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oz

Member

Registered: 2016-11-20

Posts: 1,659

Leadership, No one is Perfect-Redwall Log

log
Oz-Papa Oz and dibbun caretaker of Redwall
Xander-Leader of The Mossflower Defenders
spoofed-Sister Ginny

Xander stood at a gravestone that read
Here lies Zork Winters, Blacksmith, Warrior, Friend,  Brother, Father, and Order Brother. He will be missed by all.  Zork died from a weak heart condition in his old seasons.
Another close by read
Here lies Sister Zinnia... Friend, Mother, Wife, Recorder... She will be missed.

Xander traced the letters in Zork’s name and sighs “I don’t think I am doing so well Grandfather, I may of failed…”He glances nearby at another grave ”Mom..I still feel sometimes that I failed you.” He frowns as he felt some tears go down his face “A dumb dumb dumb mistake almost cost me my life. And  I am supposed to be leader.”

Oz comes up close to him and stops, for now just listening to the younger badger.

Xander drops to his knees and seems lost” Course you’re not here and Uncle Zee is all the way in Send, why did he have to go there for.”

“Never said it would be easy”

Xander’s eyes widen “Grandfather?” Wait that’s not as he turns “Oh..hi Uncle Oz”

Oz walks up “Hello Xander, and what do you mean  a failure, you only fail if you give up and believe you have failed.”

Xander sighs “Just…leadership, it’s a lot  to think on. I mean it’s like a step forward and falling backwards two, its…sometimes just too much to handle ”

“Yes but then you get right back to whatever you were doing, you do very well Xander” Oz says as he stands beside him.

“Do I?” Xander frowns” He snorts “Not even sure if I am worthy of the blade or not”

Oz shakes his head ”Xander, please follow me.” He stops long enough to talk to Sister Ginny” I will be back by Storytime” He then heads outside, yes he knows how far the clearing is and he has the Blade of The Northwind Storms on his back.

Xander follows Oz outside, even more curious as his uncle has the blade and just simply follows him quietly.

Oz draws the blade out of its case and swings it a couple times, he is nowhere close to skilled, he could maybe block a couple strikes from one not too skilled. He then holds it at an angle.” Can’t say never held this, I have..couple times in my life, could I save my own life or another with it? Nope….what is my point?” He asks as he goes on.” Any beast who has truly wielded this, had to earn it and prove they were worthy, each tested and passed or they would not of gotten the blade and some testing was harder for some than others, no one testing like another’s”

Xander just watched him, ”I remember, Uncle Zee had all these chests and it took a lot of patience to go through them all, I even had to solve a puzzle and fight a first blood fight with Marek at the end. I don’t think I would of won at the beginning, at the end I was a lot better at it”

Oz nods “You learned to be patience in battle, to keep an eye out for trouble and to listen. You also learned to help others and learned courage…and some things you learned hunting them..how to use a map, talk to others and be a leader and was all that learned in a day or week?”

Xander shakes his head ”No…but…but did Grandfather or even Uncle Zee ever say or feel like giving up and maybe like a failure”

Oz holds the blade out for Xander “Yes, they have. And it’s not just warriors or leaders of groups that can feel like a failure. I have myself once or twice, I didn’t learn this role of dibbun caretaker quickly it took time as all things do. Zork had seasons of learning to be a warrior  and one never stops learning, you can always learn something new. You fall and get back up, you fail at something you try again, and stress? You learn ways to channel it and  maybe mediate..it helps though found that out much later, like after Zork died”

Xander takes the blade and does a couple sword drills and then smiles. ”I can learn from my mistakes and be stronger for it, in mind and maybe body too. I am not perfect and that’s ok but when did you ever feel like a failure Uncle Oz?”

Oz answers “Once when this vermin found were me and the dibbuns hid, those vermin attacked and I lost. I am good with the staff but this was 5 on one and one was a 2nd in command whom had betrayed Marek at the time”

Xander listens carefully “When he was evil right? When he took over the abbey?”

Oz nods “Yes, I felt like I failed, Lorimis was abbot then and he assured me I had not and things would turn out ok, and they did, but I didn’t think that. All I was thinking was my dibbuns are with an inane vermin and they are alone, scared, what if they die or I never see them again and does the abbey still trust me with them even. All this through my head and found out they did trust me and such relief to be back with my dibbuns and know they were safe. I still learned something, that as much as you want you can’t control everything that happens in life. You can’t control when a fight..ambush, or a wrong move will happen, there is always someone stronger and faster than you, at the same time there is ones not as strong as you or as quick.”

Xander keeps very focused on what is said, “So..even if one is a leader doesn’t mean they have all the answers and like can just slide into the job good? No one is like an instant hero in my case. I do my best to protect and be there for others. To help friends, family and anyone who needs help”

Oz smiles “Yes, my duties include protecting and teaching, your teaching is training fighters to do better not just with weapons but working together and getting along, also staying in shape. And knowing when to take a break as one never should be overworked and tried” He smirks a little, he knows.

Xander sighs “Yeah I know, I couldn’t sleep Uncle Oz, I tried.” He looks to the graves again “You think mom and grandfather, even Uncle Zee in the northlands would be proud of me?”

Oz answers “Yes..I am proud of you, you have grown up and learned a lot, your very skilled for your age as most your age have no leadership skills and you do. You took up leadership in a dark hour of need and have done very well. Even Marek is proud of how you have done with the Mossflower Defenders, and with making sure you tend to other important things. “

Xander smiles “I guess always had it within me, like..deep inside somewhere, you know what I mean?”

Oz nods once “Yes I do…we should get back before it gets dark”

Xander chuckles “It’s already dark Uncle Oz”

Oz grins “I will have to take your word for that, let go..dinner and we both can get to bed early and you best take a couple days off..let some others tend to the group that you trust to help and if it’s serious your be there, but well rested as that’s needed and important to do your duty well”

Xander yawns and manages a small nod “Right…”

Oz sighs but smiles “Come on…” He led the way back it wasn’t far and hey it’s always dark to him as he takes Xander to his room after making sure the Blade of The Northwind Storms is where it should be, and gets a slight grumbling from Sister Ginny for missing Dinner, he promises to eat something and sorry he missed story time, besides he can't always do story time as once in a while another takes a turn.

Xander lays down right away not saying much. ”Long past couple…days” His eyes close and he is almost instantly asleep.

Oz sits by the bedside “Yes it has been hasn’t it Xander…….”He raises an eyebrow “Xander?”

Xander is asleep, his soft breathing is calm.

Oz  smiles as he makes sure Xander has a light blanket as the nights are a little chilly now and goes to his own room after blowing out the oil lamp “Goodnight Xander..” He then gets to bed himself.

Last edited by oz (2017-09-15 10:18:08 AM)

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I play:
Oz-  Badger-young adult-Wanderer