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Ol'random

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From: Somewhere by the Mountains

Registered: 2018-05-25

Posts: 417

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Two Chats with the Badgermother - RW 10/2/19–10/23/19

The first part happened both IC'ly and OOC'ly on 10/2/19, just as the harvest was taking place. The second half happened today (10/23) - they're both pretty short so I put them together to add a little more substance.

Krisha, a badger,
and Spruce, a squirrel.

Some weeks ago, during the harvest and after Xander had been gone...

Krisha has been fairly busy the past few days, and right now she is asleep in her chair, a book in her lap as she sleeps , then she has done a lot today.

Every so often, the outline of a squirrel jumps between the morning light streaming from the high windows, the bushy shadow appearing across the floor. Spruce springs to the next foothold, a small ledge just beneath were one of the arches start, and he makes it, for a brief moment, looking quite proud of himself - before slipping slightly with a loud squeak, scrambling to get a better purchase. He does, and he slides down to sit dangerously close to edge, breathing heavily.

Krisha opens her eyes slowly and blinks, she looks up and frowns "What the seasons!" She frowns as she stands, "Wot are ya doing up there..."She normally be like get down but that may not be too easy.

Eyes wide at being caught, Spruce offers her a wide grin though his face goes red. "Oh, nothin'." He calls down, in as casual voice as he can manage. "Don't mind little ol' me!" As to if to prove this, the squirrel stands, leaping to a lower outcropping of stone. "See? I'm perfectly fine." Readjusting his footing, he perches on the edge, still looking down at the badger mother.

Krisha frowns, but she manages to stay calm. "Beasts don't...normally climb up there so, so high, I would dislike being anywhere high up."

"Well, of course not!" Spruce calls down with a laugh, "You're a badger! Never expected you'd like climbin' an' jumpin' an' all that! But I probably should come down. Just exploring. Plus," he adds, swiping his paw against the stone, "There's enough dust up here to take out a grown badger in a fit of sneezes an' coughs..."

Krisha manages a small laugh but she is still nervous of him being up there. "Yeah...guess it needs dusted sometime, likely before the feast."

"Good luck with that..." Spruce mutters, looking at the hundreds of ledges, and at the ground. "I guess I'll come down." With that, he jumps to a ledge next to the fireplace then the top of the hearth itself, before pausing to look for a good place to land. Spying a chair near Krisha, he leaps to it. The next moment the young squirrel is sprawled on his back, having hit the cushioned chair with far more force than he thought he would. It stopped it his fall and saved him from any injuries, sure, but it too was laying on its back nearby.

Krisha frowns, she is sure they have a way to dust, or  so she thinks, its something to worry on later as she walks over to the squirrel to check on him, a frown as she  sees if he is ok.

Spruce sits up, mostly fine besides a mildly bruised rear. He looks up at the badgermother, giving a nervous chuckle. "Eh, sorry 'bout that." He says, rubbing the back of his head. "Didn't expect that ol'thing to be so light!"

Krisha nods "Well light..soft makes for a good landing I suppose, just ...be carefull....trees are likely better to climb than...well other places"

"I guess..." As he stands, Spruce looks up towards the far-off ceiling. "But trees have a habit of looking the same about, you know. And this place is bigger than anything I've ever seen, with all those pawholds and ledges. I can't imagine many beasts have ever been up there!"

Krisha says, "Few...as no reason to really climb, I mean there is stroies of a mouse doing it once and he got in trouble with the sparrows""

Spruce shrugs, saying, "Suppose Sparrows can be real jerks sometimes. Though," he goes back to the tipped chair, crouching down, "Y'don' need a reason to climb, leastways not for a squirrel. Or at least not for me." He grunts as he hefts the armchair upwards, and it slowly falls back into an upright position, the feet hitting the stone with a loud click.

Krisha nods. "I..dont remember ever climbing, mybe a small hill thats all and thats not the same, few hills southeast"

Spruce laughs. "Again, never expected you to climb! I mean, well, no offense, but badger's don't seem like they'd do well in treetops. Though it makes quite the mental picture, doesn't it?" A cheeky grin spreads across his face at the thought.

Krisha says, "Wouldn't climb a tree unless I had a good reason to...my daughter climbed a tree once and almost fell out of it."

"Oh? Good for her!" Spruce says, leaning against the chair back. "Very few beasts 'sides squirrels could climb a tree without falling, I'd say."

Krisha smiles, a little anyways and nods. "Yeah she loved trees...."She smiles in thought and then sighs frowning."But.. its better to just have like squirrels climb."

"I guess..." Spruce says, noticing the frown and the past-tense. "Squirrels are what they are, eh? And so are badgers..." After a moment, he looks down at his feet, asking hesitantly, "Er, are there more badgers like you and that one who ran 'round here? Or is it just you?"

Krisha says, "Just me right now unless..Xander comes back but I dont know if he will or not, he..left"She sighs as she is worried still "I miss him and worry about him, but I am sure he is ok...so maybe two if count him, least in  Mossflower""

"Huh..." Spruce tilts his head to the side, looking up at the badger. "If I'm being honest, I never've seen one before coming here! Heard plenty of stories, though..."

Krisha says, "The abbey has...almost alway had a badgermother, there was a couple times it didn't have one""

Spruce nods. "So I've heard. Most of the badger's I've been told of were from here, I think. The rest from some far off mountain with salamanders..."

Krisha says, "Yeah Oz had family here, well once he moved from the snowy northlands...think Xander was adopted into the family, but hew is..still family and..I hope he comes back soon'""

"Well, the impression I got from him, well..." Shaking his head, Spruce shrugs. "I dunno 'bout that... Seemed pretty peeved, if I do say so myself..."

Krisha says, "I am unsure what was wrong but just...the look he had, it was an accident and he dint mean for anyone to get hurt and now he is who knows where, he  normally isnt like that."

Spruce exclaims, "Maybe, but that doesn't change the fact he's a bit terrifying!" A nervous laugh comes from him as he pushes off the chair to stand upright. "Admittedly I'm 'bout a fourth his size so that may of played into that..."

Krisha chuckles a little "Yeah....just  image a vermin against him, he is a very good fighter and usually has a large blade but he left that in the gatehouse when he..ran away."

Eyes wide, Spruce replies, "I can imagine..." He shudders, shaking his head. "I don't ever want to be on his bad side..."

Krisha says, "No, probally unwise to be.I am hoping what ever is..well upsetting him befre the accident, he will talk about, its hard to say what upsets him now he probally thinks the abbot died and blaimes himself""

"Wouldn't blame him..." Spruce mutters to himself, before saying, "Maybe, maybe. I don't know him beyond what happened to the poor father abbot - Benar was really one of the only creatures I had talked here to up to that point, 'sides that mouse Caleb, of course..."

Krisha says, "I know a couple beasts are looking for Xander but thats all I know, not where he is, I have no clue where he is since he clearly is not going somewhere he knows."

Spruce nods, slowly, seemingly unconvinced. "Maybe... Eh, but what do I know?" He says with a shrug. "Anyway, Mother Krisha, I probably need to help out in the orchards soon, I'd told brother..." He pause, thinking. "Actually I can't remember his name! But he was someone!"

Krisha chuckles "In charge of the  orchards is elder Elmef...though I think Brother Caleb is doing a lot, and Brother Rick."

Spruce blinks. "Uh, I don't think it was Elmef, or Rick - definitely not Caleb..." The squirrel shrugs again. "I dunno who it was, I guess! Anyways, I've got to be there before the noon bell." Heading for the doors, he calls over his shoulder, "It was nice t'talk to you, mother Krisha!" And then he's out.

A few weeks or so later...

Krisha is taking a break, she needs one as she has been on Abbot and Dibbun duty a lot lately.She sits under the tree for now, a little time off is good

While many leafs have fallen, some trees remain coated in their reds and yellows, and up in a branch of the plum tree the badger sits under rests a squirrel enjoying an armful of, well, plums. Spruce pops another one in his mouth, spitting out the core below a few moments latter, chewing.

Krisha blinks and looks up at the squirrel and frowns a little "Did you get into the plums or ..hmmms guessing got the very high up bit they missed."

Spruce, about to put a plum in his mouth, stops, haven been caught. "Er, yes." He calls as he looks down at Krisha sheepishly. "There's been a lot of fruit up higher that's been missed, y'know." Grinning cheekily, the squirrel adds, "And, well, can't let them go to waste, now, can I?"

Krisha chuckles "I do see some, most was gotten...hmmms may be enough left for a pie or two...maybe you can get the rest."

"Maybe." The squirrel replies through a mouthful of plum. Swallowing, Spruce starts to climb down with his free arm, though one fruit falls. "Whoops!" He mutters, even as he touches down on the ground.

Krisha smiles "Its ok..cant always have a good day..some are stressful and others are not thats why its important to rest"

Spruce tilts his head to give her what he thinks is a knowing look. "Aye, rest is important, it is, and I daresay I've never gotten enough, eh?"

Krisha shurgs "It has been  busy doing tow main jobs, but have gotten some help..Sister Ginnny is with the dibbuns right now"

Looking very serious, Spruce nods gravely. "That poor Sister." He plops himself down against the tree next to Krisha, plums still held in his arms. Taking one and eating, he glances over at the badger mother. "Say, this is purely theoretical, but... How often are dibbun successful in snatching pies and other stuff from the kitchens? Purely theoretical of course." The squirrel gives a wry grin.

Krisha says, "Not very and do not try it, you can get in real trouble if Friar Lacota  caught you, he  may already be  grumpy seeing as someone destoryed or alsmost did always, one of the trays.""

"Oh, I'm not gonna try it!" Spruce says with a wink, "I'm not that brave, not at all." He takes a bite out of the last plum he has. "Friar Lacota's that ol'squirrel with the pots, right? I'm not willing to cross him myself, at least. I'm not that curious to find out what he'd do if I were to, well, y'know..."

Krisha says, "Well he is in charge of the kitchens and he is old I suppose but not too old."

A smirk on his face, Spruce spits out the last plum-pit. "Aye, well, nearly every beast looks old to me, 'cept for the babes and those my age."

Krisha nods as she yawns a little, she seems tried now then last couple weeks has been fairly busy.

Resting his head on his arms against the trunk, Spruce says, "Well, I hope the weather stays at least a little bit warm like this for a while yet."

The squirrel is soon snoring, sleeping soundly like the child he still is against the tree trunk.

---

I play Atticus, John, Lossow, Terrence, and Spruce
The Long Patrol Landing Page!
Usually on the MUCK Saturdays + Monday & Wednesday evenings if I have the time
Fastest way to reach me is via my Discord: Luke_SkyOtter#1438