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oz

Member

Registered: 2016-11-20

Posts: 1,659

New friend?-redwall log

Who:
Oz-teen badger

Saro- abbey visitor

LOG:

Oz is sitting by the pond, the weather isn't too cold since it is spring now, a couple days ago a light bit of snow had fallen.
Once more the badger has slipped away from the other dibbuns to be on his own, he is not a full grown badger, but also not a dibbun so much now.

Apparently enjoying the greater warmth of the season, Saro the squirrel is out strolling the abbey grounds. She has a chunk of wood in paw that she's fiddling with as she goes, as absently as her gaze travels across her surroundings. But then her greeny-grey eyes settle on Oz, and she blinks. "Oh, hullo," she says with a smile. "Nice day to be out, isn't it?"

Oz glances over at the squirrel and nods a hello after a short while"Hi....I suppose it's an...an ok day" A small frown "I would be,..be in the orchards but.."He shrugs now.

Saro peers with interest at Oz as the young badger speaks and then glances over her shoulder in the direction of the orchards. "Ohh," she says, wrinkling her brow quizzically. "There're some folks camped out there now, aren't there? What's the tale behind that? Is it to do with the great treehouse takeover?"

Oz says, "The strange squirrels left, they are at de firepit" He shakes his head"I don't like them, wanted to punch the but that would have been a bad idea"

"Hrmm," says Saro. "A punch or two can solve some problems sometimes, but not most of them most times. Sadly." She tosses her block of wood lightly between her forepaws as she considers. "Were they most especially rude to you? I heard they got up to some very extreme rudeness."

Oz crosses his arms over his chest "They poured oatmeal, honey and feathers all over me and de abbot"He sighs "Father would have punched them...if he was still around"

Saro doesn't seem at all surprised by this information, but the look she gives Oz is a sympathetic one. "Aha. I'd heard that had happened to a couple of beasts -- I'm sure it was really awful. But," she goes on, "d'you really think your father would've punched them? The abbeyfolk are peaceful and patient beasts, or so they are from what I've seen."

Oz nods slowly "Maybe...I.....I don't..."He frowns "He was a warrior and...was gonnna be a novice like...a Brother in de order...but"He whimpers now as memories still remain of the last time he saw his father, a couple deep breaths"But...he didn't ...get too far into novice studies.He...he still fought....the day...."He stops there.

Saro gazes at the young badger with a soft look in her eyes. "You must be Oz," she says quietly. "I've met your mother, and she told me a little about how brave your father was. You must be very proud of him, but I'm sure that doesn't make you miss him any less." She comes a little closer and asks, "D'you mind if I sit here for a bit?"

Oz feels tears fall..."The...cat ....he killed my dad..and took me away..."He closes his eyes and then opens them looking around and remembering how he was back in the abbey and safe.

Saro sits down near Oz, companionably but not too close. "Wildcats are a nasty lot," she says, sounding not very happy herself. "It must've been a terrible time for you.. but at least you got back here in the end, and back to your mother. She must have been so sad too. But at least you still have each other, and you're back in the abbey together." The squirrel's left ear droops a little, rather sadly, but her expression is empathetic as she observes the young badger.

Oz nods, a small smile "Home.....yeah"He pauses and speaks again"Mother....has father's blade in a chest...I..."He frowns "I don't know if I wanna learn ta be a warrior or not, maybe do something else....like sing"He smiles "The bees like my singing"

"Really!" Saro's expression brightens noticeably, and she smiles too. "I love to sing. I think it's much better than punching people, or swords for that matter. I'm sure the bees love to have someone singing for them -- they sing too, after all, with their wings. Or at least hum, hum, hum.." She looks thoughtful. "Maybe when you sing, the bees feel like you're giving words to their humming." Her tail flips quirkily from side to side as she looks pleased with this whimiscal notion.

Oz hmmms,a soft chuckle "Maybe....and singing is nice...and calming too." He clears his throat and sings a short song of spring, it's not too long.His voice is a little deep and he seems to enjoy singing and then one of those annoying voice cracks,a frown now."Well,....maybe later"

Saro grins at Oz at the end of his song, a look both mischievous and appreciative. "That really is lovely. I can see what the bees are happy about! Your voice is like an instrument that just needs a bit of tuning, you know. You can hear the beautiful tones it's going to make one day -- you've just got to get the tuning right and it'll be perfect." Her left ear perks up cheerfully, and she says, "Maybe even that pesky tribe of squirrels will be in awe of your singing one day! Though they might have less sense than the bees."

Oz mmphs"I don't like the tribe squirrels. But maybe they will go away soon,right now they are still in abbey....for now anyways long as they behave"

Saro chuckles wryly. "Well, I can see why you don't like them, for certain sure. But they may have had hard times too, and just made some very bad decisions.. as all beasts do from time to time." She looks a bit more pensive for a moment, then sighs slightly and shakes her head. "Anyway, you can set a better example for them than they set for you. I'm sure you don't have to be friends with them, just be dignified and polite -- natural badger behaviour, right! -- and ignore them as best you can. The other abbeyfolk will keep them to their promise to behave."

Oz nods,a grin "mom will for sure..."He then sighs "She is probally gonna come look for me soon..shge usually doesn't care if I wander away from the group long as I stay in the abbey. I am close to novice age..course that means class with Brother Gorvenalus"

"Aww, well, I'm sure your mother just worries and wants you to be safe. But," Saro proclaims, placing a paw on her chest and adopting a heroic attitude, "you can tell her that you were with me, and we were looking out for one another. Oh!" She grins again, quickly and somewhat sheepishly. "Which I suppose you could do, if you knew my name. I'm Saro, and I've only been here at the abbey a few weeks. I haven't even been here long enough to know who Brother Gorvenalus is! Is a class with him bad? Is he a strict teacher?"

Oz says, "He can be strict...he's an old beaver and the abbey Recorder and Librarian"

Saro ponders this, flicking her tail thoughtfully from side to side. "I think librarians usually are a little strict.. they like everything to be very tidy and organized, and they expect you to be that way too." Tossing her block of wood up into the air with one paw, she catches it lightly with the other, then flips it back to the first paw. "I bet you'll be fine, though, and learn a lot from him. Just think of all the stories he knows about the abbey and its folks, for ages and ages back!"

Oz nods"He has read a lot of logs, usually stays in the library or book fixing room..rarely his office.es out with some others right now...some old tree fell in the woods,he took a group to check it out"

Saro's ears perk up at this mention of old trees, and their having falling over. "Oh really?" she asks curiously. "How long ago did it fall? D'you know what kind of tree it was? Or if-" She breaks off with a laugh, seemingly directed at herself. "But no, I'm sure you don't; who would? Why'd they go out to look at it, though? Lots of trees fall in the forest, and most people" - she chortles again - "don't much concern themselves about it."

Oz says, "Guess those squirrels lived in it....so they are checking it out, maybe have firewood and wood for building and stuff.""

"Ohh, I see.. so they lost their home, they did." Saro taps her block of wood thoughtfully against her teeth. "Well, I guess that explains why they came here, anyway, if not the rudeness. Hmm." She turns her head to stare towards the abbey wall, as if she could somehow see through it to the far-off fallen tree. "Well, it'll be interesting to hear what they find out."

Oz says, "Yeah, maybe I will explore the woods....sometime, if allowed" He shrugs "It wasn't the best time last time I went outside the abbey"
Saro wrinkles her nose a bit, agreeing, "Yeah, I don't guess it was.."

Shaking her head decisively, she resumes, "But, you should definitely be able to get out and explore the woods sometime! It's your home, after all, and you're getting old enough that you can probably take care of yourself better -- especially if you have a friend or two to bring along."

She ponders the matter. "In fact, maybe sometime one of the adults from the abbey -- or from one of the camps nearby, the shrews or the otters, better still! -- could take some of you dibbuns out on an expedition. To get to the know the woods, and learn how to look out for yourselves better." She sits up straighter, looking pleased with this idea.

Oz hmmm"Thats up to Benar and also Mom,she is the Baadgermother and Benar is the abbot, and...bad beasts could be out there too"

"True, true," Saro agrees. "But! --That's exactly why you need to learn the woods better, and how to take care of yourself better in them." She shoves her block of wood into a pouch on her belt and folds her arms over her chest. "Those dibbuns like you that are getting a little older, who won't soon be dibbuns anymore, should be taught things like that. The world can be a scary place, but it's less scary if you know enough about living out in it that you don't always need walls to stay safe."

Oz listens and is silent,then "Live in de woods? Like explore and...and so wot ever I want?" He seems a little, excited about the idea."I know...well, sort of...how ta get to the//Sala...Sala..."He sighs, it is hard to say Salamanstron..."I know where Lord Ciocan lives, hes a big..TALL badger"

Saro chuckles softly. "Well, I imagine it'd be a while before you could actually /live/ in the woods. But maybe you could someday, and travel around everywhere -- maybe you could even travel around and sing to people wherever you went, and help beasts in need, and meet famous people like Lord Ciocan!" She nods enthusiastically at this thought. "So you could start out small, learning from those who're good at living out in the woods and the wilds already, and work your way up. And then you wouldn't have to be scared to go out -- at least not any more than any sensible beast is." Grinning a little, she confides, "I'm scared of a lot of things, but I'm good at avoiding trouble.. and running away and climbing trees."

Oz nods"I...don't climb trees...father did"He smiles"I can avoid trouble and I can run fast...when I want to. And few really go near a badger"

"That's right, most sensible beasts also treat a badger with respect." Saro laughs again. "If you can avoid trouble," she says, "and run fast, and you /also/ happen to be a badger, it sounds like you've got a good start on it. Maybe one day you'll even be able to give survival tips to poor beasts like me." The squirrelmaid flips her tail up and down, stretches, and jumps to her feet. "Anyhow, I think it's about time I turned in for the night. I'm glad I finally got to meet you!"

Oz nods "It is late, I should go inside too.Maybe we can chat again sometime Saro"

Saro smiles at Oz. "I'm sure we will. I don't have any plans to go anywhere just yet, and it's always nice to have company." Giving the young badger a wave and a salute of her tail, she tells him, "Have a good night and lovely dreams, Oz!" and bounds across the abbey grounds in the direction of the great hall and sleep.

---

I play:
Oz-  Badger-young adult-Wanderer