By the Abbey Pond... - RW 10/26/19

Ol'random · 2019-10-26 10:09:21 PM

Angela, a mouse,
DoraRose, another mouse,
John, a squirrel,
Nardo, a ferret,
and Xander, a badger.

Xander is by the pond watching leaves fall into the pond slowly and watching them sort of flaot around. Every so often he picks up a stone and toses it into the pond.

"Good way t'scare the fishes, son." Angela has snuck up on the badger, her last name of Quietfeet proven accurate once again. Staying safely out of reach, the elderly mouse smiles. "'Ow are ye today? Did I 'ear right that y'wanted to speqak with me?"

Away on the other side of the pond, John had just finished a talk of his own with the survivors of the caravan. The squirrel is alone now, eating a pear as he meanders along the bank, lost in thought.

Xander looks over and nods. "Yeah....then not like have..headache, as much..shoulder still sore at times but maybe left over hornet stuff, don't know." He frowns. "I still have some..issues to work out, not sure how though."

Carefully sitting down on a log near the badger, Angela rests her staff across her lap. "Oh? Like whot kind o' issues, son? May'ap I can 'elp you figure out a way t'solve them. I've 'ad a lot o' practice, after all."

John sees the badger and healer, raising his paw (and pear) in the air as a greeting. "'Ello there!" Arm still in a sling and crutch underarm, the squirrel hobbles his way over to them, finishing his pear with his freepaw. He's still a little ways away, however.

Xander watches the mousemaid and sighs. "You...afraid of me too?" He frowns. "Benar is..fairly sure he is." He watches another leaf fall. "The...stress and, well some of my memory is back and some not but decided to not worry about it, past is the past after all and this is the now." And just a random thought comes out, "Did you know someone knows how to like..fight some?"

Shaking her head, Angela shifts her weight. "There's a difference between fear and caution, son. Also, I'm in a world o' 'urt t'day and didn't feel like riskin' 'ittin' ye with m'staff when I sit and stand. Pain 'as a way o' makin' us not want t'be near anybeast." She shifts slightly, scowling slightly just as the squirrel greats them. Oh, well. He should expect that kind of stuff from her by now. "'Ave y'talked t'Benar an' found out if that's true, or are y'just runnin' on an assumption? An' who are y'talkin' about? DoraRose knows 'ow t'fight, but I feel you're talkin' 'bout somebeast else."

The squirrel pauses, realizing that perhaps this is a more private conversation. Especially with how the old mouse just growled - he teeters awkwardly for a moment, debating whether or not to continue. In the end, John throws caution to wind and goes on ahead, plopping himself down nearby the two, staring out at the water. "Fight some?" He asks, setting the pear core to one side, "If I were understandin' y'correctly, Xander, I'd say I'd be a beast, I were - but no shape am I t'fight, I am. Mayhaps when I get better we can have a go."

Xander speaks, "Benar..doesn't wish to see me and been told that by 3 beasts.Then again I likely wouldnt want to...see me either if I was him..I.." He closes his good eye and is quiet. "I almost killed him, he could of died cause of..me." He glances at John and back to Angela. "Krisha can fight..her and Matilda went to get some other supplies at the market cause its closeing soon til spring..Ferro said he taught her and yet she..never mentioned it to me."

Angela cocks an eyebrow. "Oh, they did, did they? I'll 'ave t'do some double-checkin' with Benar meself..." She smiles slightly at the squirrel, then looks back at the badger in surprise. "Oh, really? Well, seems fittin', since she's th' Badger Mother an' all." She's still pretty close to the badger, and she leans over and goes to pat him on the shoulder, since her log is right next to his. "I'm sorry she didn't tell you. She may 'ave just not ever thought t'tell ye. I was married many a season afore m' 'usband found out I could fight. Just never occured t'me t'tell 'im, is all. I doubt 'twas intentional on Krisha's part."

"Aye, she can - nearly killed tha' monitor with her bare paws, she did." The squirrel falls onto his back in the grass, gazing up at the sky. "There's no' much reason t'mention a beast can fight, there is," John says, eyes resting on a white cloud above them, "Most beasts from outside Redwall tend t'know their way 'round a brawl, they do, so I wouldn' go an' take it against yourself she didn' let y'know." Turning his head to look at Xander, now, he adds, "As for th'Abbot, well, I don' know much 'bout him or what he's thinkin'. But y'are in his abbey, so he'll have t'see sometime or another, he will."

Xander says, "I..heard..Anwir was..is dead.." He sighs. "It was yesterday on the road, two weasels and some fox..tried to rob the cart of supplies guess....but nothing was taken and everyone is ok, and thats good." He adds, "One less worry if she can..fight."

Angela frowns slightly. "Who's this Anwir creature?" She pulls a flask out of her pocket and takes a sip of what looks to be just plain water. But you never know with this mouse. "Aye, I wouldn't worry 'bout Krisha, son. She seems t'be a beast who c'n take care o' 'erself, I dare say."

With a little effort due to two of his limbs being injured, the squirrel rolls himself on his good side to face the badger and mouse. "Th'monitor tha' caught Krisha an' murdered half my caravan, it did. Th'creature's dead now - put my blade through its heart, I did. It's why I were so injured, it were." John pinches the bridge of his nose when he hears of the robbery, muttering, "Between yesterday an' Anwir, there seems t'be an increase in highway-beasts in these parts, there is, an' I daresay it might get worse an' worse 'efore th'winters out." With a long sigh, he returns to lie on his back, casting his gaze back up to the clouds above.

Xander says, "Let's..hope not.." He frowns. "I..want to avoid a fight..I..have to, a fight just gonna get me.." He shakes his head. "I need to figure out what ta do about anger issues and..well...be....find out who I am anymore, somehow."

Angela smirks a little bit. "Oh, I'm sure that my DoraRose can 'andle any beasts who come 'er way. Same with all the other Warriors 'ere in Redwall, an' th' beasts in Ferravale. I would just say warn 'em." Turning back to the badger, her smile softens. "Oh, Xander....y' 'ave the 'eart o' a Warrior, an' ye're a badger, t'boot. I'm afraid I don't 'ave much in th' way o' advice for ye. But I'm always 'ere to listen, alright?"

"Do what y'will do, Xander." John pushes himself upright to sit. "There's no'point in fighting' if y'don' have to, there isn', an if y'do, well, y'do. Best way o'finding yourself is tryin' t'know yourself, an'tryin' t'know what y'want, it is."

Xander shrugs. "I..don't know..who I am sometimes, I did lose 4-5 seasons of memories and some came back yeah..some not and may never, but thats ok.." He sighs. "I..wanted to leave and not come back cause. I was afraid..still a little..that I will get angery again and harm someone else or..worse..like wot if hurt Krisha?"

Nardo wanders over to the pond, looks around and soon finds a place to maybe sit down. Beasts have gotten use to him being around.

Angela shakes her head. "Son, ye're gonna 'urt beasts. 'Tis just th' way 'tis. The only thing left is t' try to minimize th' damage an' ask forgiveness when it 'appens." She nods at Nordo, not really smiling, but at least she's not growling or anything. DoraRose, Gatekeeper extrordinaire, comes out from the training yard, walks over to the pond, collapses to her knees behind Xander's log, and flops over it, groaning. Angela looks at her. "Rough day trainin' that new guard?" DoraRose groans again, covering her eyes with a paw.

"Let me tell y', laddy," John begins with a concerned crease to his brow, "I've lost more memories than you've been alive, I have." Closing his eyes, the squirrel bows his head, another sigh escaping from him. "Sure, mayhaps I've no'lost such a direct time like y'have, Xander, but I've lost more than I like - still have names an' faces o'those I've known, bu' th'sound of their voice, their laugh..." He trails off, falling silent for some time. Upon hearing the newcomers, he opens his eyes and looks up, offering a small smile. "'Ello there, Dora - an..." John squints at Nardo. "Nardo, were it?"

Xander listens and sighs. "But...I don't wanna harm anyone thats a friend or family...but I cant always..be less stressful, and maybe time in Ferrvale will help." He frowns. "And I likely upset Frair Lacota yesterday...cause ummm..." He frowns, "Almost messed up the oven...the cookies I was baking use to be suhgar cookies and they were..charcoal black and the tray was black and there was fire and ..smoke...and yah.."

Nardo waves, he chuckles as he listens. "I heard ya made," He snickers, "Fire cookies, hee heheheheh." He calms down. "Nardo..yes..healer beast, right now also homeless..due to some..stuff and no nothing he did...Mack fought thar...he should of listened but NOOOOOO....nont listen to ya best pal."

Angela cocks an eyebrow at the ferret. "a 'Ealer, eh? 'M a 'Ealer, meself. 'Ow would y'say y'are at the craft? We could always use more 'Ealers in the Abbey, or even in Ferravale, iffens y'don't necessarily wish t'remain in th' Abbey." DoraRose looks up at the badger. "Well, Lactoa can get over it. Not the first time something's been burned in the kitchens. You didn't ruin anything more important, so it'll be okay." The Warrior mouse scoots so she's sitting on Xander's log beside him. "And of course you don't want to hurt the beasts you care about. That's what makes you a good beast instead of a monster. We just need to figure out the best way for you to deal with stress." The Gatekeeper stretches. "I write in my diary. I also train and work on my strength and skills. And work on my hobbies, like knitting. Those help me manage my stress and not hurt those I love."

John lies back down, eyes closed again. The squirrel lets the others talk - for now, he's just enjoying the decent weather.

Xander says, "Mossflower Defenders could use a healer and ya can still help in Ferrvale maybe Nardo, if ya want" He looks at Dorarose..calm and nods slowly "I am just glad Benar didnt die.I thought he did so..ran away and I know now that made me look worse and I wanted to..to die but no worries I am past that now." He frowns, he has yet to tell someone sorry. "I need to..tell Matilda sorry..I told her she she of just let me drown in teh ditch she found me in , only was thar cause of a bad reaction to hornet stings and I was..real sick and the one monitor had tried to fight me also..so a lot of bad happen to me all at once and as told Anglea fairly certain Benar is afraid of me and maybe some others. I ..want to tell him sorry face to face and cant, gonna write a note that I am very sorry and want to say sorry face to face, but will be in Ferrvale to check on some things and..he can come out of his room in case he been, well...too afraid to come out of his room, cause..cause of me."

Nardo says, "Ya almost died from climbing a tree and finding hornets..double check trees...then ya were trying to get dibbuns down safe so..ya for lucky though..Connie she.." He frowns and just shuts up now, he then speaks, "A job be nice..and a house or hut..something. I am a very skilled healers and know some things about poisons and bees, wasps, hornets...even snake and one time saved a stoat from a scopin sting..just barely and no wasn't 'ere..south somewhere."

DoraRose thinks for a minutes. "Hmmm.....maybe you could apologize to Benar face-to-face...are you sure he wouldn't want to talk to you? Or maybe he'd talk to you if a number of Warriors was there...." She pauses, then goes to wrap the badger up in a big hug. "I'm glad she saved you....the world would be sadder without you." Angela raises her eyebrows in approving surprise at what the ferret says. "Ah, good, a beast whot knows 'ow t'deal wi' poisons. We need more o' those 'round 'ere....some o' th' maniacs who've tried t' conquer Mossflower had a fascination wi' poisons. Couldn't make any o' them nearly as effective as I could, but still. 'Twould be good t' 'ave more beasts in the area who c'n 'elp me deal with it, should villains ever try that crap again."

The noise of beasts is starting to get to John, who rolls over on his injured side to face away from them all. "Daresay I cannae think of a time I were ever stung, I can'." The squirrel says more to himself than any other beast, though he cranes his neck to look back at the badger. "Mayhaps th'good abbot is afraid o' y', Xander, but y'won' know till y'try, y'won'."

Xander says, "3 beasts told me he wishes to not see me..soo..I cant go fac e to face..maybe later."He sighs "I can write a letter on it and someone else can give it to hiim, maybe after a few..days..weeks he will be ok talking face to face.I will respect his deciaion for now...sides..wanna make sure Patch didnt..destory the tavern or something, if its still the same tavern even""

Nardo says, "Who's...Patch?" He is curious and as more healer stuff is mentioned he nods. "I can...make poisons, not that I would and like..use them for something bad..I can cure...well some, I mean some will kill a beast in secounds and ya can't do anything about that."

DoraRose's eyes narrow. "Oh? And who told you that, Xander? I haven't heard anything link that." Angela purses her lips as she stands. "Oh, aye....I 'ad t'make one o' my deadliest poisons t'escape from slavery, I did." The eldery mouse is showing a bitterness that wasn't there before. "Glad y'wouldn't make 'em yourself, son," she adds, trying to soften her voice and hopefully not scare the ferret.

John snorts as the rat is mentioned. He sits up looking at Nardo with a grin. "Patch is only th'most vile, useless creature this 'side o' River Moss, he is." However, the squirrel grows more serious, turning his attention once again on Xander. "Aye, who were these beasts who told y'tha', mate? I'm a bit curious t'know meself, I am."

Xander says, "Matilda..Brother Gorvenalus...Krisha..that Benar doesnt want to see me right now..like said maybe he is afraid of me..I don't know maybe someone can ask and get back to me " Change subject "And..Nardo..maybe tag along to Ferrvale and see if Blisa can get you a home and you can be a healer there and even for Defendrrs, maybe help at the abbey once in a while too, a like..traveling healer."

Nardo hmmms, "So Patch is..bad?" He smiles at the idea of a home. "A home and job both be nice, right now its like...where ever my footpaws take me..maybe Mack can come too, well..maybe he is..sort of..hard to figure out but nice, he let me and connie stay at his pub when no one wanted us around cause we were ferrets in mainly woodlander place."

Angela hobbles off, looking slightly grumpy. DoraRose, noticing this, stands and looks Xander in the eyes. "I'll try to talk to Benar about y'all talking. I promise to do my best." She then jogs off after her grandmother, hoping to be able to find out what's wrong....

John, watching the two mice go, stands himself - albeit with some difficulty and a few curses as the squirrel puts wait on his still injured leg. Crutch underarm again, he makes his way closer to Xander and Nardo. "Patch is bad, aye. But as for th' Abbot, well..." He gives the badger a sympathetic look, saying, "I don' know wha' y'should do, I don'. Guess y'should do what y'think is best, y'should. I'd offer t'go with y' t' Ferrvale, I would, but I'm in no condition t'travel..."

Xander watches the mice head off quietly, he nods. "Its ok..I have Uncle Zee's old hut and an office above the tavern, I will be fine. I will stay in Ferravale unless I check on the shrews maybe."

Nardo says, "So you own a tavern...yeah may wanna check on that for sure." He smiles. "Mack can cook if ya need a cook, and he makes good ales too."

"Well, alright then." John says, nodding to Xander. "Good luck up here, mate." The squirrel's tail swishes back and forth as he looks back at the main building. "Anyway, Xander, Nardo - I need t'go get some rest, I do." He starts off now with wave. "Farewell on y'trip, y'two."

Xander nods as he looks at the clouds now. "I am gonna head to Ferravale in the morning."

Nardo waves to the squirrel and hmmms. "I will tag along, buddy system and all that..and all."

Xander chuckles a little. "Like a badger needs buddy system. But sure...so joining up with the Defenders then?"

Nardo nods as he looks at the clouds now. "Why not..all groups need a healer after all, right?" He looks at the clouds again. "I wonder when snow will be around, its been like colder lately than it usually is this time of the season or is it me?"

Xander says, "Don't know"He frowns "I hope snow isn't any time soon, Ferro would be stuck at the abbey"He stands slowly"I..should go I did kind of promise to help wash dishes for a couple days so...talk later."

Nardo waves, he is too busy looking at the clouds and thinking. He frowns "I think its colder cause the snow wants to come sooner this season....that's my thoughts..." He waves to the badger and just relaxes here a while before heading inside after a few moments.

Last edited by Ol'random (2019-10-26 10:15:56 PM)

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#1 2019-10-26 10:09:21 PM

By the Abbey Pond... - RW 10/26/19

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