Redwall MUCK Forum

SCENE:  On a boat somewhere on the River Moss....

CHARACTERS:  LilyMoore, a female mouse.  Xander, a male badger.

LOG:
Xander had been up early and even ate breakfast before the others as he now stood on the deck and watched trees go by. The trip had been good so far and to this he was glad as he wanted to get home soon.

LilyMoore comes around from the other side of the bell, admiring it.  She pulls out a handkercheif from her tunic pocket, breathes on the bell, and polishes the spot, smiling.

Xander looks over and is quiet before he speaks "I wonder what they will think of the bell, think they will like it?"

LilyMoore jumps slightly, but then smiles and nods.  "Oh, yes, I think they will.  I'm positive Blisa will like it."  She raps it gently with her knuckles, grinning at its sound.  "I bet it'll be really pretty when they ring it the first time."

Xander nods "Its not as big as the ones at Redwall but that's ok."  He manages a small chuckle  "Guess Blisa will need a bell ringer now or well once that Bell Tower is done"

LilyMoore nods. "Yeah, the Bellringer wouldn't build up their muscles as much as the Abbey Bellringer does." She flexes her arm muscles, which she has carefully kept exercised during the trip to make sure she would still be in shape to ring the bells when they got back home. She then stuffs her hankie back into her pocket and walks over to the badger's side. "Hey, are you okay?" She asks, looking up into his face with concern.

Xander tries to not frown, but he does "I...could be better. Guess just concerned for Krisha...I feel like jumping off the boat and getting to Ferravale or the abbey ahead of everybeast but that wouldn't be right. I made a promise to get everyone back safe and sound...yes a couple stayed but they are safe"

LilyMoore nods and watches the trees on the bank go by. "I understand. I wish I could help." She looks down at the water as it ripples by, lost for anything helpful to say.   

Xander says, "I plan to check with Ferro...after I get beasts back to the abbey."

LilyMoore nods again.  "Yeah, and I'm sure Nana and Dad checked on her when she arrived at the Abbey.  I'm sure she's just fine.  Maybe you guys can talk when you find her, too."  Little does she know what all is awaiting them when they arrive at the Abbey in a week....

Xander nods as he smiles "Yeah, they would make sure she was ok and if she was hurt tend to that and anything else needed"

"Oh yes, she's in good paws," Lily declares decisively, putting a paw over her heart.  "They shall not rest until their patients are well, even if they must pluck them from the claws of Death itself!"  She grins up at the badger.  "Krisha couldn't be sick if she tried around them, am I right?"

Xander chuckles "She is fine...and beasts will be glad to see us, it will be a good day"

LilyMoore smiles.  She succeeded in cheering up the badger.  Victory!  "It'll be wonderful!  I've missed my family so much, and all my little bird friends.  It'll be great to see them all again, and to give them the gifts I got for them!"

~*Thanks for reading! *~

SCENE: Redwall Abbey Garden (the one the Dibbuns basically never find)

CHARACTERS:  Benar, a male squirrel.  DoraRose, a female mouse.  Tassel, a female otter.

LOG:
Benar is sitting on the red sandstone bench a book held in his lap and his feet curled up beneath him. It's quiet out here and though the weather is cold the garden is sheltered from most of the abbey and the soft sun overhead has a hint of warmth to it heralding Spring is here.

DoraRose comes trudging into the Garden, breaking the silence!  She has her cloak on over her dress and a basket in her left paw.  It has a couple of green things in it, but for the most part, it's empty.  She's looking at the sky and the top of the building, and so is oblivious that she's disturbing someone's peace.

Benar looks up at the sound of foot prints and smiles, "Oh DoraRose good afternoon to you my dear," he pushes back his hood and pops a bookmark in his book, "What brings you out here? I do not usually see many people out the back of the gardens like this."

DoraRose jumps and gets into a position vaguely reminiscent of a battle-ready pose.  "Oh!  Benar, hi.  Yeah, I'm looking for and early herbs for the Infirmary and the kitchens."  She relaxes, walks over, and shows him the couple of stems she's sound so far.  "I found some clumps near the kitchen wall that has the ovens.  I took a stem from each."  There is also a book in the bottom of the basket.

Benar peers in and smiles, "We may have to give it another month before we get a good crop of herbs, but good job on finding those however." he reaches down to move a stem aside so he can see what the book is, "I saw some near the wall behind me here in the main gardens"

Tassel is looking around the abbey, she so far finds it very interesting and she is by herself at the moment.   

DoraRose smiles. "Great, I'll go take a look at them. Hopefully they'll have enough that I can take one stem." The book has nothing on the spine to indicate what it might be, so it's probably a journal. The Warrior spots the otter and waves at her in a friendly way. 

Benar settles back on the bench and smiles, "Well hopefully the general stores has enough dried herbs to last us a few more weeks." he raises a paw in greeting, "Hello there friend"   

Tassel nods a hello and decides to walk over "Hello...just looki' around ya abbey, it's intresting, oh my name is Tassel and...well me and my mate is here for a few days with a friend...well think she is a friend....well anyways it's another otter" 

The mouse nods to the squirrel.  "I'm pretty sure they do, but I was wanting to check on the plants and see how well they're doing, so I offered to gather a little."  Turning to the newcomer, she smiles warmly and holds out her right paw.  "It's nice to meet you.  I'm DoraRose Strongheart, Gatekeeper.  I must've been off-duty when you and your mate and your friend came through our gates.  Welcome to Redwall."

Benar says, "Indeed, I am Abbot Benar and on behalf of the Order of Redwall Abbey I welcome you to our home. Please stay with us as long as you wish."

Tassel says, "I may stay, don't know yet, least for a few days time."

DoraRose stuffs her paw into her pocket.  "Well, I hope you stay at least until the Spring feast; if you leave before then, you'll just have to travel back through the sometimes dangerous woodlands."  She's chuckling slightly as she says this, unaware that there has been some danger in the woods nearby recently.

Tassel smiles "A feast...when will that be coming up?"

Benar says, "I haven't set a date yet, last few dates I tried to set something always seemed to come up. But I will pick a date soon and let everyone know"

Tassel nods.

DoraRose looks at the Abbot.  "Hopefully this time nothing will happen, and that we'll have a calm, enemy-free Spring.  Oh!  And the travelers should be getting back soon from Willowbark Abbey....oh, and I'll have to...."  She suddenly has a sad look on her face, and she looks over towards the pond area, even though she can't see it.

Benar asks, "Willowbark Abbey?" he looks up at Dora, "Never heard of it, where is it? Is this another one of those things people have rushed off dangerously into the wild to do and no one has told me about because I might object?" he shakes his head, "Or is this something actually safe and benign for once?""   

Tassel shrugs "I have no clue...some crazy looking squirrel spoke of it...maybe she knows " She looks around as it looking for said squirrel 

DoraRose looks back at the Abbot, confused.  "I thought for sure you were told.....but with Leon.....I'm sorry.  Willowbark Abbey is the place Gorvenalus and Minsc are from, the first place where Quade started his path of destruction.  As far as I know, it's perfectly safe -- just abandoned ruins.  I felt comfortable sending LilyMoore, and Xander and most of the other Defenders went, so I'm sure they're fine.  I didn't get to talk to Krisha, who came home early, much, but I think everybeast is fine."  She turns and walks away.  "In fact, I'll go try and find Krisha now and see what she can tell me.  See ya later."  And so she leaves.

http://radio.rwmuck.org/?&location=RW%2 … A%20Garden

~*END*~

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SCENE:  Gatehouse loft, Redwall Abbey

CHARACTERS:  DoraRose, a female mouse.  Emyuil, a male mouse.

LOG:
DoraRose is in the Gatehouse loft, and it is a horrible mess!  All the blankets are off the bed and in a pile on the floor.  Clean covers are folded in the middle of the bed.  All the chests are out from under the bed and open, and there are some brooms scattered around on the floor.  The Warrior is sitting on the floor in the middle of the relative chaos, flipping through a book.

Emyuil knocks at the loft door. "Heyo, coming up."  After waiting a moment and not getting any indication that he shouldn't, he opens the door.  "Hey 'rose--Oh.  Um, is this a bad time?" he asks awkwardly, glancing at the disarray of the loft.

DoraRose is usually a neat and orderly person, so this mess would be pretty startling.  Her head jerks up, a blank look replacing the soft, thoughtful one that had adorned it moments before.  "Huh?  Oh, uh, no, you can come in.  Just trying to get some Spring cleaning done early so I won't be doing it when Lily comes back."  She closes the book, sets it on the bed, then grabs a broom.

"Just curious, what were you reading?" Emyuil asks conversationally as he climbs the rest of the way into the room.  "Want help cleaning while we're at it?"

"Sure, thanks!"  Dora hands him a broom and gestures under the bed.  "It's full of dust under there; it's kind of disgusting."  She starts gently sweeping under the bed, not meeting her brother's gaze.  "It's one of Leon's old journals.  From when he first came to Redwall.  When we first met."  She smiles softly, sadly, yet also, oddly, contentedly.

Emyuil nods and begins sweeping from the other side of the bed.  He doesn't really know what to say, so he just lets his sister talk if she wants. If she doesn't, that's fine too.

DoraRose continues to sweep, silent for quite a while.  Most of the dust in in 2 little piles at their sides when she finally says, "I think he loved me first, but it wasn't long until I loved him back."  A heavy sigh escapes her, and she adds, "I miss him so much."  Now she is all sad, her contentedness vanished in a manner reminiscent of mists under the morning sun.

Emyuil nods slowly.  "I understand.  I think.  I mean, I've never really fallen in love, but...I understand what it means to miss somebeast."  He sets down the broom and walks around to where his sister stands, and extends his arms to wrap her up in a bearhug.

DoraRose lets him hug her, the broom dangling from her paw at her side.  She sniffles a little as a couple of tears trace their way down her cheeks.  "This is so hard.  And I have no idea how I'm gonna tell Lily.  How she'll react."

Emyuil nods, his eyes shut tight.  "Should I tell her?" he offers.  "If you can't...if you won't....then I can do it for you."

DoraRose shakes her head, resting it on his chest.  "No....no, I will.  It should be me; I can't let anybeast else do it.  But if.....if you could....if you would....help Nana tell the rest of the group who went to Willowbark....I was gonna walk LilyMoore down to the pond and tell her there, so if you could help Nana tell the rest of them, that would help."

Emyuil nods firmly. "I will see this done.  I swear."  He sighs as well, seeing in his mind's eye the pond beneath the golden glow of the afternoon sun.  "Yeah....that'll be a good place for it, as much as anywhere else.  Out of the way so you don't have beasts gawking."

"Yeah, well, most beasts know to not gawk too much near me.  I think many of the more timid ones are a bit nervous around me."  Dora takes a step back and flexes her left arm.  "Dunno why.  It's not like I have defeated groups on enemies basically on my own before."

Emyuil grins. "Same....same." He runs a paw over his face, feeling the small ridges of his faded scars, less noticeably horrific than they used to be, but still there if one knew where to look for them.

DoraRose smiles.  She is still sad, but she seems to be feeling a little better.  "Hey, you still using that weird herb stuff Nana concocted?  You're looking more handsome; keep it up, and the ladies might start tripping over themselves to get your attention."  She is mostly just joking.....mostly.

Emyuil flushes slightly and stammers a bit--yes, the Half-Rat, the scourge of vermin, the Black Sword of Tuscani, is stammering.  "Y-...you think so?" There's a lighthearted humor to his voice, but also a hint of...hope?

DoraRose snorts in laughter a tiny bit.  What?  She still enjoys embarrassing her baby brother, what can she say?  "Well, yeah, especially if you keep working on not being so scary and sullen all the time."  She taps him on the chest.  "Just be the Emyuil Streamstone that's still in there, and you'll find Miss Right someday."  She then crosses her arms and says with mock severity, "But they have to pass my tests first."

Emyuil tries his best to keep a straight face at that last declaration, which he manages for all of...about four seconds.  Then he snorts loudly and shortly after he's on the floor laughing.  "Oh wow, that...that reminds me of Nana, that face you were making, that voice..." When he recovers himself, mostly, he stands back up.  "But seriously, thanks for the advice.  I'll keep it in mind."

DoraRose manages to look offended.  "What?  No!  I couldn't /possibly/ be like Nana; she's like a tornado with a stick.  ....then again, when I have my sword out.....  oh, hush you!"  She sticks her nose in the air in mock disdain, then breaks into a grin and goes to ruffle the fur on top of his head backwards.  "You better.  'Cause if you start courting the wrong girl, you both will have /me/ to face before Nana even finds out."

Emyuil smiles, holding his paws up in mock surrender.  "Okay, okay, I get it.  Don't worry. I'll be careful."

DoraRose smiles and goes to hug him again.  "Okay, good."  She grabs a dustpan from a hook on the wall.  "Now to scoop up all this dust and throw it away...."  They'll be busy for a while getting everything back the way it was...

Emyuil returns the hug fiercely, then spends the rest of the day helping her clean things up with no complaint, glad of something to do to keep his paws busy. 

~*END*~

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On the island of Willowbark, in the partially rebuilt ruins of the Abbey.....

(Xander the male badger.  LilyMoore the female mouse.  Gorvenalus the male beaver.)

~*~

Xander has decided to try something else to get his mind off things, and that is moving a couple large rocks to clear an area for planting crops for when it's spring. It's not too hard to do as he is strong and he chooses an out of the way place to place them, maybe they can be used for something else, he isn't sure, but this helps the abbey have a little more crop space.

LilyMoore has been helping with the sewing chores the Abbey needed, and now she's taking a break.  As she walks over to where the badger is, she smiles.  The weather is fair, and there's a slight breeze.  Some birds are singing.  She comes over and sits on a rock that Xander has already moved out of the way.

Xander doesn't notice Lilymoore just yet as he moves one last rock and sighs. He then looks at the cleared area "Now it just needs....whatever"  He mutters to himself and then finally sees the mouse maid "Oh....hi"

LilyMoore waves.  "You did a good job.  It looks ready for....um, like, wheat or something."  She pulls a canteen out of her pocket.  "I brought you some cool tea," she says as she holds the canteen out to him.

Xander nods slowly he hasn't talked too much the past few days as he does take the tea and takes a couple sips. He then tries to figure out how to do the whole tear the soil up for crops thing, he decides someone else can help as he goes to let a couple otters know, whom DO know what to do and thank him, he nods and goes to sit down and sip tea every few seconds.

LilyMoore sits beside the badger and watches the clouds.  Taking a bundle out of her pocket, she unwraps the cloth to reveal a muffin, which she starts munching on.  "Do you wanna talk about it?"  she offers kindly, and if he says no, then that's okay, too.

Xander is quiet and doesn't reply, not till the tea is drank and so its like 30 minutes of just  what ever noise is around and he finally asks what may sound like an odd question "You do plan to go home with me right? To Mossflower...to Redwall Abbey?"

LilyMoore just sits patiently, listening to the bird song and the wind.  When the badger finally speaks, she finally looks at him.  "Well, of course!  Redwall is my home; I could never leave permanently!"

Xander manages a weak smile "Thank you...least....least someone still wants to go home. I would hate to tell Dorarose and Leon you were not with me"

LilyMoore smiles a little.  "It must be really hard; I didn't think anybeast from our group would want to stay, except for maybe Minsc and Gorvenalus after we found the survivors.  It's quite a shock."

Xander says, "Minsc or...Sir Minsc as they seem to call him is staying.....Varsha wants to be a healer....and" He frowns and now he lets a couple tears fall "But why....did...she left, she didn't even say goodbye just a stupid letter not to worry"

LilyMoore frowns and goes to rest a paw on the badger's arm.  "I'm sorry.  I heard that something had happened with your baby, but I don't know exactly what.  I don't know why Krisha left, but I do know that I sometimes do things that worry others when I'm sad.  I'm sorry," she finishes in a whisper, wishing that she had more to say, something that would actually help.

Xander says, "Maybe I did something wrong, I don't know. I do know we may head home a little sooner...well after the abbey here is set and ready for spring"

LilyMoore tilts her head and decides to, for now, ignore the news about them headed home a little sooner.  "What could you have done wrong, Xander?  I wasn't there, but....but I can't imagine what you could've done that would've made her leave."

Xander looks away "And why are others besides Minsc staying like Varsha and Flea?"

LilyMoore pauses for a few minutes, then says quietly, "I don't know.  Have you asked them?  I certainly haven't."

Gorvenalus has been busy today and finally found some free time as he walks around, seeing his two friends he makes his way over to them.

Xander shakes his head "No..."He nods a hello to the beaver "Oh Hi...Abbot Gorvenalus, how are you today" He may as well call him abbot right?

LilyMoore nods to the badger, then waves at the beaver.  "Oh, hi, Gorvenalus!  Lovely day, isn't it?"  She's not going to call him Abbot unless he asks her to; she knew him before he had ever even seen Redwall, so friendship trumps formality.

Gorvenalus frowns as [he] stands in front of them " That ....won't stay my title. Minsc knows but I have yet to tell others. I am not staying here, I...I can't as I feel more at home in Redwall and I am the Recorder of Redwall Abbey. I have a beast in mind to be Abbot and he has done well. I know Minsc is staying and that's good, he is...happy here and so much more alive that he has been in many seasons"   

Xander listens "You're.....coming home to Redwall Then?" He smiles as he is glad of this, not all seem to be deserting the badger or least to him it seemed that way. 

LilyMoore bounces to her feet, the remaining crumbs from her muffin falling off her tunic front to the ground as she goes to hug her beaver friend.  "Hooray!  I'm so happy! I would have missed you!"

Gorvenalus allows the hug and smiles, he glances at Xander  "You shouldn't stay away from every beast Xander, it is good yes to do different things to get one's mind off other things but also letting friends help you as well" He stays beside them "All will be fine I am sure and yes we will go home soon, but 'til then we enjoy the time here, look" He shows an area where flowers are starting to drop, not yet bloomed, "See...hope blooms, like this flower and it shows its beauty to all but sometimes it does take time, as will things in life that are not always understood"

Xander looks at the flower stems and buds and sighs. He does stand slowly "I...it's just....guess thought beasts were hating me. I mean I should be happy as Willowbark is slowly growing, it needs beasts. And I know things get better with time but..." He sighs" I want to rush off and find Krisha, but I can't leave the others here, I won't do that...I will...will...will trust she will be ok, she is tougher than she looks." It was hard to go ahead and decide to trust Krisha would be fine, yes he still is a little worried and the first place he plans to check once home is Ferravale's forge shop.

LilyMoore listens, then goes to hug the badger.  "Yeah, I'm sure she'll be okay.  I pity the beast who makes her mad."  She looks up into his face and smiles.  "I don't think any of the beasts here hate you; I know Gorvenalus and I don't."  She's pretty sure she can speak on the beaver's behalf in this.

Gorvenalus nods "We are all friends. I will need to let that Rupert know we plan to head home, with a little fewer beasts in a couple weeks time, least he is to contact the one with that one ship"

Xander smiles and laughs a little "Yeah...Krisha knows how to fight, don't know how well" He nods to Gorvenlus "He is around somewhere, maybe taking a nap"
Xander is quiet "May take my own nap" He did do a lot and lifted a lot "So see you at dinner..." He walks off to take his own nap

LilyMoore sits back down and brushes the remaining muffin crumbs from her leggings. "Oh, Rupert? I'm not sure where he might be." She watches the badger walk off, then turns to the beaver. "Their baby died, didn't it?"

Gorvenalus frowns "I know me and my grandmother helped prevent it best we could, we failed but it could of been worse, Krisha almost died as well. It will take time for Xander to get over this and I am uncertain why Krisha left before the others....she was quiet, she did fix the forge and then left sometime before sunrise the next day to head home...My guess is her father's house or maybe the abbey"

LilyMoore nods as she looks back to where Xander had gone, even though he's out of sight now.  "Y'all did the best you could."  She goes to take his paw, and then they both head inside to work on more chores together.

~*END*~

Thanks for reading!