A Newly Arrived Old Friend (IC RWA RP 1.29.2022)

BlisaMarshmellow · 2022-01-29 07:43:21 PM

SCENE: Redwall Abbey Entry

CHARACTERS:
DoraRose, a female mouse.
John, a male squirrel.
Dochas, a female squirrel.
Krisha, a female badger.

LOG:
Dochas has been having a decent day so far. Yesterday a new squirrel named Eirwen came, and yesterday there were no classes and Dochas managed to not get into a fight with Spruce. There's been no classes today, either, and now she's all bundled up and playing outside in the snow, and by herself! Yep, that's a pretty good couple days in her book. Right now she's near the gates, drawing patterns in the snow with a stick she found. DoraRose is up on the walltop, keeping watch with the wallguards, her axe resting on the walkway at her feet.

Spruce was nowhere to be seen this day, meaning he was probably holed up in the library (again). The snow had finally stopped falling but the sky was still a grey blanket - yet Eirwen's paw prints form the day before had been covered. Nothing moved for as far as the eye could see, not a chill draft blew or branch fell. It was quiet.
Then, north on the road from the woods on the west side a creature hooded and cloaked leaps out and over the ditch to land on all fours on the snow covered path.

The newcomer isn't missed by DoraRose, but she doesn't react yet any more than looking over that way, keeping careful watch to see what this creature does. Dochas walks over to the Gatehouse steps, smiling as she drags her stick through the snow. She then tosses her stick aside and starts working on a snowbeast right beside the Gatehouse door. "DoraRose, I'm makin' a snowbeast for you!" The Gatekeeper smiles, but doesn't turn her gaze away from the newcomer on the road. "Oh, thank you, Dochas! That sounds lovely."

The 'newcomer' stand upright, brushing snow off himself and shaking his cloak. Wrapping what seems to be a scarf tighter about his face the creature heads south down the road and pushes down the feeling of regret - he never liked to travel in the open, especially not in recent seasons. But no matter. He boldly strides right up to the great gates and raises his paw to give two sharp knocks.
"Ahoy! Ye, up there, let me in 'efore Ah freeze m'tail off."

The sudden sound makes Dochas jump, and she leaps into the doorway of the Gatehouse, peering around the stones at the gate. DoraRose scowls and picks up her axe. The rest of the guards have perked up some, too. The Gatekeeper thinks she recognizes the voice, but you can't be too careful. "Do you come in peace? Show your face and be recognized!"

Krisha heads over to the entry from the direction of the open ground and slows when she notices some sort of action at the gates.A frown and she heads over as she stays alert.

If the guard could see the look on the squirrel's face they might've refrained from asking. "Y'can know a place for twenty seasons and yet none o'ye lot ever know me." With a sigh, he throws back his hood. "John bloody MacGarran, mate, an' if ye donnae open tha' gate in h'next five minutes, Dorarose, Ah'll just climb a tree yonder an' leap atop th'wall, Ah will."

Dochas looks over at the Badger Mother (the Dibbun actually has permission to be out here, and she's under the Gatekeeper's supervision, so she's actually not in trouble this time), then sprints from the safety of the Gatehouse door to hide behind the badger. DoraRose hides a smile. She thought so. "Can never be too careful, mate." The mouse heads down the steps and opens the gate enough for the squirrel to enter. "What has possessed you squirrels to be travelling in this weather? Yesterday we had a female drop by, and now you. Is this just squirrel weather?" the mouse smiles at her joke.

Krisha smiles at Dochas and glaces at John by the gate when it opens." Not seen you in a while"

With a scowl up at the sky, John mutters, "If this is what's yore idea o' squirrel weather, Ah don' much wannae be part o' th'species." As if to further his point he brushes even more snow off himself. "An' trust me, if Ah had a say in th'matter Ah'd no' be wanderin' at this time, bu'-" He catches sight of the badger mother, recalling the last time he was here, but continues. "Ah'd came t'have some words with th'good father abbot, if he's still kickin', course. Been on th'west shore fore some seasons now, which reminds me, it does-" He turns his attention follow to Krisha. "Did yore wee one make it back 'ere safe an' sound? Ah'd managed t'get him tae th'patrol last summer, bu' Ah never heard what happened in th' chaos then..."

Dochas notices that the adults seem to know the newcomer, and that he happens to be a squirrel like herself. She comes out of hiding behind the badger and bounds over to him, staring up at him curiously. "Ozzie? Yeah, he's here. Been here for a while. My name is Dochas. Who're you?" DoraRose gently places a paw on the Dibbun's shoulder after locking the gates up again. "Dochas, honey, I think this is kind of an adult conversation--" "I was kidnapped by slavers, I can handle anything." The Gatekeeper looks to the sky for patience as Dochas continues, "An' of /course/ Benar's still alive, yeesh. He's not /that/ old."

Krisha starts to reply and the dibbun beats her to it. A smile." And thank you for getting Oz to the Long Patrol, and yes he was brought back, he is...well somewhere in the abbey."

Considering Benar was an elder when John was around Dochas' age himself, the squirrel raises a brow at her comment. He also knows very well who the dibbun even if she doesn't remember him, but he's not going to press the issue - or address the mention of slavers. Instead he bows his head to the badger. "Ah'm glad it managed some good in th' end, that's all. An' glad t'hear he's safe. An' Dorarose, don' ye worry about th' kit - th' adult conversation Ah'm intendin' t'have is with th'good father abbot, preferably no' out here in th'open like this, if Ah can help it. So donnae go shooing her away; anyways," he claps his paws, allowing himself a slight smile. "How is th'ol' abbey? Any devestatin' wars o' floods o'o'er horrific event take place in th'seasosn Ah've been away?"

Smiling softly, DoraRose shakes her head. "Not really. It's been pretty peaceful, actually." "I'm hungry, though," Dochas interrupts. "That's a catastrophe." Dora bursts out laughing. The Dibbun stares accusingly at the older squirrel. "You didn't answer my question. Who're you??"

Krisha smiles." Mealtime is very soon not to worry.Benar will likely be inside in the great hall when its mealtime."

John crouches down to look the dibbun in the eyes. "John MacGarran, Ah've been way fore some time, Ah have, but ye an' Ah've met 'efore now, we have." His one good ear twitches when Krisha speaks. "Well, Ah'm goin' t'find 'efore luncheon, then. Nothin' tae worrisome, Ah'd say, yet somethin' Ah'd rather no' leave be, if ye understand me meaning."

Dochas scowls slightly, crossing her arms and thinking. "I don't remember you...but maybe I was too little," she relents slightly, pulling her hat down more. DoraRose climbs back up to the walltop. "Well, put your weapons where they go, John, and get warm inside. I'll catch up with you later." Dochas smiles, then darts away. "Last one to lunch is a--" It's good that LilyMoore rings the bells for lunch right then. The tolling covers up the naughty words the squirrelbabe said as she dashed inside...

~*END*~

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#1 2022-01-29 07:43:21 PM

A Newly Arrived Old Friend (IC RWA RP 1.29.2022)

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