet." He smiled wolfishly. Brandon shifted again, and put a hand on Matamba to sorta steady himself.

(Can Ashia please win since her main weapon is a bow?)

"Agreed," Ashia got Scarlet in passive state.

"Calm down Ashia won't loose," Justin spoke, "Jackson their is always another option of just admitting defeat."