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Henry the Poet

Member

Registered: 2017-05-04

Posts: 45

In Flanders Fields OR War? What war? - Sparra Civil War

~Setting~

The First Orchard of Redwall abbey, ten days after the war began and six days after the end of the last battle.

~Characters~

-Oz, Dibbun Caretaker
-Henry, Bird Bard of the defenders

~WHEN LAST WE LEFT OUR HEROES~

The first battle of the sparra Civil War ended in victory for Ironwood and the pro-Readwall sparrows. The forces of Warclaw -the ambitious nephew of the missing king of the sparrows, and leader of the anti-Redall sparrows- retreated into Mossflower woods , while the forces of Ironwood -a sparra warrior, and temporarily leader of the pro-Redwall sparrows- retreated into the Abbey. Both sides most gather allies if they wish to win the next encounter.

Thus is the sparrow civil war...
__________________________________________________________________________________

Oz sits under one of the trees in the orchards, his fur still showing a light blue and most likely would for a few more days yet. He is relaxing some as he got least the first half of the day off from his normal duties.

As the badger sits, a low hum starts from above. The humming gets louder and louder, until it the humming stops and is replaced by singing:
        “I hear the wind blow through the wood,   
You tried to fight as best you could,   
For the sweet nest you hold so dear.   
Now may you soul fly swift from here.”   

Oz tilts his head as he listens to the singing and tries to figure out whom is singing the song as he listens.

The singing continues:
        “I mourn your passing with my tears.   
The future holds all hopes and fears.   
You'll see them not, your fears are gone,
For your good soul has want beyond.”

Oz listens quietly “Whom is singing?” He asks, the song is good and there isn’t usually much singing at the abbey and he knows it to be a bird, or least he thinks it’s a bird.

Despite the badger's wonderings, the song goes on:   
        “I'll miss you much now that you’re gone,   
I must by strong and carry on,   
To protect the home for witch you fought,   
The home for witch your life was bought.”

Oz decides to just listen to the song, maybe he can find out who it is soon as he just listens for now.

        “Oh, worry not, my friend  in flight,   
I will move forward with the fight.   
I shall preserve your memory well,   
And keep good the home for which you fell.”   

The singing stops and a moment later a black throated sparrow with golden eyes flies down from the trees. He lands gracefully on the orchard ground.

Oz nods a hello “You’re a good singer and that is an interesting song.”

The sparrow turns startled, but calms down when he see the badger. “Greetings stripyworm,” Says the sparrow. Who, as may be guessed, is Henry the Poet. “That was a traditional sparra dirge, I was singing it to mourn the all the sparra who fell in the last battle.”

Oz nods “I heard some of that but not alot of what happen, I know some fell in the battle with Quade. Other lives were lost as well due to Quade and all were mourned but will be remembered and never forgotten”

Oz nods “I heard some of that but not alot of what happen, I know some fell in the battle with Quade. Other lives were lost as well due to Quade and all were mourned but will be remembered and never forgotten”

The usually happy sparra looks sad. “I was not referring to those lost to Quade, though I mourn them also.”

Oz listens “I did overhear something of a fight in the loft, but no details just a fight and sparra being in the infirm, some feathers in the open ground but nothing else. I know the Sparra keep to them selves and I respect that. I knew of an eagle that keep to themselves, one day they seeked help for thier eggchick who was taken in by my family at the time as the mother died....that eagle protected my family with its life, saddly he was killed recently in the fight with Quade.”

“There is a sparra civil war,” Says the bard simply.

Oz frowns” I..read of a war between the sparrows , it was during matthis time...I read a lot before I became blind, the storys I tell the dibbuns are from memories or some of my childhood or life in the snowy north before...well before I left and came to live here”   

The black throated bard rises an eyebrow, “I am a sparra bard, it is my job to sing about sparra history,” says he. “And yet I have never heard of this war...” The sparrow thinks. “When you say war,” asks Henry. “Do you mean when Queen Warbeak toke over from mad KingBullSparra?”

Oz nods “Yes, it was then I was learning of the history of the abbey shortly after I became the dibbun caretaker and that was one log in the recorder logs I found.”   

“Oh,” say the bird bard, tilting his head to one side. “I have never heard that been called a war...” He falls in to pondering.

Oz says, “Yes they fought over leadership rights and keep the fight to themselves mainly, it was many many many seasons ago, way before anyones time here”

I know that,” says Henry, “But KingBullSparra was killed died by Matthias crazy mouse after he got scabbed, Queen Warbeak was next in line. So meum not sure if there was fight.” He begins to ponder again. “I must look into this,” he says at last.

Oz nods, suddenly a novice comes running over to the badger and talks really fast till Oz puts up a paw and the novice takes a deep breath “A couple dibbuns…they tied novice Peter to a chair and dumped oatmeal all over him and...”Oz sighs and then nods to the sparrow “Excuse me I need to tend to something, have a good day” He walks off, oh well he had part of a morning off.

~TO BE CONTINUED IN OUR NEXT!!!~

---

"Oh, dainty triolet! Oh, fragrant violet!
Oh, gentle heigho-let (or little sigh)
On sweet urbanity, though mere inanity, to touch their vanity we will rely!"
-Chorus. "P'raps If You Address The Lady Most Politely." By Gilbert&Sullivan. Princess Ida.