Redwall MUCK Forum

WHOM:

Krisha-Badger Mother

Texo- Ferravale Archatech

Oz-Dibbun

Ciana- Dibbun

Xavier-Dibbun(spoofed by Log-a-log)

Patch-Spy,Owner Redthorn Tavern

LOG:

Krisha was just on her way back from the woodland market as it would close soon, it always closed in late autumn and reopened in the middle of spring. With her was a couple of order beasts and 6 novices "Alright that should be all, let's get inside, luckily we didn't need very much"

Texo was coming down the road and had seen them, he kindly asked to join and walked with them the rest of the way to the abbey when he cleared his throat "I...was at the Blacksmith Shop, first permission to..see about redoing the living space that umm...Ferro stayed in, also I found a couple of things I figured rightly belonged to you" He had the said items in a pack on his back.

Patch was with the weasel as he kept an eye out for trouble "Can we go inside...please...inside" He sounded nervous and was very jumpy.

Once some of the group went off, Oz ran towards Krisha, fell once in a puddle, and just got up and made it the rest of the way to hug her "Mama....hi hi...you is backs...."

Ciana stayed on a step nearby watching, she frowned towards the weasel and rat and kept her distance, she seemed to not trust any vermin, like at all!

Krisha frowned "Patch, why are you here?" She then replied to Texo "That reminds me, I have a paper, Blisa can have ownership of the shop since it's in Ferravale, it seems only right and I have my job here as BadgerMother and once in a while I will use the forge here to make hinges or tools."

Texo took off the pack slowly and opened it up, inside was a small pouch, inside the pouch was some smooth pink stones and a hairpin. Also in the pack was a wrapped dagger, very fancy, and had the name Ferro carved on its side, as well as the case it was inside of. Also a couple of char Coal drawings of Krisha and Ferro, one of her as a small infant and Ferro holding her, the other standing with him by some old Blacksmith Shop.

Krisha looks the stuff over and frowns a little, memories come as do some tears, she quickly puts the things away "Th..thank you Texo." She glares slightly at Patch, ok she is moody now, and wipes away tears.

Patch speaks "I was framed for murder and the real murderer might be following me. you never know and so staying close to Texo for now...."He looks at Texo "I say we stay the night, walk in BRIGHT DAYLIGHT tomorrow back to Ferravale, look for clues, get me name cleared"

Ciana walks over and kicks Patch in the knee "You is a meanie...Mother Krisha crying, go ways....leave we no wanna you here"

Oz tilts his head and points at Patch "Meanie...mean"

Of course, Xavier has to join n the fun and poke Patch with a stick, in the same leg he was kicked in, yeah that will show him!

Texo nods as he backs up "Your welcome.."He looks at Patch and blinks "We...could but also you're supposed to find this murder ASAP...though traveling at night is bad so...fine, first light we can...leave, oh my" And the dibbuns he decides dislike Patch.

Patch gasped " You ***** brats...***** little...owwwwww!" He goes to shoo the couple dibbuns away."You go away."

Oz of course repeats the words Patch just said and giggles.

Ciana backs up and starts to wail loudly and hides behind Krisha, she won't dare peer around to see if Patch leaves.

Xavier just stares and backs up, he grips his stick as it ready to stab at the rat again.

Krisha looks ready to punch Patch as she lets out a small snarl, she takes a deep breath "Oz...do not repeat those words sweat heart, they are bad bad words" She will blame Patch it's his fault, his fault also for the hare being scared "It's ok Ciana and Xavier...sit on the steps."She gets in Patch's face "I have a strong urge to toss you onto the dirt road"

Texo frowns as he has no clue what to do, he clears his throat "Umm...if it will help. I can..make sure he stays out of trouble. He is correct there is someone who may want to harm him and the roads are not the best travel at night " He hmmms poor choice of words as the badger maid looks clearly ready to harm the rat, he looks at Patch "Maybe tell her sorry or just ...try and keep your mouth closed" He goes to lead the rat on inside the building, his plan if he can, keep the rat from angering anyone else while they stay the night.

Patch whimpers and backs up, he falls onto his back and quickly stands "I..."His ears go flat as he just bolts inside, he knows where the guest room is and makes a quick path to it before anything else happens.

Oz frowns and hugs Krisha quietly, then raises his arms "Up....up"

Xavier mutters and drops his stick and stays by the Badger Mother.

Ciana watches Patch head inside and stays very close to Krisha, she keeps an eye on Texo still.

Krisha snorts and takes a deep breath, she will let the rat go inside but she will let Benar handle him."Inside my dibbuns"She picks up Oz and leads the dibbuns inside as she calls over her shoulder to Texo "Patch is likely in the guest room, tell Abbot Benar that you and Patch are spending the night."

WHO:

Donica- Healer, Private in the LP

Koda- LP Hare,Private,Adjutant

Pete-Major(Retired), Fighter, main Sentry Hare in LP

LOG:

Donica is busy looking threw some books ob healing herbs. She has learned a good deal in a short amount of time she has been here, well sort of short. She writes down some things to remember on her paper and turns a page making sure to study the page before writing anything down.   
   
Koda walks over and watches her, then speaks "Hallo, Donica right? Ya need any help?" He is here himself to make sure books stay where they are supposed to and even fetch books for others.   
   
Donica looks up and shrugs "I...maybe"  She frowns "I did have Keifer to help, before he....."She frowns more, she had a lesson the morning he was found...sadly dead.   
   
Koda's ears go back "Yeah, that was sort of...sudden. It also changed some things like if someone bumps their head or is knocked out, even just a few seconds ya have ta stay overnight in the infirm and be kept awake...I mean unless your unconscious then." He is sad too "I miss him too, even if he was always grumpy. He likely had his reasons for being grumpy all de time"   
   
Donica says, "I suppose,. I was always afraid to ask him" She writes more things down "I do hope we get A main healer again, Its helpful."   
   
Koda nods "We have a couple who know a lot and some retired hare from Halyard I believe has a class a couple of times a week, forgot her name"   
   
Donica chuckles a little "Your supposed to remember names I thought"   
   
Koda shrugs "I do, I also make sure others get needed paperwork to work on or turned in, I take messages to others and try and stick with updates like when his Lordship should be back...which I do not know yet"   
   
Donica says, "Well its a 2-3 week trip to Redwall, and that covers any rests and such on the way and they went by the river so that's a little faster. They likely will stay a week and be back here soon" She hmmms as she tries to figure out days gone so far"In a couple of weeks I would say"   
   
Koda smiles "Most likely, then things will fall back into normal"He then frowns "Oh..yeah" He is gonna have to tell the Badger Lord about Keifer, great, but then again someone will have to.   
   
Donica notices the frown  and quietness"Wot is the matter?"She looks worried for her friend but will give him time to reply.   
   
Koda takes a couple deep breaths "Everyone who left to take the dibbuns on to the abbey, they know nothing of wot has happened to Keifer and I know he had no family, but he had friends that went and they will be sad and his Lordship will be sad and then the questions and I have no idea how ta reply, cause...I don't know wot happen fer sure. I was not thar...the couple other privates were thar and Keifer was just his...grumpy self when he came back and just went to bed sooner than he usually did...I mean he kind of liked being alone and would even grumble if ya like...knocked on his door at times."   
   
Donica frowns as she listens and lays a paw on his arm "Its..never easy to have news like that and I am unsure either wot happen. I heard he got knocked out, so maybe head injury...one can hit their head and seem fine, at first and then not be fine, and keeping them awake so many hours is supposed to be good. Others likely assumed Keifer would know if he needed the infirm, he was one of the better healers we had at the time"   
   
And then in walked Old Major Pete. He looked between the two and laid down a book, he then went to find another one, seemly he knew where to look and started to head out back to the sentry posts, it's not like he did much.   
   
Koda sighs "I...know" He stopped as he watched the old Major and offered a wave "Hallo sur, ya need anything?"   
   
Donica gives a salute and looks back to Koda."Things will be ok, they will I am sure. Everyone will all be back in a couple weeks, give or take a couple days."   
   
Pete arches an eyebrow " Wot ya young ones talkin' bout now?" Most in the mountain are young to him" No signs of any returning yet, Soon though if ya worried."   
   
Koda says, "we are not worried sur, I and Donica was just saying how we will have to let them know about Keiferws"   
   
Donica nods "Yeah, to any friends and such he had no family here or anywhere else, least don't think so"   
   
Pete nods "Ah yes Keifer. Gone too soon, poor lad."He sighs as he decides to just sit down for a few minutes "And yes the others will need to know, maybe tell his Lordship first, then the others or see if you can have a likr...short meeting, it will be figured out on how to give the news." He hmms "He had a sister but she died, I can have someone look up any family but likely if he did they already been told"   
   
   
Koda nods "True sur. I just want ta be ready to...let others know but not sure how or wot ta say"   
   
Donica asks, "Is anyone really ready to tell or even receive news like that? I say just....say wot happen, ya know like we do with reports....I know it's in a report but it's likely better to tell them, they can then read the report for better details"   
   
Pete nods "True lass, very true....some news is best told in person than reading on paper first" He stands "I am off to sentry." He heads to the door and stops "Oh and thar is a basic training drill right before lunch"He then heads on to the hallway.   
   
Koda nods, "Yes sur, that's an hour before lunch..."He stands up quickly"Which is in like...10 minutes...."He manages to not yell out but he is in slight panic mode.   
   
Donica stands "Come on we should make it in time"She leaves her papers and books on the table "And I can get back to studying after lunch and.....I will even help get the books back on shelves" She leads them to the training drill and thanks to her they get there just in the nick of time!

Who:

Krisha- Badger Mother

Xander- Novice at Redwall and mate to Krisha

Oz- badger dibbun!

Bo- LP Fighter Hare,Private

Elbio- Residential LP RW Hare, Private,Archer and Fighter

Ciocan-Badger Lord

LOG:

Krisha let the Abbot know she be away 4-5 days and to not worry. She would have Caleb if he chooses to go, and Xander with her. She keeps a small knapsack over her back and carried Oz as well. "We should be fine dear, the roads are fine and it's just to Ferravale"

"Still, Keldorn was..."He frowned as he remembered what happened, he wasn't there but he heard the story, most did." And he was a good, very good fighter"  The badger had a bit of a limp and his cane in his paw, staying very alert as they walked up the road.

Krisha sighs "That was an ambush and...I know to be careful love, besides who is gonna mess with two full-grown badgers"

"Or 3 wot?" Came a voice, out of the treeline came Elbio and another hare with him who waved."I say where ya heading you two, want some company?"

Oz yawned and now was awake and giggled when he saw the two hares "Hee heee....wot, wot"

Krisha blinked and smiled "Hello Elbio nice to see you. I figured you guys be at the river by now."

Xander chuckled at Oz and smiles"I think he been around the hares too much, ha...even at Salamandstron, surprise he didn't say wot wot sooner"

Elbio grinned as he walked over "The little chap could make a good hare maybe. But yes de Long Patrol is not too far and me and Bo here was a little behind. Also heard an escort to Ferravale would be nice, wot?"

Ciocan stepped into view from the woods and offered a smile "Besides, I keep meaning to check on this Ferrvale so perhaps its time I did that. And also make sure Badger Mother Krisha and Novice Xander get to Ferravale safe and sound. I am sure your find an escort for on the way back as well."

Oz smiled at Ciocan, he liked the badger and got along with him fairly well, the hares....that's another story for another day.

Krisha smiles "An escort by you and a couple of hares will be nice Lord Ciocan, then you can be on your way back to your mountain, likely a couple of week trip I am guessing?"

Xander stayed off to the side listening, he then spoke "Good to see you Ciocan, I...wanted to ask you a favor but it can wait till we get to Ferravale."He smiles "You could see the Mossflower Defenders Base"

Elbio chuckles "I rather like the tavern, though the rat fellow is rather..rude at times. His name is Patch"

Ciocan nods "I have meet Patch before" It's clear he doesn't like Patch too much."He turns to Xander "I would like to see the Mossflower Defenders Base yes and it will depend on wot the favor is but I am willing to listen and we will see."

Krisha hmmms "Patch is..."She is uncertain what to say really as they walk on closer to Ferravale.

Oz smiles "Rude....Rude...hee heee"Oh boy a new word, he is surely starting to talk more now.

==A couple hours later==

The group arrived in Ferravale with no issues at all on the road, gee I wonder why? Could be 3 badgers.  The group did stop at the tavern to get something to eat and then went on over to the Mossflower Defenders base.

Krisha smiled as she glanced around."I have been here a couple of other times."

Xander nods "And I still have my room." He looks around "I am ..gonna have to have a meeting, I may need to find a new leader...I...do not know yet. I am a novice now at the abbey and no longer able to lead very well with my injuries." He finds a place to sit in the main room as he glanced over at Ciocan "The favor I wanted to ask is about keeping my blade, The Blade of The Northwind Storms..in Salamandstron somewhere. One day Oz, if he chooses to be a warrior, will need the blade but I want him to earn it."He chuckles "Kind of like my Uncle Zee did to me but more....interesting,let me tell you a story"

The story of the chests, the clues, the hunt, and what was learned is told, how Xander went to Ferrvale and even got one chest from a hare named Flint at the mountain and went back to Feravale, how he spoke with beasts from the abbey and finally got to the blade and after a small task, earned the right to wield it"  You see...Marek had it, but I had to beat him in a fight in the fighting pits first, I did lose the first fight...the 2nd one I won, it was a first blood fight...first to bleed lost." He smiled "I think I should keep the earn the blade thing with Oz, as I know Uncle Zee said even my Grandfather Zork had some sort of earn the right to wield the blade tasks too"

Ciocan listens quietly and nods "Your Uncle sounds like he was an interesting beast." He seems to think on the matter "Alright, I will keep The Blade of The Northwind Storms at Salamandtron for you till Oz is of age and earns the right to wield it. I already have a couple of chests, I can place it in one of them"

Krisha listened as well "Wow...course it won't be for a while yet."

Oz is....he is asleep, naps are nice at this age.

Elbio steps into the room and sits down "Ferravale is interesting, they have an infirmary...a bell tower, a small town hall, the tavern and this place, but a question who will jolly well be in charge of the Mossflower Defensers if Xander 'ere is a novice and stepped away from warrior ways."

Xander hmms "I...I don't know, for now, me still and I don't have to like fight, that and things are rather peacefu...though it likely won't last forever, be nice if it did but thar will always be threats around sadly." He shrugs "I will..figure it out here soon" He slowly takes the blade off his back, looks at it. The blade is still in its case even as he didn't draw it out. He holds it out for Ciocan.

Ciocan nods as he slowly stands. He takes the blade carefully "The Blade of the Northwind Storms will be safe at Salamanstron" He places it on his back and nods. "I need to get back to my hares, the camp is by the river. We will be there the rest of today and tomorrow, then head on back to the mountain." He then heads for the door "Come Elbio...Bo lets go"

Elbio nods as he and Bo wave goodbye to the other two badgers and heads on out the door following Ciocan.

Xander waves and leans back in his chair"So looks like a meeting is in order. " He calls over a squirrel archer that is one of the defenders "Tell the Defenders thar is a meeting tonight...here in the base, meeting room" The squirrel nods and goes to get the others, most are around Ferravale or maybe the woods, a couple likely at the abbey. He smiles at Krisha "So want to check on the Blacksmith now or tomorrow?"

Krisha replies "Tomorrow is fine dear."She smiles at Xander "I think a couple of days off, just us...will be nice."

WHO:

Krisha-Badger Mother

Gaheris- Skipper

Dibbuns- most of the Dibbuns and some otter dibbuns as well

Oz-Dibbun

Ciana-Dibbun

LOG:

Krisha has decided to let the dibbuns play by the pond. It is a warm day and those won't last much longer. She has Sister Anna and Brother Rick helping out today. The dibbuns are, so far, behaving fairly well.   
   
Gaheris has been busy making arrangements for the otters to leave tomorrow but they're otters so that doesn't mean there's no time for some fun, particularly as they have five otter dibbuns who were rescued and would be coming with them. The Skipper is playing chaperone for them and is leading the little group towards the pond "ey there! Room fer some more?"   
   
Krisha smiles " Sure, they can come have fun as well Skipper. won't be many more warm days soon."   
   
"Y'eard 'er" The Skipper raises his paws to encourage the otter dibbuns to run off and join the others "Run an' play yer little 'earts out" as soon as they're all dashing off he slips into the pond and floats along the surface, keeping an eye on the dibbuns near the edge of the pond "Aye, I know, enjoy 'em while they last but it ain't long after tha' y'get ice skatin' an' 'ot drinks in by the warmth"   
   
A tremendous wailing can be heard, and Gracie the gosling, tears flowing down her cheeks, races towards the pond, crying pitifully. She splashes through the shallows (perfectly fine since she's a goose) and heads straight for the Badger Mother. She tries to scramble, very wet, into the badger's lap. Her blue blankie is nowhere in sight.   
   
Krisha nods, then a frown, " What happen?"   
   
Gaheris blinks and rolls over in the water so he can see the gosling. He quickly looks around, his mind automatically assuming the worst when it comes to crying children currently "Wha's goin' on?"   
   
It takes a few minutes for Gracie to get to where she's not crying too hard to speak. Even then, it's hard to understand her. "Dey....dey.....dey stowe my bwankie!!" She starts wailing again, going to cling to the badger and sob, distraught, disconsolate.   
   
Krisha holds Gracie and tries to calm her and looks over at the dibbuns that are here, lets see most are here and some are likely finishing a class with one of the order beasts.   
   
Gaheris looks relived hen Gracie manages to get out what's wrong "Oh, is tha' all" He mutters, his mind had gone to vermin. A little sigh of relief and he floats towards the edge of the pond "Who stole it, lass?"   
   
The badger is helping the gosling calm down, and Gracie sniffles and is able to look at the otter now. "Da....da othew Dibbuns!!" At this point, Squirrelbabe comes running from the direction the goose came from. Her tunic is torn and muddy, her fur is caked with dirt, there appears to be blood on her tunic, and she has a black eye. But she is holding Gracie's blanket aloft as if it were a flag, her face wreathed in a happy, victorious smile.   
       
   
Krisha frowns and then stands looking at Squirrlbabe " Wot the seasons now!" She goes over quickly to see where she is hurt and hardly notices the blanket right away.   
   
Ciana was elsewhere avoiding the other dibbuns by the pond, she looks over at the
squirrel and seeing blood starts crying " Noooo....sQuiirlbabe dying...waaaaaaa!!!"   
   
Gaheris' eyebrows raise at the sight of Squirrelbabe coming back from battle "Ohhh boy" he mutters and decides it's clearly time to get out of the water "Wha' 'appened t'yah?" he looks up sharply when Ciana says someone's dying but he soon figures out she means the bloody squirrel babe "'ey, it's alright, she's fine...She's just got int' a fight...or somethin'" he's not entirely sure.   
   
Squirrelbabe shrinks back a little. "Some o' da ovvew Dibbuns stole Gwacie's bwankie, so's I fought dem an' got it back." She waves the blanket up towards the badger's face. "I had ta westle dem t' da ground an' bite somebeastie. I got puncheded, but Kuwgan did wowse, so I's okies." She slips past the adults and proudly hands the rescued blanket to the gosling. Gracie is cautious, but she accepts her rescued security item and hugs it close.   
   
Krisha frowns at the name Kurgan she had heard a lot and rather not" The name Kurgan is for forbidden, don't say it." She looks to see if a healer can be found " And you don't bite others either." She motions Ciana over." Come here its ok dear"   
   
Ciana walks over slowly and sits near Krisha. She frowns but stays close.." She..okies? She no gonna die?."   
   
Gaheris shakes off a bit of the water from the pond and wanders over, barking a laugh at Squirrelbabe's description of events "Ha! Well done fer standin' up fer yer friend" it's not until Krisha mentions it that he adds on a more responsible "But er, yeah, y'probably shouldn't bite the other dibbuns"   
   
"Why cans I no talks about Kuwgan? An' da ovvew Dibbun bited me fiwst." Because the other person doing it completely justifies everything. Squirrelbabe stares up at the otter. "An' who'sa yous?" Gracie sniffles and wipes her cheeks and beak on her (already dirty) blankie. "I don'ts wikes havin' aww da ovver Dibbuns back," the gosling informs everyone, which elicits a slightly offended look from Squirrelbabe. "But I gotted you blankie back!"   
   
Oz toddlers over. It's not clear if the Abbot talked about him wandering off earlier, either way, he is about to get in more trouble as he looks at the hurt Squiirelbabe and frowns repeating something he has likely heard her say when they were captive, likely heard it more than once as he says a sort of new word clearly...but its a cuss word, oh boy.   
   
Krisha sighs, " Because that was a very evil beast...." She looks at Oz in shock and then Squiirlbabe and looks ready to scream." Where did you learn THAT WORD..."   
   
Ciana frowns, ok so wHat ever he said is bad so the hare starts to cry.   
   
Gaheris shoots a grin down at the squirrel "Skipper. Me and me otters were stoppin' by t'keep the place safe while y'were gone" he grimaces slightly at Gracie's words though "Ah, she'll not mean it, she's just upset over 'er blanket" He says quietly to Squirrelbabe. He does look around to Oz at the bad word and then glances at Krisha. He shuts his mouth tight and says nothing to that, the Badger Mother looks mad and he does not wish to incur wraith if he were to open his mouth and laugh.   
   
Squirrelbabe scowls as she gets glared at. "Da slavews said wowse dan dat...'sides, 'ow could /I/ knows he'd leawn it?" Gracie joins the leveret and starts to wail again, an upset Badger Mother clearly not something either of them is ready to handle. Squirrelbabe waves her paws around in agitation. "Me mammy and daddy said dos wowds alla time! Dey no /dat/ bad." Which explains where she heard them so she could in turn pass them on to the baby. Nice    
   
Oz points at Squirrelbabe and then looks ready to run, he gets a few feet and falls in the mud and starts wailing loudly.    
   
Krisha mutters and then speaks, " Not a word a dibbun should say, or some grown-ups" She walks over to get Oz and goes back to the  dibbuns, some have stopped playing to stare" Ok where are the ones who started the fight you were in ?" She is not happy and some sort of punishment is coming, what she is not sure, and needs time to think.   
   
Ciana frowns. " That bad word." She looks at the ground now.   
   
Three wailing children and counting. The Skipper may yet be fortunate not to have any of his own. A long pause and then he claps his paws together "Alrigh', maybe we should dry some tears an' get back t'some fun?" he waves at a few of the staring dibbuns, trying to encourage them "Afore we start focusin' on words an' fightin' perhaps we need t'do some cheerin'" he says more quietly as he glances at Krisha.   
   
Squirrelbabe shrugs nonchalantly at the badger's question. "Oh, hidin' somewhewes 'cause I whipped dey'we tails an' made 'em all cwy." She goes over to the hare and Gracie and sits down on the ground. "Hey, we be's okies. We no doin' noffin' w'ong. I twies t'not say dos wowds, 'kay?" The gosling sniffles, hugging her blanket close, unsure.   
   
Oz tries to get lose from Krisa now, he then frowns and leans back trying to weigh more, like its possible. Seems so but it's not.   
   
Krisha takes a deep breath in and out and slowly puts Oz on the ground ." Do not rush off." She looks at the gathered dibbuns.' Ok, Squirrelbabe needs to see Angela..everyone else can go back to the pond."   
   
Ciana stays where she is." But no one likes me."   
   
Gaheris relaxes a little as the dibbuns seem to be calming down and going back to playing. His attention goes down to Ciana "Well, 'ave y'tried playin' with 'em? Maybe they just need t'get t'know y'"   
   

Squirrelbabe spreads her paws wide. "/I/ likes you!!" But then the Badger Mother says the name of the dreaded Healer, and the Ringleader looks positively HORRIFIED. "WHAT?! But I's okies!! Lookit, da blood ain't even mine!!" She shows that she speaks the truth by pulling down the collar of her tunic to show that she's just fine. "Ang'la a big meanie! She scawy! I no wanna go /see/ hew!!" She flops onto her back as if she's witnessing the end of the world and she just simply can't even. Gracie watches this, then looks at the leveret. "/I/ wikes you, /too/. An' Squirrewbabe is right, Angewa /scary/."   
   
Oz lays there and just...lays there and then finally frowns,"Mean?.
   
Ciana snorts and says" She is not means, she helps beasts get better" She sits down calmer " Ok..fine. You don't have to see her."    
   
Krisha says, "You get hurt, you see who end of story." She looks ar"   
   
Looks at Oz and sighs, she gives up." I need a day off"   
   
Gaheris snorts, slightly amused by Squirrelbabe "No one likes t'see 'ealers but they do a 'ard job makin' everyone feel better and then no one thanks 'em fer it. Y'got a black eye at least, she can make y'somethin' tha'll stop it bein' sore" he chuckles quietly at Krisha "Come on mate, it's been like a week, they can't 'ave beaten y'down yet"   
   
Gracie stamps a webbed foot. "Angewa is too scary! She gots /nasty/ stuffs dat she makes you /drink/ an' dey taste gross. And she so grumpy aww da time!!" Squirrelbabe scowls at the otter. "Kuwgan hitted my head an' I no see a Healew. Why's I gotsa /see/ one when I get hitted in da eye?"   
   
Oz looks at Squiirelbabe and frowns, he then stands, toddlers over and hugs her if allowed.   
   
Ciana pouts and goes off"I finding blanket stealers they evil..me punch them goods."   
   
Krisha looks around and looks over" Wait what!..ok let's just do something calming "   
   

"Course it tastes bad, tha's 'ow y'know it's good fer y'" The Skipper reasons "And y'd be grumpy too if everyone called y'mean all the time" He looks down at Squirrelbabe "Well, y'only didn't see a 'ealer then cause there wasn't any there...and I bet tha' 'it on the 'ead 'urt a lot more because of it" He's getting drawn into arguments with the kids, it's a dangerous path. He nods at Krisha's suggestion "Aye, well maybe we should be puttin' this behind us and gettin' back t'somethin' more fun"   
   
Gracie scowls up at the otter. "Dat no makes sense! If 'tis yucky, den it bad fo' yous!!" Squirrelbabe gets hugged by the baby, and she can't help but smile. "Oh, you a sweet baby. I love you, Ozzy." She goes to hug him back. She looks up at the Badger Mother, then the Skipper. "I go see Ang'la, and we no tell hew 'bout baby Ozzy sayin' a bad word. 'Kay?" Because young children are capable of negotiation.   
   
Oz smiles as he giggles and seems in a better mood. Ciana pouts and just walks off, she will likely be in trouble later.   
   
Krisha watches the hare dibbun head off, ok she gets a lecture " Ok calm time... let's go have a small snack, maybe cookies and strawberry fizz...sound good?"   
   
Gaheris chuckles at Gracie "It'll make sense one day" he raises an eyebrow at Squirrelbabe though, a little smirk appearing "I agree t'yer terms. Me mouth will be sealed. If we go now y'can use the strawberry fizz afterwards t'wash down anythin' she gives y'"   
   
Squirrelbabe nods and stands, crossing her arms stoically. She marches as one headed towards one's fate, and soon she is in the Infirmary, whether or not the adults came with her. After having her eye looked at and getting cleaned up a bit, the Ringleader returns, holding a cool, damp cloth to her black eye and smiling. "She no make me dwink noffink! I jus' has ta hold dis t'ing t'my eye!"   
   
By the time she's back the Skipper has moved away from the group and is busy helping the young otters with their swimming. It'll all be fun and games for them before they finally leave the abbey the following day.   
   
Krisha nods and has ready sugar cookies and the strawberry fizz and in a much better mood" Good sit please"   
   
Gracie sits, hugging her blanket close. Squirrelbabe comes up and sits beside her. She is politely waiting her turn to have her snack. "Dat wasn't so bad! Ang'la didn't gwump at me at /all/. Why she sometimes mean if she cans be nice?"   
   
Krisha says, "I think, she just has bad days or beasts don't listen to her well enough. " She lays out the snack for Squrrelbabe." Maybe we can do something nice for her one day soon, surprise her."   
   
Squirrelbabe thinks, then nods. "Yeah....I wantsa 'elps wif dat! Let's see..." and she spends the rest of snacktime thinking about what she could make for the old Healer. Gracie even adds a few ideas. Then they do what the Badger Mother says the rest of the day, being good little Dibbuns (for a change)...   

Krisha has some novices clean up and goes to find the dibbuns whom caused the trouble earlier, yep they get a lecture on how not to take things from others and how they will now sweep the floors before bed. Yes, she feels she needs a day off but also she feels she just needs to get used to the dibbuns being back, and likely the dibbuns need to get used to being back as well.

Lunch in Redwall Abbey is a quiet affair these days, with no little ones to run riot it is a sedate, quiet affair managed by the Friar and his helpers. Food is served at a large set of tables over near the kitchen door and people take their food to one of the long trestle tables.   

There is currently no sign of the Abbot, he often has lunch in his office or in the gardens, it's rare for him to be in Cavern Hole for lunch. But nearly everyone else is there, those who work the fields and orchards have all come inside for the lunch and with the threat to the abbey, only the guards have been returned to normal. One on each wall and the gatehouse which is currently being managed by LilyMoore.   

All in all the abbey is peaceful, quiet, the end of the harvest is happening and though the trees have not started to turn the breeze outside has turned somewhat chill. Autumn is on its way and it will not be long now until it arrives in full.   

Krisha has helped in the kitchens today with lunch, she then quietly joins the ones who are here but sits at one of the far tables.
   
Adrian and his fellow hares have a table all to themselves, per the usual practice, and it is piled high with whatever food the other Abbeybeasts can spare to the bottomless gluttons. Friar Lacota sighs, throws his paws up, and just goes back to the kitchen, muttering dark things about hares and their ravenous appetites.
   
Gorvenalus is in the library right now , he will likely come down after updateing some things in the library he was working on at the time.
   
Gaheris has been back and forth between the Abbey and Camp Willow several times since the rats were gone. He never stops being on the move lately but today he's at the Abbey and settled in with a few of the camp otters to have lunch after helping with the fields for the morning. Sola is of course still around too, the abbey seems to be good for her and she's spent most of her time cleaning and generally helping out. Currently she's bringing out another plate to leave near the hares before everything is gone.   

Lunch continues to be served, it is quiet and warm, there is salad and pie, soup and fresh, crunchy bread. It is a typical and peaceful luncheon.   

Krisha watches the abbey beasts and offers a faint smile to a passing order beast. She quietly eats her soup as she looks over a small lesson plan, she does have Gracie and Xavier still here after all, the goose and shrew dibbun, two dibbuns.   

Xavier giggles a little and smiles up at Krisha, he is in a happy mood right now.

Gorvenalus makes his way down into the Cavrern Hole and nods to a beast here and there and gets some salad and a tea quietly.

Gracie stays close to the badger mother , eatting her lunch quietly every so often looking around the room.
   
Adrian loudly eats some of that crunchy bread. "I tell ya," He says, to nobeast in particular, "This Lacota bloke is a damn fine chef, wot. I could get used to sev'ral more weeks o' this." Serena looks at the buck sharply. "You're eating with your mouth open. That's impolite."
   
"Aye an' the rest f'us might get t'learn tha' if y'didn't scoff the lot first!" Gaheris yells with a laugh back at Adrian and the hares as he grabs some rolls for his own plate. Manors are not refined at the otter section of the table, they're practically one step away from juggling their lunch on a permanent basis. Sola remains busy and wanders off to refill tea, ending up with a small cup for herself.
   
Krisha lets a order beast take Xavier and Gracie to the dibbuns room, seems to be nap time as she leans back in her chair, "Suppose I should see where any help is needed today, least for a couple hours, then I have class to tend to."
   
Gorvenalus smiles "Your welcome to help me restack some books in the library, I was dusting and a couple shleves still need refilled"

Adrian smirks over at Gaheris. "Oy, you 'n' both know we gotta leave somethin' f'r th' othah beasts t' eat, too. Or else they'd all stahve." He laughs, and then picks up his mug to take a long draught of October Ale.   

Lillymoore is at the gatehouse and decides to go up on the walltops as she hears a noise, she then quickly heads down the steps and to the gate to open it.

With lunch happening down in the cavern hole the rest of the Abbey is kind of quiet and peaceful, birds wheel past overhead and things are just beautiful in the late summer sun. Dark clouds are rolling in out of the west however, darkening the sky and the leading edge of rain is starting to hit the road outside of the abbey and the lawns between the main gates and the great redstone abbey building.   
He watches  as Lilymoore is opening the main gate however which is odd and makes Benar frown from his office, there is noise and chattering but from his office he can't quite see the gates. He can however see that both the gates are swinging open which is very, very odd, not just the little sallyport.   

Leaving his desk the abbot starts to make his way downstairs and is just coming off the bottom of the stairs when there is a loud booming noise from the main doors. The knocking noise would echo down into Cavern Hole and the Abbot frowns at that and makes his way over. He'd peer out the side windows flanking the doors but they are stained glass so he just unlatches and pulls open the doors and finds himself staring up at the Badger Lord of Salamandastron.
   
"Ciocan?" Benar starts then blinks at Matilda, and Log-a-Log and his shrews and the abbot leans on the door and stars smiling as he looks over the rest of the crowd. "Well.... Lacota is going to kill me," He says softly eyeing the horde of hares, "But you are all here just in time for lunch.... but...." He raised a hand, "Do let me.... pop downstairs first everyone...."
   
It takes the combined efforts of Matilda and the Hares who have been looking after the dibbuns to hold them back whilst the Abbot scampers down the steps. He bustles into Cavern hole, leaving Lord Ciocan at the top of the steps so he can see him.   

He looks around and picks up a mallet and rings the dinner gong at the bottom of the steps as loudly as he can, "Everyone can I have your attention please!"   

Log-A-Log gets his shrews to be quiet with a look and waits quietly for the ok to go on inside.

Krisha looks over at the Abbot, she nods to Gorvenalus "Maybe, it would give me something to do...sure I love to help you Brother Gorvenalus "   

Gaheris snorts and talks around the pear he's taken a big bite out of "We'll all be thin if we ave t'go livin' off y'scraps!" He laughs again but it's cut short by the booming noise and all the joy is gone as he quickly stands "Wha' the 'ell was tha'?" Already heading for the stairs when he pauses as the Abbot appears. Sola had raised her eyebrows at the pair but was distracted when Govenalus says the magic word 'dusting' and she's just about to say something when there was suddenly noise and she retreats back towards the kitchen door a little.   

Zolomon stays where he is, out of sight of course and holds back the hare Ciana from rushing off. Gorvenalus nods to Krisha "Alright then," He smiles "Maybe here soon after we see what Benar wants...inventory is done or so I thought"   

Leigh stays by Log-a-log and osawald and well the GUOSOM they ran    into on the way here .
   
Adrian sets his mug down suddenly. "Wot th' 'ell?" he asks, his ears perking at the loud banging. Before he can even get up, however, Benar has reappeared, and is banging a gong. "Wot's all this about?"
   

Once Benar has everyones attention he smiles, his tail swinging from side to side, he is having a very hard time holding back a smile.   
"I am so very sorry to interrupt everyones lunch, but... I have a very important thing to announce... my friends," His tail sweeps off to one side, "I give you Lord Ciocan of Salamandastron and Matilda, Champion of Redwall."   

The hedgehog and the Badger lord come down the stairs, both of them with arms full of some of the smallest dibbuns and this sets off a flood of whooping and cheering dibbuns down the stairs in a flood. They hit the stunned crowd of Abbey-Beasts and visitors almost like a wave. Dibbuns running up to their favourite order-members or seeking out their parents and a wave of them charge directly toward Krisha's chair with a loud whooping sound.   

Following the children are the Hares of the Long Patrol, the Shrews of the GUOSIM and everyone else who has been travelling with them all coming on down into the chaos that has erupted in Cavern Hole.   

All but Lilymoore and Dorarose who stayed at the gatehouse to catch up, prehaps they will be back inside with the other later today.

Isa was among the dibbuns, seeing the abbey again had made them all excitable and no adult was going to be able to stop the tiny horde from doing what they wanted! Some of them were already trying to slip past Matilda, dramatic entrance be damned. Isa was quieter. She'd stuck with the dibbuns and was waiting while the grown ups tried to control things but she was looking back outside instead. At least until the miniature army was released and flooding down the stairs! She follows, she has no family to greet her but she wasn't going to leave her friends right now and at least they arrived in time for lunch.   

Varus takes up the rear, by accident or by design. He's had good reason to suspect he'd run into his son here at the abbey, and he knows there will be a great deal of awkwardness between the two. Adrian, for his part, catches sight of the old Major, and he goes pale. "Damn," He mutters to himself. But there is the Badger Lord, so he quickly stands and salutes, and he elbows the otherwise quite quiet Monty in the side, too, who quickly follows.

Krisha blinks as Benar makes his anocement and is half listening, least at first till she hears the name Matilda and quickly looks up again in time to see the dibbuns, she stands slowly and doesn't get too far till she is indeed spoted by them and most of them now go to basically knock her down as they go to hug her, she blinks and then smiles wide and chuckles, happy and has a smile, a real smile.   

Gaheris looks confused at first. What's the Badger Lord doing here? The abbot looked too happy for there to be trouble. He understands when Matilda is mentioned and looks shocked as he stares at all the dibbuns before breaking out in to a giant grin "Haha! Look at 'em all! Y'got 'em all back!"   

Ciana wiggles free and starts to go with the others but then just hides behide one of the hares.
   
Zolomon waits and chuckles as he goes to head on inside the room as well, though he does glace back as if to make sure others get inside as well.He glaces around and smiles .   

Log-a-log goes ahead inside and grins as he sits down in a chair and gets a couple scones and a drink of water.

Leigh stays out of the way of chargeing dibbuns and chuckles, she smiles happly.

Sola looks surprised and doesn't know quite what to do with herself. She fumbles a bit and puts down her tea quickly. She almost goes back to the kitchen to get more food but then she realises there's of course hares, from the mountain. She quickly heads for Adrian and co. to slot in with the group while she searches the crowd for any familiar face.

Xander is the last one to go inside, he has a cane he is useing to help him walk, a couple hares keep close to him in case he needs help walking inside"I am..fine" He mutters and sits down in a chair by the door, a smile as he looks around.He does notice Krisha but he can wait till...well the dibbuns greet her for now.   

The rain intensies and the celebrations begin and the storm outside turns from a downpour into a torrent. On any normal day, the ferocity of the storm would be the most unusual about the weather were it not for the brightly dressed fox strolling daintily into Cavern Hole covered from head to toe in a massive enclosure not unlike a parasol but curved to incase it's protector and inlaid with the seal of Ferravale.   

With a loud click, the parasol clatters up and closes above the fox revealing none other than Mergleton, ambassador of Ferravale who seems somewhat confused. He absorbs his surroundings and is surprised to see such a large amount of beasts within. "Father Benar? I was told that you would be here but I was not expecting the Long Patrol...or the Badger Lord?" he turns to Ciocan and bows. "Your highess" he turns back to Benar and hands him a stack of various papers. "Reports and statistics from Ferravale, I apologize that it has been so long since my previous visit, there have been several financial matters to attend to in Ferravale"

Benar smiles warmly at the chaos in the hall and really only takes the papers off Mergleton once he sees who it is and inclines his head, "Mergleton, how have you been? And thank you, I apologise for the Chaos but... Lord Ciocan and our Champion just brought us some very good friends back to us."   

Lord Ciocan inclines his head toward Megleton, "Highness is not needed, if you need to be formal Lord Ciocan will do, not Highness, I am no royalty. But a pleasure to meet you Mergleton," He says in a neutral tone of voice, "I take it you are keeping Ferravale's nose clean alongside Lady Blisa?"   

The Dibbuns however are rioting from side to side, climbing on stuff, surrounding Krisha and lots of parents are crowding in to wrap their children in their arms and there are tears of joy going on all over.

Benar is just smiling and takes a moment to hug Matilda's arm and murmur.   

"You did good Matilida, and Ciocan welcome... what say we thread through this crowd to my usual table and watch... Merg join us."   

Krisha smiles as she hugs the dibbuns, they hug her..she looks at some climbing and sighs,"Down..." She looks around for someone frowning as she has yet to see Xander, she can ask soon though, she is sort of blocked off by dibbuns!   

Isa giggles quietly as a lot of the dibbuns swamp over Krisha but she opts for climbing up a chair and sitting on the table in front of a big dish of scones all to herself while everyone is distracted.   

Zolomon has little Oz and hmmms "Well ya mommy is busy...." He looks at Ciana and frowns "Lass..wot be wrong?" Ciana frowns and hides under a table.   

Gorvenalus smiles and gets his log book, he is gonna record this, "This is a great day indeed for all...we should have a feast in a few days"
   
Xander is still in his chair and his staff at his side as he watches everyone interact with others.He seems to debate on walking over to Krisha but...he will wait, for now and his right leg hurts from the walking but he hides the fact it's hurting right now.   

Varus keeps back, off to the side. If he spotted Adrian, he doesn't let on. The Corporal, meanwhile, keeps holding his stiff salute as Ciocan wades through the crowd. "Sah!" He calls out, loudly, over the din of dibbuns and their parents. "Corporal Adrian Swiftbuck and Private Montgomery Fleetpaw. At yahr service, Sah!"
   
Leigh smiles and sits on a chair.Her and Oswald will likely talk with Log-a-log or benar soon on the idea of a wedding   
   
Ciocan turns as he is hailed by Adrian and walks over and looks down at them both, "What are you doing...." He starts then coughs and salutes back, "Corporal, Private, I hope you have been making yourselves useful to the Abbot whilst you have been here."   

Benar weaves his way to his chair and sits down in it, just watching everyone enjoying the brilliant sight. But Matilda has been waylaid by a host of grateful parents and Abbey Beast and is smiling and shaking hands and chattering to people.   

Gaheris steps right on in to the role of dibbun wrangler and stops a small squirrel from literally climbing the walls in excitement and leaves them to climb Krisha instead like the rest as he goes to the kitchen to make sure the word gets around and to help roll out more food for the returning heroes. Sola is a little more awkward and keeps glancing at Adrian. She almost considers saluting but she's not a fighter so that seems wrong. She settles on curtseying to the badger lord and keeping quiet.   

Krisha smiles as she slowly stands and goes to get the dibbuns to sit down, "I will be right back, I need to do something real quick" She is going to slowly head to the doorway and stops seeing Ciana and kneels down to her "Ciana...dear, are you ok,whats the matter?"   

As soon as the news reaches the kitchen, Lacota throws his hands in the air. "Martin help us. The Long Patrol, too?" Meanwhile, in Cavern Hole, Adrian lowers his salute and starts to relax, as does Monty, who otherwise remains taciturn and quiet, leaving Adrian to do the talking. "Sah, yes sah, we have, Sah. Oh, Sah... This is, ah... Sola... She is Gregorian's sistah, sah. And this here," he points at a show white doe, "Is Serena." He also gestures to an older grey doe. "And this is Yerna, Sah."   

Zolomon sits by Xander and speaks quietly "Ya..ok Xandy?" He watches Ciana a morment. The small hare Ciana steps out and hugs the Badger Mother and looks around, she asks though she seems afriad of the answer "Where my...dada?"   

Gorvenalus is just happy at this, the dibbuns back and beasts smileing, this is a happy time when its been sad the past...well a long while.He chuckles and puts the log book aside to also go talk to Matilda and the others, he can write down what all the adventures have been on thier trip, for the records of course.
   
Xander mutters softly "I am fine Zolomon...ok..."He glaces over at Krisha but will wait for now to go over to her.   

Gaheris grins and just laughs at Lacota's dismay "I 'eard someone mention a feast too" because he may as well bring all the bad news at once "Nothin' y'abbey can't 'andle" Another grin and he grabs drinks to take out. Sola bobs her head when she's introduced but she quickly glances around the visiting hares "I don't think he's here" she quietly mutters to herself. She imagines if Greg were around she would have seen him by now.   

Lord Ciocan salutes each of the hare in Adrian's patrol, "I had no idea you where all out this way, it is good to see you all. Corporal we can catch up later, I want to hear your report about how you wound up at the Abbey."   

Benar is just watching all of this, a happy smile on his face, smiling and looking from face to face and just enjoying this. He has been waiting for this for months and then his pointed squirrel ears pick up Lacota's dismay and he chuckles. "He is going to kill me," He whispered to Gaheris, "Let's not mention a feast yet.... but yes.... I am totally throwing a feast,"   

Standing up on his chair and holding up his mug he raises his voice, "My friends, to the Heroes of Redwall and the Long Patrol!"   

Adrian nods, and frowns. "Yes, sah. There's a lot t' tell... An' there's anothah expedition I'd like t' volunteah for. But I shall explain it furthah latah, wot." He thinks back to the hot southern plateau and shudders, then turns back to Serena. "I'll get you bettah acquainted latah, if y'r still set on joinin' th' Patrol, wot..."   

Krisha smiles at Ciana and will pick her up, if she allows but if not she will let her stay where she is, otherwise she will carry the small hare over towards the doorway.She then spots Xander and slowly makes her way over to him,if she is carring a dibbun it will be handed off to an order beast.   

Zolomon smiles at Ciana and his ears perk as he is close to Gorvenalus "Feast old bean, I am for that" Gorvenalus shhhs the hare and chuckles "We shall see...we shall have to wait and see"   

Gaheris just chuckles at Benar on his way back with the drinks "Too late fer tha' mate, if y'wanted any feast t'be a secret y'should 'ave said before I started yellin' it...'side if there were ever a reason t'celebrate this is it. A blind fish would know there's goin' t'be a feast...speakin' f'fish should probably catch one fer it" He laughs but he's not going anywhere for a while as he's passing out little mugs for the kids after their long journey back.   

Xander stands slowly and decides not to use the cane, he can get the few feet to Krisha, though she will likely find out of the cane, and of course likely questions that he will answer later.He moves slowly and about trips the last couple feet to her.   

Krisha qucikly makes sure he doesn't fall and frowns a little, she noticed the trouble walking but decides to ask later why and what was wrong, the important thing right now was he was here. She hugs him and just keeps him close, and gives him a kiss which gets a reaction from the dibbuns nearby " ewwwwwwww" She manages a chuckle and smiles at Xander "Your home..."   

Varus finally makes his way towards his son's group. "Adrian," he says. The younger buck sighs, and looks away. He doesn't want to do this. Not here in public. "Sah," he eventually replies, formally, giving his own father a salute. "At yahr service, Sah." He stands up straighter.
   
Zolomon starts to get up to help Xander and then sits back down seeing as Krisha seems to have it covered. Gorvenalus looks over and then quietly speaks with Matilda getting her story of the trip and what happen from the rime they left the abbey till now.   

Xander smiles as he hugs her as well "Yes...I..."He starts to speak and just smiles."We can..talk more later"   

Gaheris settles in to entertain some of the kids and ends up sat on the floor with a group of them, listening to tales of their adventures, with some exaggerating by the imaginations of children. Sola watches the badger lord for a minute but startles slightly when Varus speaks. There's more saluting so she curtsies again with a quiet "Sir" Before glancing back and forth between Varus and Adrian. It feels like something's tense to her, she doesn't know if should be worried so she's becoming concerned in advance just in case.   

Varus nods to Sola briefly. "Miss," he says, then sighs. "At ease, Corporal." The doe is right in noticing the tension between the two bucks. The elder almost seems to want to speak, but he seems to hold back. Adrian relaxes, and drops the salute. "T' be honest, Sah, I was 'opin' I wouldn't see y' this soon, wot." His words are rather frank.
   
Krisha helps Xander back to where he was sitting"Talking later is fine love."She smiles at the dibbuns as she sits by Xander, more hugs are given and she smiles at Ciocan when he comes over "Thank you for helping to get the dibbuns back and the others back as well"   

Gorvenalus smiles as he and Matilda talk of what happen, a couple frowns and a surprised look, smiles to of course for the better times of the story as the beaver writes down what is shared.
   
Ciocan smiles at the Badger mother "You are most welcome"   

Keldorn makes his way inside as he and some of the shrews were in another room, " It is good to be home, very good indeed"   

Isa meanwhile has eaten so many scones by herself that she decides to crawl in to a pile of some of the many pillows in cavern hole and doze off to sleep now they're finally home and safe.   

Sola looks uncomfortable at Adrian's words and glances away, looking for some sort of way out "...Um...can I offer you...drinks or food?" she asks very quietly though she's already edging away at the slightest hope of escape.
   
Elbio had sliped off briefly but is now is in the cavern hole as he walks in and looks around.He nods to those in the room and finds a place to sit down and gets a drink.   

Varus sighs. "Son... We'll talk latah. This isn't th' place f'r this sorta scene..." He shakes his head, then nods to Sola again. "Miss." He moves off into the crowd to speak with Ciocan. Adrian drops back into his chair and sighs. "Damn..."
   
Krisha smiles "I am so glad everyone is home safe and sound...I was so worried" She leans agasit Xander and smiles just relaxing beside him.   

Ciana has not went where the dibbuns are eating scones and drinking strawberry juice, she stays under a table again frowning.

Zolomon grins as he leans back in a chair "So..how long we jolly well staying I wonder....I have not been in de abbey a long long time"   

Elbio looks at a rolled scrolll he has as he glaces around for the abbot, he decides he can find the abbot later as he smiles at the reuions going on around them.   

Sola takes that as a no to the offer of food but at least the scary older hare has gone. She looks back and forth between Varus and Adrian more before finally whispering "What was that about?"
   
Keldorn smiles as he looks around " Might even be a wedding soon. Leigh and Oswald's...I am curuous if they will choose here or at camp"   

Adrian leans back in his chair and sighs. "'E's mah fathah," he explains to Sola. "An' we 'aven't 'ad a good relationship in sev'ral seasons. 'E wanted me t' be a fightah, like mah oldah brothah was." His words are hushed, so only the hares at his table can hear. Monty already knows this story, however. "I was 'opin' 'e'd be back at th' mountain, not tha' he'd come wi' Lord Ciocan." He shakes his head. "I don't wanna speak to 'im right now..."   

Sola's ear and a half folds back as she glances at Varus again "Oh..." there's a long pause as she's not sure what to say and stands there uncomfortably "...You...appear to have your wish, he is not speaking to you...currently?" it doesn't feel like a very helpful thing to point out so she gestures at the dibbuns instead "At least, erm, they have their children back...so everything is right again?"

Adrian sighs, and nods his head. "I 'ave t' speak to 'im eventually... But I didn't want it t' be 'ere." He shakes his head, dismissing those thoughts. "Anyway, yahr right. The dibbuns're back, an' that's undoubtedly grounds f'r celebration..."   

Krisha stands and offers Xander her paw "Let's go outside...."

Xander nods and allows her to help him up and only stops briefly to get his cane and takes a deep breath, a frown as it's still raining "Let's go....to the Great Hall"

Xander leads the way to the great hall, walking slowly and has his cane in one paw and Krisha's paw on another.He smiles and hugs her again, keeping his balaance and closes his eyes "I missed you so much."

Krisha leans into his hug and smiles "And I you...I am so glad your home gain"Watching them is Ciana as she followed them and loooks at them, she then frowns as she speaks "I no find...dada...."

Xander smiles and then looks down to the dibbun and frowns ,He looks at Krisha looking sort of helpless as he speaks "Jet was...her father..."

Krisha frowns "Jet....."She looks down at Ciana and kneels agin to hug her close, just hold the dibbun and isn't sure what to do.She looks at Xander again "I...noticed one of the dibbuns were not with you...the mole..."

Xander nods as he sits on the floor "He.....died, Matilda was wanting to tell his parents herself."

Elbio walks into the room and nods a hello "Ello..."He looks at the small hare as he speaks "You know...if the...little lass wants a...parent...ummm....well I will be staying 'ere now since live 'ere"

Krisha looks down at Ciana as she falls asleep and rocks her , she glaces at Elbio "Maybe...it can be brought up later..."She smiles a little and gentlyly goes to hand her to Elbio "Here get her down for a nap....me and Xander wanted some time to talk"

Xander stays seated on the floor and listens to the rain outside, a paw grips the cane he has as he waits.

Elbio nods and carries the little hare to a room, he then goes off to find the Abbot so he and him can chat about the scroll he has from the Badger Lord,where Elbio is to be the Redwall Hare.

Krisha sits by Xander and lays her head gently on his shouoder and is just quiet a while before she speaks "Your...having trouble walking I noticed, and the....cane, wot happen? Something on the way back?"

Xander kisses her forehead and speaks "It happen...when we were tracking the slavers, the ferret, Kurgun...he...he fired a poison crossbolt at me and it hit my upper right hip, messed it up and also it..posioned me, I...almost died, I could of...I was told I should of died from it....but I lived, I was told I woud never walk...I am...ok with a cane and a bad limp, but its still walking. Thinking of you and of our son Oz....and I also adopted Caleb.. That kept me going, getting back to you my love. Back to you and you in my arms again.I.."He pauses "I also am...my warrior days are gone, I was gonna ask Benar on joining de order"

Krisha snuggles closer to him as he speaks, "I love you."She says softly. She is happy, she feels safe and loved in his arms and ends up falling asleep here in the Great Hall, them by the pile of blankets and pillows and just peacefully asleep.

Xander watches her sleep a while and smiles.He keeps his arm around her and lets his own eyes close in sleep, no one brohers the two badgers and lets them sleep for now

Who:

Krisha-Badger Mother

Gracie-Dibbun

LOG:

Krisha is sitting under one of the trees in the orchards looking at some of the pictures she has been given and smiles a little. The harvest is in, even the fruits and vegetables now as of this morning. The day is sunny and the weather is slowly starting to be less hot now as Autumn is upon them as some colored leaves are falling now, not too many yet but a small few.   
   
The badger isn't the only one out enjoying the early Fall day. Gracie the gosling is wandering around in the grass, stomping on leaves and grinning at the crackle they make. Her blankie trails behind her leaves clinging to it as it drags on the ground. She is also clutching a piece of paper that has many colorful scribbles on it.   
   
Krisha looks over as the gosling gets closer and waits, she then speaks "Hello Gracie dear....your getting leaves all on your blanket"   
   
The gosling looks at her blankie, then picks it up off the ground and toddles over to the badger. "Cans /you/ hewp me get 'em off, Muvver Krisha?" Gracie goes to sit in the Badger Mother's lap, still clutching the drawing close to her. "Why are da weafs fawwing off da trees?"   
   
Krisha smiles, she has started talking again, though she still is sad. She picks off the leaves slowly from the blanket as she speaks "Its autumn, colored leaves fall, soon the trees will be bare for winter season, then come spring the leaves grow back." Gracie is still the only dibbun, at times there is a shrew dibbun when the GUOSIM is here.   
   
Gracie doesn't mind being the only Dibbun when she's with the Badger Mother, although she's gotten very tired of the extra attention from everyone else. "Ooohh.....why da weafs have to faww? Don't da trees get cowd?" She helps to pick the leaves off her blankie, then suddenly remembers something. "Wookit! I drawed your picture fo' t'day!" She shoves the drawing into the badger's face. It's of some of the trees turning different colors with the badger and the gosling (in crude little kid fashion) holding paw and wingtip underneath them.   
   
Krisha smiles "Its a very nice drawing Gracie and...I suppose trees don't get cold, maybe bark protects them I am unsure."She looks at a leaf she twirls in her paw and sighs a little laying it down again.   
   
Gracie beams at the compliment and lays the picture down on the part of the badger's lap neither she nor her blankie are on. The goose snuggles closer, watching some leaves flutter down to the ground. "Dey wook kinda wike fwowers on da ground." She points to a big maple leaf that is nearby. Its edges are curled up some, forming a kind of cup.   
   
Krisha studies the leaf "Yeah, sort of...."A smile forms" This time of the seasons is..."She stops then clears her throat "Always nice"   
   
Gracie wriggles out of the badger's lap, mostly oblivious to the adult's sorrow. Snagging the maple leaf, she brings it back over to the badger, smiling. "It'sso pretty!! I didn't knows weafs couwd turn red!" She twirls it on its stem, then fumbles and drops it. She then gets distracted by another leaf falling on her head! She pauses, then giggles. "The tree gave me a hat!"   
   
Krisha smiles but then frowns as if remembering something. She stands up slowly as she looks around at the falling leaves.   
   
This time, Gracie sees the frown. Gathering up her blankie and draping it over the top of her head, the gosling goes to tug on the badger's habit, eyes wide and staring. "Muvver Krisha, what's wrong?? You no wike my hat?" She gets another leaf and puts it on her head, eyes widening even more as she waits for a response.
   
Krisha nods "I do,I was just thinking is all."She kicks at some leaves and smiles again, she walks over to a novice and quietly speaks to them, they nod and get some others to start putting the leaves in a pile in the orchards. She walks back over and kneels down, a small smile "Sorry I am just still...sad, but I am starting to feel better and you have helped a lot, Gracie"   
   
Gracie giggles when the badger kicks the leaves then watches quietly as the grown-ups start doing things. When the Badger Mother kneels before her, she blinks a couple of times, listening. A shy smile crosses her face. "I /have/??" She goes to hug the badger, still smiling.   
   
Krisha nods "Yes."She is smiling and its a real smile. She looks back to the novices and smiles "Thank you" She looks at the pile "There is another thing that's good in Autumn" She goes to jump in the pile of leaves and starts laughing, something she hasn't done since the dibbuns were taken. The novices even laugh a little and will help fix the pile of leaves again.   
   
Grinning, Gracie follows the badger over to the pile of leaves, her eyes wide as the adult jumps in. The gosling's grins fades, and she hugs her blankie close. "Wiww I get /stuck/? I'm wittler'n /yous/." She looks nervous by the prospect of jumping in a huge pile of leaves.   
   
Krisha smiles "You won't get stuck and I am here to get you back out. I did this as a dibbun too, it's fun...others have also"   
   
Gracie hesitates for a few more moments, then decides to trust the Badger Mother and try it out. She waddles forward and tries to jump, but she doesn't do a very good job and ends up basically just falling and belly-flopping onto the side of the leaf pile. As some of the leaves collapse under her, more fall on top of her, effectively burying the little gosling. She honks in alarm and starts flailing. She's still holding her blanket, too...   
   
Krisha gently gets her out and smiles "It's ok, some like it and some don't."She smiles still "Still good to get them in pile still, one of the chores this time of the seasons"   
   
Once she is rescued from the leaf pile, the gosling just stands there. Gracie has leaves sticking in her downy feathers and on her blanket, all over herself. She blinks up at the badger. "Why some wike it? It scary! An' why da weafs needta be put in piwes? Why can'ts dey jus' stay all over da ground?"   
   
Krisha says, "The leaves can be turned into something to help things grow later, also...hmmms"She gets a few "Maybe you can make something pretty with the leaves also, press them onto something and make a picture of sorts"   
   
Gracie has to think about this for a few moments, but then a slow smile forms on her face. "Wike wif cway?? Ooh, ooh, or I couwds gwue dem onto paper!!" She looks a little silly, standing there covered in leaves, but her smile at her ideas is lovely.   
   
Krisha nods " Paper be good I think, not sure what else"   
   
Gracie thinks for a few more moments. "Maybes we couwds sews a tapestry wike Martin da Warrior's, 'cept wif weafs??" She has no idea that that won't work. She starts to brush leaves off of herself, starting with her blanket.   

Krisha chuckles and lays leaves in a line of sorts " Leaf necklace " she smiles " crown "   
   
Gracie hops up and down, clapping. "Wike wif fwowers!!" She starts laying the leaves out in a line, too, just mimicking the badger, not sure what they're doing, but having a good time doing it, anyway.   

Krisha smiles" Sort of yes" she has a novice get glue and string.   
   
Gracie has gotten distracted with staring at the veins and patterns on a leaf. It's so interesting! "It wooks wike /me/," she states, holding up the leaf, then spreading apart some of the feathers on her wing to show the blood vessels under her pale skin.   

Krisha says, "just be careful ok... let's see..you can make a necklace or crown like this" She shows her" See?"   
   
Gracie's attention is redirected back to the task at hand. She watches, then tries to imitate the badger. "Wike /dis/??" She doesn't realize it yet, but there's glue on her feathers. And her blanket.   

Krisha nods" Yes...also we will need to get the glue off your feathers and blanket..hmms pond maybe"   
   
Gracie looks at the glue on her feathers. "I wike pwayin' in da pond. Cans it waits, dough? I wantsa keep doin' dis." She continues to use glue to attach the leaves to the string.   
   
Krisha smiles " Ok maybe a bath then after this." The badger has even made a string of colored leaves and smiles more than she has in a long time.   
   
"Okies.....can we use da soap dat smewws wike wavender? I wike dat one best." Gracie's string of leaves is much messier than the badger's, naturally, but she, too, is smiling a lot. She seems content just being here with the Badger Mother.   
   
Krisha chuckles "Sure, this has been fun...today has been fun and I have not had fun in a long time" She smiles, she had lost hope of seeing the others ever again, deciding maybe they would never come back and maybe she still believes it but today has truly cheered her as she smiles, laughs and is relaxed and stress-free right now.   
   
Gracie gasps in horror! "YOU haven't had /fun/in a wong time??!" She goes to feel the badger's forehead with a sticky wingtip. "Are you /sick/?? Do you need /med'cine/??" She leans close and whispers, "Dat's whot Miz /Angewa/ asks when da Dibbuns gets /bored/."   
   
Krisha blinks "Huh...odd, and no just been, sad suppose but I am feeling better now and things will be ok, they will...just may take some time"   
   
The bells start to ring, and the gosling jumps. "It dinnertime!!" Gracie pauses, looking at the glue on her wings and blanket. "I need to wash my feavvers." She will toddle after the Badger Mother to get the soap and get washed off, then she will lead them to get food! This Dibbun likes mealtime.

Krisha smiles and makes sure they both get inside and to dinner after getting cleaned up. They make it to dinner just in time.