Redwall MUCK Forum

Lutea

Member

Registered: 2018-08-07

Posts: 151

Website

Now is Not the Time - Important LP log

"ORDAH!" Bridagier Paisely Strongpaw Tuftington VI shouts, pounding a fist against the podium until the roar of the generals and colonels dies down. "We all know wha' has happened..." The air of the meeting room is heavy and thick, even though it contains no more than a dozen beasts in the lofty space. The news has rattled them all.

"You are all aware by now that there has been... A terrible loss. Private Zolomon has delivered a list of names of those Patrollers tha' will not be returning." She begins, and has to bang her fist against the podium again as the bereaved din arises again. All of this bureaucracy has always come before her family; her daughter won't forgive her for it this time, she knows. But this is her duty.  "THIS IS NOT TH'TIME!" The ferocity of her shout surprises even her, and the aging haremaid steps from behind the podium to address her court directly.

"We have faced hardships before. We 'ave lost our friends, our mates, our children before. We do not fight an' defend our lands because we are selfish - we do it, because we are /not/. Now is not th'time to give in to our grief, do tha' on your own time an' cry into your pillows like th'rest of us. We are not soft woodlanders, we are fighting hares of the Long Patrol!"

"Eulalia!" A general shouts from the benches, and his fellows join him, cries of "eulalia!" and "blood n'vinegar!" Rising and ricocheting in the empty air until the brigadier is forced to hold her paws up to still them.

"Thank you. We need t'put our emotions behind us, for now, and make th'hard calls. When we leave this room, we will have re-arranged our units and decided who will fill the spaces we need." She sighs, returning to the podium.

"Firs' order of business... I elect that we pull /all/ troops from Halyard. We cannot keep peace in the Village, the Shores, and keep our Mountain running with so few beasts -" This is, of course, met with dissension, but with the lack of an alternative, the motion is passed. The orders are written up.

Colonel Locke raises a paw, and groans as he stands and speaks. "We will need to double down on training the recruits - and finding new ones. I recommend we spare two runners to find willing Patrollers."

"Done." The Brigadier nods, and orders it added to the list. "An' our empty positions?"

Another General rises, brandishing a sheet. "We dinnae 'ave enough t'covah it all, sah. Bu' I've looked it ovah, an' believe we may be able t'call Majah Varus back t'duty, if he is so willing. Of th'Lieutenants left, I believe Tottheim will be our best bet for promotion."

"Lieutenant Jinora?" Another scoffs. "She's too young, and barely a Lieutenant!"

"These are desperate times, General." Paisely sighs, drilling her thumb and forefinger into her forehead. She doesn't like it, but they have precious few options. "Make it so."

The meeting lasts well into the wee hours of the morning, and when the officers finally slump free of the Meeting Room, they do so with dejected, grief-stricken hearts and faces. They have had to do what they have to, and none of them are pleased with it. Paisely hangs back until the last officer has shuffled out, rubbing at their eyes, but as she moves to shut the door behind Colonel Locke, he turns to her with a heavy expression.

"We will need t'give them time t'process this loss, Brigadier. Ye can't push them so hard, this-"

"I understand loss." She bares her teeth at the slight. This is not the time. "My grandson is one of them. Life moves on, Colonel."

Come morning, the orders will spread through the grieving Mountain: Halyard is no longer under their jurisdiction, training has been doubled, recruitment has begun, Major Varus has been called in from retirement, and amongst a pawful of other rushed promotions, Jinora has been made a Major in her predecessors stead. The list goes on and, somehow, so will life on Salamandastron.

OOC:
At this point, Jinora and Varus are understood to have been made Majors of the LP and are encouraged to run plots and the like for the members of their units or the mountains as a whole. More information about roles may be found on the Groups page for the Long Patrol.

---

Lutea, Aden, Samara, Mary, Nautch, Jinora, Kympa, Isla, Rionach, and Jion
Avatar is a free base from Ace_Coyote on FA that I edited over