Redwall MUCK Forum

SCENE: Redwall Abbey

CHARACTERS:  Both squirrels.
Benar, male.
Dochas (better known as Squirrelbabe), female.

LOG:
Squirrelbabe has been doing quite well avoiding the Abbot. DoraRose had told her to go talk to the Abbot after her fight with Tanya. Krisha had told her to go talk to him after she sassed the Badger Mother. Both times, the DAB Ringleader had pretended to, then hid for a few hours until she hoped they were convinced she had done as she had been told. The devious little squirrel (who still hasn't told anyone that her name is Dochas) is now playing in Great Hall in front of Martin's tapestry. A kindly hedgehog Brother had given her a box of carved wooden soldiers when she and the others had safely returned from their enslavement. She carries it with her wherever she goes, in a drawstring bag over her shoulder. There's else in there, but no one knows what it is. The Dibbun only has 2 figurines out, appearing to be recreating the story of Martin defeating Tsarmina.

Sadly for Squirrelbabe both Dora and Krisha have let him know he was to expect her and then she didn't show up. Twice now.... so he is on the look out for her. He spots her as he is descending the stairs toward the great hall and pauses, considering the small squirrel. If he walks across the hall she'll see him and flee so the abbot turns and walks back up the stairs, leaving her alone to play for now. There are other routes into the great hall, ones that will leave him much closer to her. Unless she looks up she'd not notice the Abbot hop over the railing on an upper gallery and climb around the outside of the hall. He'd move to position himself above the small squirrel and the tapestry, he may be into his late middle years but he can still climb. Benar would then aim to lightly drop down, swing off the tapestry and land behind her, sandals clacking to the flagstone as he drops, aiming to reach down and take hold of her hand all in the motion of landing.

Squirrelbabe doesn't look up. Why should she? She's just a Dibbun, not well versed in the ways of war and sneak attacks, so it doesn't dawn on her that she should. Plus, children often aren't as aware of their surroundings as they sometimes should be. The swoosh of him coming down the tapestry alerts her, but before she can react he's there, trying to grab her paw. Squeaking with alarm, Dochas jerks away, then she hides her fear with grumpiness. Sticking her figures into their box and shoving the whole thing back into her bag, she stands, shouldering the sack by its drawstring. "'Tisn't nice t'sneakie up on beasties like dat! You wude!"

Benar leans down and clamps a hand on her shoulder, not letting her pull away. "I am the abbot, I'm allowed, what is rude is fighting with Tanya then ignoring instructions to come see me. Then again not doing as you are told after Mother Krisha sent you to me." He shakes his head, "So I am afraid young lady, my sneaking up on you is justified since you'd have just tried to hide again and been rude once more. You and I are going to talk young lady."

Dochas gulps, but crosses her arms defiantly. She does not, however, try to pull away...yet. "Tanya say Ciana no belong 'cause it hew daddy's fault we gotted taken by da slavews. I bited hew 'cause she a meanie face an' would't say sowwy." She scowls. "An' I no hidin' wight now, I jus' sittin' hewe playin'. I likes t'be's alone."

Benar holds back a sigh and shakes his head, "If Tanya says things like that, your duty as a good squirrel is to inform mother Krisha, not bite her." He turns and starts toward the stairs, "Come along little one, you and I are long over due a long chat. I heard about how brave you where when the evil vermin had you all. Helping look after everyone. But it seems we need to have a chat."

Dochas scowls darkly and walks along beside the Abbot, pretending to cooperate. But right before they reach the door to the stairs, the Dibbun does a sudden twist, then falls to the ground and hops up in a series of swift moves, trying to get away. She continues to buck and wiggle until either they get to their destination or she breaks free.

Benar almost loses her when she twists like that but rather then give her leverage he just lifts her up off the ground and carries her in both arms. Sure she wriggles, but well he is a squirrel, he knows the tricks of the trade from the squirrel tail brush attack to the wriggling, unjointed, climbers limbs. He keeps plodding along toward his office. "Now young lady, do please stop this, we are going to have a chat you and I."

Squirrelbabe is not amused! She suddenly goes limp, doing that thing cats and small children excel at: increasing their mass by at least twofold when they don't want to cooperate. Her head lolls around as she tries to figure out the best way to escape. Her bag bounces against the adult squirrel. She hopes it jabs him with the corners of the box.

Benar ignores the limp squirrel, she is still easily movable at this size, so he heads on up to his office and pushes the door shut behind him with one foot. The windows are shut, the door is now shut and the fire is crackling away in the hearth. With a hum he drops the squirrel into one of the armchairs before the fireplace then turns back to lock the door and removes the key. "So young lady, now you are here are you going to talk to me?"

Well, crap. There go all her avenues of escape. Time for Dochas to think of something else. She flops in the armchair, then scoots around and crosses her arms, fuming and glaring at the fire. She says absolutely nothing, although a tiny growl can be heard emanating from her. It fades into silence, and she just sits there, being grumpy.

Benar considers the grumpy squirrel then reaches over to pick up her box of toys, "Well then as you don't wish to talk to me I guess I will just have to hand out a punishment. For fighting with Tanya, biting her and then being rude to the Badger Mother." He would then sit back in his chair, "I think confiscating your toys should be punishment enough, unless of course you want to talk to me?"

First, the bag is looped over her shoulder and she has her arms crossed, so that's not working very well. Secondly, the second he touches her bag, Dochas freaks out. There's some anger in her reaction, but most of it is blatant terror as she clutches at the loop that is wrapped over her shoulder. "NONONONO, YOU NO TAKE MY STUFF!!! DAT MAMMY'S, LEGGO!!!" This is the first time since they returned from being kidnapped that she's mentioned her mother, and the first time anyone other than Leigh and the other Dibbuns have heard her mention her mother since she got to the Abbey and told everyone that her parents and grandparents had been killed by foxes. This has dissolved into a tug of war between the Abbot and the DABer, and the Dibbun is terrified.

Benar doesn't pull once she flips out like that, he just gently holds the bag and looks at her over his glasses, "Well nowthat is more information then you have ever given me before young lady," he says softly, "I will not take your bag," he lets go of it, "Though by rights I should confiscate it as punishment for you biting Tanya." He moves back to his chair to give her space, "However if you will sit and talk to me, about your mother, about why you are so... rude to everyone then maybe we can start to understand each other?"

Dochas clutches her bag close to her chest, curling up in a ball and hiding behind her tail. She's breathing way too fast, on the verge of a full-out panic attack. "Nononononono....no talk 'bout Mammy or Daddy or anybeastie....foxies bad beasties...make blood go evewywhewe...." suddenly she darts over the side of the chair and wriggles under it, trying to hide. Silent tears trickle out of her eyes as she curls up again, trying to become invisible and unable to be noticed.

The Abbot sighs, he has seen this all too often but he doesn't try to pick her up or touch her, he does move to sit on the floor at the base of her chair so he can be closer. "I am sorry the foxies did such bad things little one, but you are safe here in Redwall Abbey, you are loved and surrounded by beasts who would like to be your friends. You do not have to be scared of that any more." He tilts his head, "Would it help, if we said goodbye to Mummy and Daddy? We could hold a memorial for them, just you and me so you can say goodbye to them and let them know you are ok. They can hear us you know, when we are in the special places that connect us to the Dark forest."

Dochas stays stiffened and curled up under the chair, trying to not relive the memories of that day. An ear flicks towards the Abbot, but she doesn't move or react otherwise. After quite a number of minutes, she finally says something, so quietly it's almost impossible to hear. "Mawtin an' Twiss say Mammy an' Daddy an' Gammy an' Gampy pwoud o' be twyin' t' be bwave to da slavews." She doesn't do anything other than say that, still just curled up in a little ball, her face hidden by her floofy tail.

Benar nods his head, "Martin and Triss are very wise warriors, they used to be abbey champions long ago you see. If they say everyone is proud of you then know they are." The Abbot leans down so he can see between the chair and the wall, "I am proud of you too, you helped make sure everyone was safe and could come home little one. Everyone is very proud of you, but... you cannot hide from what happened. You have to face that dark day and then move on and we will all be here with you to help."

Squirrelbabe twitches, then starts to cry. Another thing she's never done in front of anyone at the Abbey before. She doesn't move or say anything. She just cries, hugging her bag of treasures close.

Benar pushes the chair back out of the way with one foot to make some space and then just opens his arms to her, not saying anything, just offering.

Dochas jumps when the chair moves and she looks fearfully at the Abbot. Her fear diminishes slightly when she realizes he's offering her a hug. After a moment's hesitation, though, she just curls back up again, staying where she is. There have been a few miracles this afternoon. Allowing an adult other than Leigh to hug her appears to not be one of them.

Benar respects her need for space and lets her cry softly, he does settle down next to her however and smiles, "You are safe here little one. And you need not be alone either, you can find lots of friend shere in the abbey, and a home and even a family." He leans back, "I was alone like you when I was little, but I found a new family here in Redwall. So you do not need to be alone or deal with all of this by yourself."

Dochas cries for a long time. Finally it peters out, but she still doesn't move. "You was 'lone, too??" She whispers.

Benar leans over and pulls a jug of juice and two cups off a table, he pours her a cup and sets it down then one for himself. "Yes, my mother went out one day and did not come back, then dad went to look for her and also never returned." He sipped his drink, "I was alone, from then on, in the far north where the snow is thick and cold.... I found two friendly squirrels who took me in. But then I was also kidnapped by slavers," he pushes back one sleeve, showing the red-metal bracelets he wears on both wrists. "This used to be my collar, mum and dad when they rescued me had it turned into bracelets so I would always remember and it would make me stronger."

Dochas sniffles and slowly sits up, hugging her bag close with suspicious caution and clingyness. She takes the cup and drinks the juice, surprisingly thirsty after crying so much. She watches and listens, then her crankiness returns just a little. "Mammy an' Daddy no' comin' back fow me. I sawed." She fully understands death. Sad for someone so young to do so.

Benar nods, "This... was a different mom and dad who came back for me," he says softly, "Amarro adopted me, made me her son," he smiles and offers her some more juice. "Ma and Pa where gone, they could not come back for me... but I found a new family and you can do so too or live here in the abbey and all of us will be your family."

Dochas accepts more juice. She looks at him, confused and suspicious. "'Dopted? Dat mean dey no you fam'ly but wanna be?" She thinks, sipping her juice, then scowls. "I has no fam'ly. Nobeastie wanna be fam'ly. I gots none." The last sentence is more sad than anything else. It's hard to accept and hope for good things when life has been as bad as it has been for Squirrelbabe.

Benar nods his head as she stats that about family, "Now that is not true little one, I want to be your family, I am Father Abbot, I am family to everyone here but I can be family to you too." He stands up and goes to a shelf and comes back with a frame, inside is a monitor lizard and a mouse and a young hare, "All of these are my children, that is Zarok and Albert and Yarsi, I adopted each and every one of them and raised them as my own."

Dochas scowls and drinks the rest of her juice. But when he comes back with proof, she softens a little, even clinging to her bag a little less tightly. "You 'dopted 'em? Dey not squiggles," she mutters under her breath.

Benar says, "No they are not squiggles... I mean Squirrels," he smiles down at her, "But I love each and everyone of them as my children. Like I love all the people who live here in the abbey with us."

Dochas' tail twitches as this foreign concept starts working its way into her heart and mind. "....you like me? You no hate me?" She tries to touch the picture, looking at the 3 creatures Benar raised as his children.

Benar lets her take the picture, "Why would I hate you? I was upset when I heard you bit Tanya, we do not bite other people here in Redwall.... unless you REALLY have too..." His ears flick, clearly remembering when he bit the skipper of otters when he was a dibbun... he got such a telling off for that one! "I am proud to have you living here, though I do wish I knew your name, I can't just call you squirrelbabe..."

Dochas sits looking at the picture. It'd probably be best for her to not be told about all the times Benar was a miscreant -- she may use that as an excuse to get up to mischief. She stiffens, though, when he mentions her real name. She gives him back the picture, scowling darkly, some of her emotional walls going back up. "But I is a squiwwelbabe."

"Yes, you are a squirrebabe my dear, but you must have a name? Like I am Benar or Krisha is well Krisha? Do you not remember your name? If you like... we could pick a name for yourself." He puts the picture fondly back on a table and pours more juice, "Everyone deserves a name, especially if they are the leader inside the DAB fort."

Dochas leaps to her feet, her anger rising up again. "I ALWEADY HAS A NAME!! You no getta takes it 'way fwom me!! I no want a new name!! Mammy an' Daddy gave me a name, I no want youws!!" She hugs her bag again, but her belligerence hides any fear she may have for the moment.

Benar looks surprised at her reaction, "Little one, no one will take your name away from you. If you already have a name that Mammy and Daddy gave you, then you should keep that name to yourself." He pours her more juice, "No one will take your name away, and I won't force you to have a new one silly. I would just like to know what to call you. But for now you can relax little one, just no more biting Tanya ok? If she is mean to anyone again you let Mama Krisha know."

Dochas scowls and crosses her arms. "You can calls me Squiwwelbabe. Dat's whot I is." She flops down to sit on the floor again and accepts more juice, watching the Abbot with some suspicion. "But gwown ups do nuffink. Just talks an' makes us do /chowes/. Dat no change a meanie face like Tanya."

"It will Squirrelbabe, set her enough chores and enough jobs and tasks and she will soon find herself have to change or always end up doing chores with no playing. Or we will take her toys away and she will have to do extra reading instead of playing." He leans back, "We are quite experienced at looking after all you little ones, my job is to run the whole abbey and that is to make sure everyone is welcome and looked after and that we grow enough food for everyone."

"Humph." Squirrelbabe does not look convinced. But she sips at her juice and doesn't argue...for now. "So why's you wowwyin' 'bout likkle Dibbuns an' 'doptin' beasties when you's gotsa huuuuuuge Abbey to wun?"

Benar says, "Because I am still a person, running the abbey is my job, it is a labour of love, but it is my job. My family means more to me then just my job however. Helping to raise children and show you all what the world can hold for you is important to me."

Dochas doesn't understand some of that, so she just focuses on what does make sense. "What'sa wowld got ovvew dan foxies killin' beasties an' takin' 'em as slaves?" Because of course foxes were responsible for both of the worst experiences of her life. Of course.

Benar says, "It has the Abbey, it has Mother Krisha, me, your friends in the DAB, it has champion Matilda who made sure those foxies can never hurt you again. It has spring and autumn," he pours her more juice, "Fruit juice and fresh bread and a warm place to live, the world has more then just bad foxies."

Dochas looks a bit unconvinced, but she doesn't argue the matter. She just sips her juice. "You fowgotted DwowaWose an' Lily." She finishes her juice, then frowns. "I gotsa go potty." Well, maybe if she hadn't drunk 4 or 5 cups of juice so fast, this wouldn't be an issue.

Benar stands up, "There are a lot of people I have not mentioned, but Dora and Lily are important too, but ok, you can go for now Squirrelbabe, we will talk more another day. But no more biting people promise?"

Squirrelbabe gives him a mischeivious look as he opens the door. "On'y if dey no make my fwiends cwy." Then she darts away to the closest potty.

~*END*~

Thanks for reading!