Redwall MUCK Forum

SCENE:
FV:Blacksmith Shop:Main Room
The blacksmith's shop is open-air, more of a covered porch than an actual room. It connects on one side to the small one room building where the smithy spends his off time. There is a back wall, where many completed weapons, tools, some armor, and basic things such as nails and hinges are displayed. There is a table up against the side wall that serves as a resting place for various hammers, tongs, and other metalworking tools. The dominant feature is, of course, the large forge in the center of the room, where the smithy makes all the things he sells. It is keep clean in any and all weather.
Exits: (Out), (B)ack (R)oom

CHARACTERS:  Ferro, a male monitor lizard.  Patch, a male rat.  Blisa, a female cat; Ferdinand, a male ferret; Clarissa, a female rat.

LOG:
Ferro is busy checking a couple things in his shop, making sure the forge is cleaned out, that sort of thing. Nearby by the wall, on a blanket is the badger cub who has decided today be great for practicing some crawling.

Patch peeks into the shop and wanders in. He frowns as he shrugs and then sees the cub, not anyone else as he wahts slowly over to it and kneels down "What this a little strip doing here?"

A hissing sound comes from the back room "SSSSSStand back from her...or feel pain." He is covered in some soot from cleaning the forge earlier, he also looks moody, and seeing it's Patch of all beasts doesn't help as he gets closer. In his paw is one of those things used to fan the forge fire with, a billows it's called, as he has yet to really relight the forge fire.

Blisa has decided to visit the Blacksmith. Having heard about a break-in and that Krisha is now in charge of a baby badger, she thought it might be good for her to check on the lizard. She arrives with Ferdinand and Clarissa in tow and takes in the situation in a glance. "Patch, what are you doing here?"

Patch backs up and trips over his own tail as he falls onto his bottom and yipes a little "I...I wasn't gonna do anything!" He quickly stands as he sees the chieftain "Just to see if no fur here would make me a dagger." He points to the badger "Isn't THAT just a wee bit out of place?!"

Ferro glares (at Patch) and picks up the badger cub looking very protective of it. The cub just coos a little and seems just fine with the monitor as she slaps at his arm a little.  "My name is Ferro....and sssssssshe is my granddaughter"

Blisa looks at the ceiling and sighs as she enters the shop.  Ferdinand and Clarissa follow, with the rat smiling and waving at the baby.  "Patch, please call him by his name.  And since his adopted daughter is a badger, I don't see an infant badger being in his care as out of place or strange.  Actually," the cat pauses, scratching an ear.  "I think she's probably safer here than anywhere else in Ferravale."  She smiles at the monitor, then turns her green-eyed gaze back to the rat.  "I heard you were doing some scouting on these possible slavers.  Did you discover anything useful?"  She didn't come here to interrogate the rat, but since he's here, why not?

Patch gulps a little "So...dagger?" He looks over at Blisa "Slavers?...Well thar was some issues close to the bridge, and the Black Gull but hey...some vermin are not like ones in Ferravale...heck some here are not what they seem and some just like to drink a lot and pass out."

Ferro snorts at the word slavers "If they come here.....they die" Its simple really. He will sit the badger cub back down on its blanket, not that it will stay. He looks at the rat  "What ssssssort of dagger and why?"

Clarissa kneels down beside the blanket, not trying touch the badger cub, just talking softly to her.  She'll make sure the baby doesn't get a hold of any of her knives.  Ferdinand just watches, ready to intervene of the Blacksmith thinks his granddaughter is in danger.  Blisa's upper eyelids lower slightly.  She is not amused by the male rat.  "Vojin informed me on Thursday that he had asked you to check some things out.  What sort of issue happened by the bridge and in the Black Gull?  If it is a group of slavers, we need to have as much information as possible so we and Redwall can hopefully stop them."  Glancing at the lizard, she tells him, "And I imagine they would.  I pity whatever creature breaks into your shop or harms those you love.  I heard that happened the other day?"

Patch rolls his eyes "Self defense...duhhhhhh..." He is then smart and gets closer to the chieftain as he speaks to her. "The...oh the river yeah...some monitor in furs, had this tattoo on his upper arm, large tattoo also all fancy like . Other than that a cat and some weasels, not much at the Gull...well was this fox that when he took his shirt off to fight this other fox had the same sort of fancy tattoo on his upper arm....not odd, beasts have tattoos and beasts fight."   

Ferro looks ready to slap the rat. The cub however looks at the guards with Blisa and blinks slowly. She doesn't do much really but she tries, and fails, to make the same sounds as the words she hears and lets out a sort of giggle and moves a little only to roll onto her back and decide her paw is...so so interesting. Ferro looks over briefly at the cub, he trusts Blisa and her guards, the rat....well sorry not so much.

Clarissa sits down and watches the baby, a smile teasing the corners of her mouth. Ferdinand smiles, too, and goes to watch the door of the shop, just in case somebody decides to be stupid and try to attack the Chieftain while she's in here. Blisa cocks an eyebrow at the rat. "Tattoos? What did they look like?" And out comes her sketchbook and a charcoal pencil. Sitting on the floor, she opens to a blank page and waits expectantly for the rat to begin describing them.

Patch nods "Well the monitors was like...this large black rose with thorns and like green vines...thorns looked like long and most likely sharp , like fancy like vines, like see on a rose flower"

Ferro says, "They best stay away from here...trussssssst me"

Ferdinand smiles.  "Oh, don't worry, we don't doubt you.  Anybeatht that breakth in here ith obviouthly a complete idiot."  Blisa glances up at the male rat.  "And the others?"  She's busily drawing as he describes these things, and she only pauses when he does.

~*To be continued.....*~

SCENES:
Ferravale Tavern
Mossflower woods

LOG:
It's a fair early Spring day.  Breezy, sunny (with a few clouds drifting by), and pleasant.  Some of the early Spring flowers are just peeking their petals up through last year's dead leaves.  The only sign of last night's fearsome thunderstorm is the mud.
Which some beasts are carelessly tracking into Ferravale's tavern.
The tavern has a few beasts in it, but not nearly as many as there will be in a few hours when the lunch rush starts.  There is also a random drunkard who was hidden in the closest alley all night.  He is soaked to the skin, and looks positively miserable as he sips some soup.
One of the beasts tracking in mud is, surprisingly, DoraRose Strongheart, Gatekeeper of Redwall.  The tavern door slams open under her paw as she dashes in, looking anxiously around, axe in her grip.  Behind her, in a much more stately fashion, comes Chieftain Blisa and her bodyguards Ferdinand, Clarissa, and Valerie, who take the time to wipe the mud off their boots before entering.
The mouse Warrior continues to look around as she heads to the bar, ignoring the stares that she is getting.  "Marek?  Marek, are you here?"

Marek is busy cleaning dishes behind the counter while Patch is serving drinks, as soon as Dorarose comes rushing in, Marek stops his duties to turn around and face the mousemaid. "Ms. Dorarose? I didn't expect you back so soon. What are you doing so far from Redwall?"

Rushing up to the counter, DoraRose looks at him with panic showing in her face and her voice.  "It's Lily, she and the others who went to Willowbark got back yesterday and I told her about Leon and she ran away into the woods and I couldn't stop her and she's missing!"  Blisa and her retinue comes up, carefully not spreading the mud around more.  "DoraRose insisted that she had to see if you would help, even though I reminded her that you're a pacifist now."  The mouse is trembling slightly, but she's gripping her axe with both paws to try and hide that fact.

Marek takes a deep breath, and requests that Dorarose do the same. "Calm down, Ms. Dorarose. Panicking will solve nothing, I would like nothing more than to help you find Lilymoore. We shall have to bring someone along however as I no longer carry any of my weapons" he steps out from behind the counter. "But perhaps my tracking skills will be enough to find your daughter before it is too late"

Putting a shaking paw to her forehead, DoraRose nods.  Blisa pipes up.  "I could watch your tavern for you while you're gone, Marek, if you need that."  Ferdinand adds, "And I've already given Claritha leave to come with you in the thearch, tho that'th not a problem."  The former sea rat nods.  "Aye, if anybeast 'as hurt that little mouse--"  "If anybeast has hurt my daughter, I'll make sure they never live to see another sunset," Dora interrupts, anger causing her trembling paws to still.  "Thank you, Marek.  I....I don't think I could handle losing any more members of my family."  Valerie scoots forward a little.  "I'll come, too, just in case she needs a healer."

Marek nods as he grabs his pouch. "So it's settled then. Our group will venture into the nearby woods and look for Lilymoore. A child could not have gotten very far on foot by herself, so we should be able to find her quickly. Let us hope we don't run into any trouble along the way"

Nodding, Blisa takes a flowery yellow apron (that Valerie dug out of her bag), which contrasts immensely against the black she always wears, and steps behind the counter.  "Don't worry, I've got this!"  Ferdinand smiles and squeezes the mouse Warrior's shoulder, then joins the Chieftain behind the counter.  DoraRose manages a smile and leads the way to out the door and out the gates, the bodyguards following closely.  "I'll take you to where I lost her trail.  Lily can run very fast, faster than others her age.  I hope she's nearby..."

Marek follows rapidly behind, feeling that there is no time to waste. "Make sure that evertyhing runs smoothly, Ms. Blisa. Things to get a little...out of hand when I'm not around." Before officially departing he adds, "And keep a close eye on Patch, I trust that beast as far as I can throw him near my coffers"

After a little bit of time, the foursome arrives in the woodlands to the North of Redwall.  The path from here to the road was easy to see, what with the axe swings DoraRose did to the underbrush last night.  They get to where Xander had found the Warrior, and she looks around, biting her lip.  "It looks like all the footprints got washed away in the storm last night.  Maybe we should split up and meet back here in an hour?"  Valerie nods.  "That sounds like a good idea.  You and I can go North, and Clarissa and Marek can go East."  The sea rat looks at the stoat.  "I'd be okay with that.  What d'you think?"

Marek nods. "It seems like a good plan, but I suggest that I go with Ms. Dorarose. Lilymoore is more likely to approach us if we are together than if I were with somebeast else, and Ms. Dorarose is more than capable of defending both me and herself if the need arises"

Before DoraRose can say anything, Valerie shakes her head.  "She doesn't know me or Clarissa as well as she knows either of you.  I think having one of you with one of us would make us trustworthy to her again, while if it was just Clarissa and me, she'd be more likely to run away again, not realizing who we are."  The mouse just shrugs.  "I have no idea.  I don't even know why she ran away in the first place.  But either way, we must hurry.  There's been some trouble for travelers here recently, and I don't want to risk her getting kidnapped.  The last time that happened, Leon...Leon was....ended up...." she can't finish that sentence.  So Clarissa adds, "I can go with Valerie instead, shipmate.  I'm a good fighter in my own right, but whatever makes you feel safer."

Marek reluctantly agrees. "Of course, it would seem we would increase our chances if we took your suggestion. Let us venturing into this woods then and hope we find Lilymoore quickly"

The 3 females nod, then DoraRose and Valerie treck North.  Clarissa gestures East.  "After you, matey.  I'll have a knife drawn, just in case."  When he goes forward, she follows closely, a knife in each paw, one ready to throw, one ready to stab with.  After about 20 minutes of searching, they will stumble across fresh tracks.  They are headed in a Southeasterly direction, away from Redwall.  They are mouse footprints, and they are shoeless.  If they are Lily's, then that means she took her boots off at some point.

(To find out what happened to DoraRose and Valerie, check this log: http://forum.rwmuck.org/viewtopic.php?id=633 )

Marek looks down at the pawprints and sighs. "These seem to be a good match for Lilymoore, we should follow them and see what happens. But stay on guard, after the attempts on my own life these past few seasons and I can never be certain that trouble isn't lurking in the dark"

Clarissa nods.  "Oh, don't worry, matey.  I've been keeping my eyes peeled.  I expect danger to come out from anywhere.  It's been that way my whole life."  The way she says it indicates that she's not joking in the slightest.  Following the path of footprints for a while, they'll come upon the sound of someone weeping quietly.  It seems to be coming from underneath a huge pine tree....

Marek points in the general direction of the tree. "There! I don't know what to expect but the movement suggests that something is nearby"

Clarissa cautiously and for the most part silently sneaks up to the tree and peeks under it.  "Miss LilyMoore?"  "Ah!  Leave me alone!"  A significant amount of rustling can be heard, and the rat has to scramble back to keep from getting jabbed in the face by the end of a branch as they jostle.  The Lily darts out from under the tree and bolts away, running directly towards the stoat!

Marek is caught off guard as Lilymoore runs directly into him. "Calm down, child. You are safe here. Your mother is worried sick, you need to return to Redwall as soon as possible"

LilyMoore looks up into her friend's face and bursts out sobbing.  "Marek, Daddy died while I was at Willowbark Abbey!"  She then goes to cling to him, weeping uncontrollably.  Clarissa picks herself back up and brushes some of the mud off, then decides it's a hopeless endeavor.  "Landlubbers," she grumbles under her breath as she picks up the knife she dropped and polishes it on her tunic front.

Marek frowns as he hugs his young friend. "I know, child. It was a very sad loss, but your father fought bravely to defend those that mattered to him. Had he not, some of us might not be here today" he offers a handkerchief to Lilymoore has comfort. "Grief is something we must all go through, but it mustn't be something we run away from. We have to face our emotions and not let them consume. us. I made that mistake far too many times long ago when I lost those that mattered to me. My father, my mother, my brother, my mate" he pauses for a second, clearly pained. "Even my only child, all lost to some evil or another. But instead of processing my grief normally, I became a monster, and I killed and I conquered and I caused more pain than was ever given to me. Don't let that become you, child. Please return to your family."

LilyMoore accepts the handkerchief and blows her nose into it.  "Dad.....Daddy fought?"  She pauses for a while as more tears course down her cheeks, then she adds, "You had a baby?"  Clarissa is now feeling awkward, and so she busies herself with standing guard, silently vowing to not tell ANYBEAST what she just heard.

Marek nods. "Your father fought bravely child, against a raven that threatened us all, against overwhelming odds your father fought and won" he smiles through his own tears. "There is little I can do to change my past or get back those that I have lost, but your father was a hero, child. Never forget that, a hero's blood runs through your veins. A hero's might flows through your soul. A hero's heart pounds in your chest, and a hero's last breath was given for you and your mother, so you could live on. Your father is gone, but his memory, his everything lives on in you. My past is a difficult one, and one I prefer not to discuss, but your future can be much brighter if you follow your father's example: live your life to the fullest and in service of others. Follow that example and you will never fall down the dark path that I did; make your father proud, Lilymoore. Return to your family, and make your father proud"

LilyMoore sniffles, then nods.  Clarissa murmurs, "Aye, please lets' go, shipmates.  This part o' the woods is givin' me the willies.  I'll ne'er understand you landlubbers wantin' to live out 'ere in the woods -- I'm sure 'tis full o' ghosts."  The mousemaid smiles, then goes to take the stoat's paw as the rat leads them back to the rendezvous point.  When they reach it, they'll find DoraRose and Valerie waiting for them.  The Warrior scoops her daughter into her arms as tears flow down both of their cheeks, and she looks over the maiden's shoulder at the stoat and mouths 'Thank you'.  And the smile she gives him communicates that all is finally forgiven, and she now trusts him.  The 2 mice head back to the Abbey, and the sea rat and the vixen go to escort the stoat back to his tavern.  Clarissa in particular wants to get back home, and she regales them with stories of ghosts haunting the dark places of forests, ready to eat the souls of unwary travelers.

Marek clears his throat. "Well, if we are all ready to go home, I think that would be best. These woods are dangerous after all" As they all make their way back to the Dirt Road, Marek approaches Dorarose. "Your daughter is stronger than she realizes, Ms. Dorarose. She has you and your husband to thank for that. Among all the people I have met in my long life, your family are the strongest beasts I've met. Not in raw strength or power, but in heart and determination and soul. When I returned to Mossflower hoping to change my ways. your daughter did more to put me on the right path then any beast has in a very long time. It's true that Father Lorimis set me on the right path, but your daughter was the first real friend I made since I lost my family long ago. I want you to know, Ms. Dorarose that your daughter is responsible for every good deed, every life saved, and every scoundrel defeated since I returned. My heart was ready to change, but your family changed my spirit and for that I am eternally grateful"  He runs to catch up with the others as he returns to Ferravale and to his quiet life, serving those who step into the tavern, and making sure that Patch doesn't step too far out of line.

DoraRose listened to these words and pondered them, writing them in her journal later.

It's strange how once bitter enemies could become such reliable allies.

~*END*~

Thanks for reading

Listening suggestion: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bDxzxyti2I4