Oz's Time In The Snowy North(History)

oz · 2018-04-24 09:42:50 AM

*** Gonna say He told these two Stories to Dorarose and Later Xander and Krisha, and if others listened he told them too...a sort of Story time and chat with close friends maybe during a thunderstorm or late night tea and scone time? So we can say, if that's ok...He told this to help Dorarose and Lilymoore with their grief, and told a couple others so they would know why he has been sort of down the past week, he is proud to have the new badger cub named after Northstar, I mean he did suggest it after all..enjoy ******

***A story Oz will tell to anyone who wants to listen. Also wanted to go into a little more detail on how he and Zork lost their parents and also how Oz later lost his mate Northstar...yes he allowed Xander and Krisha to name their child after his lost mate, he sees it as a way to honor her**

It was many seasons ago in the Snowy North and some winter seasons were hard and others were not so hard. This was one of the seasons that was hard and the badger family was suffering, as well as other families as well in the cold of the snowy Northlands of Send Valley. A male badger, named Powell and a female badger named Kate had two children, one who was recently just out of his dibbun seasons, his name was Zork and another just barely crawling...Oz. The two young badgers were about 5 seasons apart in age.

Powell sighed as he knew they needed to get elsewhere besides the small hut he built, the hut was in serious need of repair but that was hard in winter. He had decided to take an offer of staying with a family friend, a clan of wolves under the leadership of a wolf named Silverfangs. He turned to the hut and then spoke “Zork come here please.”

Zork walked out of the hut and stood in front of his father “Yes father?” He asked and waited,

Powell smiled and spoke “I need you to watch after your younger brother and mother for me, your not a dibbun anymore and once spring comes your be starting your training with The Blade of The Northwind Storms.”

“Where are you going father?” He was willing to stay with his mother and brother, to even guard them if needed.

“Not far. To find a friend and they only live down the path maybe a couple miles. I will be back before the storm hits and if I am not...please don't come and look for me as I am most likely taken shelter somewhere and your mother and brother will need you to be there for them...alright son?”

Zork smiled “Yes father, of course father.”

Powell gave his son a quick hug “Good.” He then walked off down the path, his plan to be back as soon as he could.

Powell almost made it to where the clan was but ran into trouble when the storm came sooner than he thought it would. He got sidetracked and lost the trail in the blinding swirling snow. He finally seen what he hoped was a familiar face and managed to call out before collapsing onto the trail.

The figure looked towards the badger and then rushed forwards, “Powell?...Powell!”

Powell focused on the face and managed a weak smile “S..Silverfangs...my friend.”His voice sounded weak,tried and he was past the point of shivering, he spoke softly”Kate....Zork...Oz...still home. Please....”He coughed and seemed to plead weakly”Take...care....care of em'.....” He then closed his eyes and took his last breath dying in his friends arms.

Silverfangs hugged his friend close to him as tears went down his face and then gently lowered him to the ground. A couple other wolves came up to him as he wiped his eyes “We must get to their hut...now”

“But the storm sir”

“There is no time, if we wait more lives slip away.” The wolf chieftain replied and they did not argue with him and quickly followed him.

Zork was worried as he paced outside the hut.

Kate stayed inside and every so often she peeked out as she held Oz. Then a creaking sound caught her attention as she frowned and looked up at the ceiling, snow was heavy on the weak roof as she frowned and went to shield Oz as best she could as she quickly headed to the door.

The sound caught Zork's attention as well as he turned and quickly went to help.

Kate frowned as she heard, then saw as the ceiling came crashing down. She reached out Oz to Zork “Take him!!”

Zork quickly scooped up his brother and reached a paw towards his mother “Mom!”

Kate barely avoided getting buried, the roof caved in snow and all, and as snow and dust cleared her leg was under the rubble as she coughed and tried to move “Oz..Zork!?”

Oz started to wail and clinged onto Zork tightly and hid his face in his brother's tunic.

Zork gasped and shielded Oz and then frowned, at first thinking his mother dead and then seeing her. He sighed a breath of relief and one paw he moved a couple boards to free his mother and the other arm he held Oz. “Come on Mom...can you get out now?” He frowned at the snow, the storm had slowed some but now they had to find Powell, he was told to watch Oz and his mother and protect them if needed and he was ready to do so “Mom?”

Kate managed to get out but her leg was clearly broken.”Zork...find your father..I..I can't walk, take Oz with you.”

Zork shook his head “No..I am not leaving you alone.” He went to help her up and help her lean on him, but he sadly didn't know the way to Silverfang's clan, he had never really went on the trip with his father..well maybe once when he was younger but didn't remember it well, built he had a general idea just once he got to a tall pine, was it left..or right?

Oz had fallen asleep snuggled close to Zork and staying warm in the homemade sling.

Kate limped along and stumbled a couple times. She was not in the best health and winter didn't help. She made sure the children ate first when there was food the past few weeks. She ate a little, enough for now. She frowned as her leg was swollen, it was not any beast fault.”Zork...honey..we need to rest.”

Zork checked on Oz and then helped his mother sit down “But...mom...we need to find dad. We need to get somewhere safe it's..dark out”

Dark and cold was not good, not in the snowy Northlands it wasn't there was sometimes dangers unseen. A wolf appeared....not all of the wolves in the snowy north was part of Silverfangs tribe, a small paw full were bad beasts, robbers and killers and if they seen a chance to attack and rob, to kill....maybe get a meal they would as they were a lot more savage than Silverfang's tribe also. Two of these beasts came and started to circle the badgers.

Kate noticed and frowned as she tried to get up and fell down again.

Zork frowned as he adjusted the sling with Oz in it and looked around quickly.”Don't worry mom...” He then remembered the dagger in his pocket, once he used to help cut fish when they were caught, he slipped it out and griped it as he looked at the two wolves “Go away, I won't let you hurt my mom or Ozzy.”

The two wild wolves seemed to care less as one went to charge at Zork.

Zork sidestepped, just barely and went to throw the dagger at the wolf, he made sure he knew where the other wolf was.

Kate groaned and slipped into unconsciousness. The walk too much for her, the leg injury and maybe another unseen one, she was ill already in fact.

One wolf yips as the dagger landed in one of it's eyes and it growled and spit. The other wolf was in mid leap and suddenly fell dead as a pear was clearly seen in it. It was then that Silverfangs and 3 of his clan beasts showed up. The other two clan beasts went to take care of the other wild wolf as Silverfangs went to Zork,Kate and Oz.

Zork at first feared Silverfangs as he backed up “Stay back...I..I am not afraid! I am Zork Winters..I...” He stayed focus “I will one day wield my father's blade. I am a warrior” Ok not just yet but one day yes he would be a great warrior.

Silverfang raised a paw “Calm..I am Silverfangs a friend to your father young one.”He cheeked Kate and frowned and he looked to his clan beasts”She needs aid....and so do the children.”

Kate was in need of a healer, and quickly. She was still alive but slipping away and she had a fever.

Zork relaxed, a little as he frowned and made sure Oz stayed warm and the cold wind didn't get to him.”Your...Silverfangs?”

Silverfangs nodded “Yes...now come. We will go to my clan grounds. There will be food and shelter and healing aids also.”

Zork decided to trust the wolf and went with him.

It was later in the clan grounds that Oz woke up and was crawling around on a blanket laid out for him. Zork close by watching him and every so often looking at the doorway where his mother was.

Silverfangs came into the room and cleared his throat”Zork Winters....” He said quietly.

Zork was alert, a little tried but alert as he nodded “Is..my mom ok and did they find my dad?”

Oz had fallen sleep on the blanket.

Silverfangs frowns “I am..sorry. Your father was found earlier by me and my clan, he sadly died...and your mother just passed from the land of the living just moments ago. But your father Powell asked me and my clan to care for you and your brother Oz.”He frowns “I will contact Soot and Zee Winters come morning...”

Zork dropped to his knees and just started crying.”No...no no no...” He sniffed and lack of sleep, depression and the fact he didn't eat yet, he would later, finally got to him as he passed out.

Silverfangs stepped forwards and then laid Zork onto a cot and sighed “Welcome to the Tribe of Flowing Stream. You are welcomed here...as family.” The wolf chieftain took Oz and Zork in as his adopted sons, he let Zee and Soot know what happen and the Winters Clan and the Tribe of Flowing Stream bond got ever stronger than before.

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*** This is a more detailed story of the day Oz lost his mate Northstar a few seasons after he and Zork lost their parents Kate and Powell ***

Oz was concerned with the falling snow, it was one of the worse winters, maybe the worse, Send Valley had every seen it it's history.”Northstar...dear we should get going while the snow has stoped. Its only ¼ a mile we can make it.”

Northstar smiled as she held their young son close. He wiggled in their arms as he was just barely a season old and had started to walk a little at times. “I know Oz.”She chuckled “Cole wants to walk so bad, he will have to wait till we get to the Inn”

Oz smiled “Yes he will....but let's go...sides Zork will have a mental breakdown if I am not there soon he worries so much...sometimes too much”

Northstar smiles “He means well Oz, so lets go”

Oz nods and they start their slow walk up the path. He smiled as he seen the end of the trail and the edge of the village of Send and then he heard it, the line of snow,ice,rocks coming right towards them from the side path. Maybe they could run and get to the village path just past the path they were on right now. But this day would not end on a good note and he knew it right away as he turned to grab for Northstar's paw!

Northstar gasped as the avalechenge hit them full force and caused them all to tumble down the path, past the den they had that was now quickly buried, if they had stayed it would have been a grave! The snow moved them towards a very steep drop off but she manged to grab a weak tree root and hang on with one paw, the other help her son Cole tightly “Oz!!”

Oz tried to grab a hold of anything he could and managed to barely grab a exposed boldier and take a couple deep breaths. He reached for Northstar and his paw brushed her paw..”Almost...littile further love...reach for my paw.”

Northstar tried, she did but the root broke and snapped and her and Cole went over the edge and to their deaths far far far below.

Oz eyes widen , his world just shattered into a million pieces as he watched in horror at what happen. He purposely let go of his hold on the boulder and ended up landing, just barely, on a small drop off edge he barely even fit on. He sobbed loudly and laid there for the next few hours till a search party declared it safe to search as the path was not steady, it was slippery and dangerous.

Zork at the time cared less about danger but he did tie a large rope around himself and made sure it was tied to a post and super well grounded so it would not fall out. He feared the worse as he made his way down the trail “Ozzy...Northstar...Cole.....oh no...” He saw where the den, least use to be, he shaked his head “No....”

Thunderwing an eagle friend was circling the area and came back “Oz friend on edge....”

Zork had hope again and nodded as he slowly made his way to his brother and checked for a pulse.

Oz was alive, barely alive and there was no sign of Cole or Northstar.

Zork took off his thick cloak and placed it on Oz as he frowned. Thunderwing confirmed what he didn't want to hear...Cole And Northstar far belong, clearly dead. The eagle would later recover the two dead badgers and get them to Send.

Zork held Oz close “Please stay alive Ozzy...I can't lose you too.”

Help came and Oz was taken to the infirm in the village of Send. He woke a couple days later much to the relief of Zork, but upon hearing Northstar and Cole was dead he cried himself to sleep. It was half a season later before he was well enough to walk out of the infirm, which he did, with a dagger he got from the forge and limped to a nearby creek.

He was about to end his own life when he smelled smoke and heard a cry for help. He pocketed the dagger and went to see what was going on and seen the remains of a small settlement, traveling mouse family lived there with some voles...but the families were...gone, most likely dead except for the small dibbun mouse he would later learn was named Maxtor. He took the small dibbun to the infirm for help.

Zork came in worried “Ozzy! What happen, I was worried and you left, your not or shouldn't go too far..what happen ?”

Oz sighed “Zork just shut up.....please. I was...”Tears go down his face “I was planing to join Cole and Northstar...when I heard the dibbun and..went to help him”He took the dagger from his pocket and gave it to Zork “Here..take it....don't need it.”

Zork was in shock and just hugged Oz close not careing if he was pushed away

Oz at first did try and push Zork away and then ended up crying himself to sleep in Zork's arms.

Oz adopted Maxtor and left Send Valley to go south, to the Northwoods with Maxtor where he found a old one room cabin he fixed up and stayed there 7-8 seasons and turned into a hermit...till one day Maxtor was old enough to explore on his own...drugged Oz's tea with sleeping herbs and ended up further south at Redwall. Of course Oz found out and followed him, Oz ended up staying at Redwall and became the Badger Mom...AKA Badger Father, AKA Papa Oz, he would see Maxtor at times and even one day Zork came to the abbey as well......

That's all as the rest of Oz and Zork's Story most know :)And Maybe I will have another story of Oz's time during those 6-7 seasons as a hermit in his and Maxtor's little one room cabin...how and why he was so over protective of Maxtor and how Maxtor even learned about the abbey in the first place...stay tuned but likely wont be anytime too soon......

Karth Riverbark · 2018-04-24 11:02:53 AM

Nice...and yeah more stories and some history would be neat. Maybe I will write one for Karth to explain where he lived before wandering into Mossflower

warrior_Otter_maid · 2018-04-24 03:00:35 PM

Reading other's history is fun

BlisaMarshmellow · 2018-04-24 03:38:34 PM

Thanks for sharing!

I give you permission to ICly say that he told those stories to LilyMoore and DoraRose

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#1 2018-04-24 09:42:50 AM

Oz's Time In The Snowy North(History)

#2 2018-04-24 11:02:53 AM

Re: Oz's Time In The Snowy North(History)

#3 2018-04-24 03:00:35 PM

Re: Oz's Time In The Snowy North(History)

#4 2018-04-24 03:38:34 PM

Re: Oz's Time In The Snowy North(History)

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