IC RWA RP March 5th, 2022

BlisaMarshmellow · 2022-03-05 07:35:01 PM

SCENE: Redwall Abbey firepit

CHARACTERS: Both female.
DoraRose, mouse.
Saro, squirrel.

LOG:
Saro has her long fluffy tail curled around her like a wrapper where she sits on one of the log benches around the fire pit, poking absently at the fire with a sturdy stick. Despite this bit of activity she seems lost in thought, not even noticing the sparks that fly up and land near her toes as she stirs up the low-burning embers.

DoraRose has been up on the walls, taking a turn doing guard duty. She has only just now been relieved, and now the Gatekeeper is trudging through the snow to the kitchen yard, forgoing walking through the building to get to the kitchens to enjoy the beautiful (albeit cold) day just a little bit longer. The mouse passes by the firepit and stops when she sees the newcomer. Watching the squirrel for a moment, the mouse breaks the silence in a gentle yet firm voice. "Watch out there, honey, else you'll burn your feet."

Saro straightens up with a startled "Eep!" and nearly drops her stick in the fire. Looking down at her feet, then up at DoraRose, she grins with embarassment. "Uh, yeah, guess my thoughts just got wandering a little.." she admits. No kidding! "That's the second time someone's surprised me today." Rolling her eyes at herself, she offers, "Want to take a load off and warm up for a moment? At least I've got the fire going again!"

The mouse smiles softly, walking over with practically silent footsteps and sitting on a log next to the squirrel's seat. "And a nice roaring fire, too. My name is DoraRose Strongheart. I'm the Gatekeeper here. You must be the new squirrel John let in last week." Her accent has obviously been affected by many seasons of living in Redwall, but there is still a distinct trace of a foreign accent, hinting that perhaps this mouse is from somewhere other than Mossflower originally. "I hope you're settling in well here."

Saro's left ear quirks up in surprise. "Yes, that's me.. at least, unless he's let in a lot of other squirrels that I haven't noticed yet." She grins again, then places one paw on her chest and makes a courtly bow from her seated position. "DoraRose Strongheart, it's a pleasure. I'm Saro Stormbreeze. I--" She cuts off with a frown. "Er, you know, I don't believe I ever gave my name to the badgermother. My manners have gone downhill since I left home.."

DoraRose nods in return to the bow, her smiling curling up more on one side. "Aye, travel will do that. After I left home many seasons ago, I travelled alone and had to relearn what it's like to live with others. Give yourself some time. It'll come back with practice, Saro." The mouse grabs a nearby stick and starts poking the fire, too. "What brings you to Redwall in such weather? In all my travels, I hated being out during the Winter."

Since someone else has taken up fire-poking duty, Saro stabs the end of her own stick into the thawed ground and lets it stand there as she tucks her arms beneath her tail instead. "It's not the ideal time to travel," she allows. "I'll grant you that, for certain sure.. I always rather liked the snow before, but it's different when you've no choice but to be out in it, and sleep in it too, often as not." She grimaces faintly. "I had.. trouble.. back home. Wildcats. Other folks. A whole heap of mess. At least it's peaceful here, even if it is cold."

DoraRose listens, staring at the flames and waiting for something that needs poking. Her smile fades as she listens. "Aye, I understand, at least in part. 'Tis hard when you must leave home due to harsh circumstances. I left mine to avenge my sister's death. I'm glad you could find peace, although a few seasons ago you wouldn't've found it here. But peace has returned to us, hard won. You're more than welcome to stay here at Redwall as long as you like."

Saro smiles crookedly back at DoraRose. "It's appreciated," she tells the mouse with quiet sincerity. "Everyone has been.. really very kind here, so far. It's a change after all these many weeks." Letting out a long breath she stretches out her feet closer to the fire, being more mindful of stray embers this time. "The Badger Mother said you'd had your own troubles with wildcats, a short time back. And you sound as if you've had your own troubles and sorrows... I guess everyone does, though."

DoraRose nods. "Aye, some cats have come to make trouble. But the Chieftain of Ferravale, Blisa, isn't. She and her father have always led Ferravale to peace with Redwall, despite it being a vermin village." She stabs the fire, her blue eyes sad. "Everybeast has troubles and sorrows in their past, even the Dibbuns here in Redwall. Many of them are orphans, and almost all of them were kidnapped a few seasons back. Nobeast is safe from the hardships of life."

Saro makes a somewhat dubious noise concerning the good intentions of cat chieftains and vermin villages, but evidently chooses not to dispute the point. "That's right enough, though.. even if you've lived out near your whole life in something as near to peace as anybeast knows, you can't foresee when it's going to be smashed all to bits." Her left ear droops, and she too looks melancholy. "Poor wee creatures.. it's hard enough to lose one parent.. I'd think.. and to lose both and be all alone in the world, and suffer more sorrows still.." She sighs again, then shakes her head. "But least they've found a home here, and people to care for them."

DoraRose notices the dubious noise, but chooses to not comment on it. Instead, she smirks. "Ch, yeah, and they cause enough trouble for twice their number. They're led by a squirrel named Dochas. They form the group called the Dibbuns Against Bedtime, or DAB, and they cause chaos whenever the mood hits them, although they are very sweet most of the time. I'm sure you'll meet Dochas and some of the others soon enough. Hopefully they won't lock you in a closet or anything..." she adds with a twinkle in her eye.

Saro can't help but giggle a little as she seems to envision the antics of this renegade dibbun association. "Oohh, well, I probably shouldn't say anything too critical of all that, considering I -might- not have been, erm, the most virtuous dibbun ever known." She smiles a little as she adds, "I saw a whole pack of them chasing one another up and down the stairs earlier - saw them because they nearly flattened me - and the Badger Mother had to go off to quell some kind of infant mutiny." Another snicker escapes her before she turns a more sombre look on DoraRose. "You don't have dibbuns of your very own, though?"

DoraRose chuckles, too. "I can believe it. They're kind of a mess some days." At the squirrel's more sombre question, the mouse laughs quietly. "Oh, I do have children. Twins. Caleb is across the seas somewhere, safe and happy. LilyMoore is still here. She's the Abbey Bellringer. She has a singing voice that silences the birds in wonder. Caleb's son Cota has returned to us, all grown up. Lily has yet to find her true love, but that's alright. My husband was murdered seasons ago, but I know he would be proud of them, just as I am." She says this with a melancholy joy, but is free and easy as she shares.

Saro listens to this verbal family tree with her own odd blend of sadness and appreciation, finally saying wistfully, "They sound like a grand bunch, that anyone'd be right proud of. It's good that you've got family here, of all kinds - abbeyfolk and blood kin both." Gloom seems to overtake the squirrelmaid, and she shakes one arm free of her tail to yank up the stick and prod at the fire with it. With an increase of brightness that seems only half forced, she says after a pause, "A singer, though! Maybe your LilyMoore and I could sing together sometime, or I could play and she could sing. I love playing for another good voice, it's a real treat."

DoraRose watches the squirrel closely. "You could find family here, too. It might take a while, as it did for me, but as I said, you are more than welcome to stay here, even without joining the Order. I mean, I'm not part of the Order -- the Warrior's ways are too much a part of me to give them up. There are a number of others who live here who are not part of the Order, also. You're welcome to stay and find a new family here, like I did." After a pause, she adds, "Lily would be more than happy to meet you. She's always ready to make a new friend. We sing together a lot, but having someone new to sing with would be a delight for her, as well."

"Oh!" Saro exclaims. "So you're not one of the Order yourself, even though you're a gatekeeper and everything.." This information appears to hearten her a little, though the melancholy doesn't quite leave her green-grey eyes. "Maybe you're right.. maybe I can make a new home here too. The Badger Mother said I'd likely be welcome, and I besides playing and singing I can do.. well, some more useful things." She grins crookedly. "I'm a dab hand with a knife - not fighting, but woodworking. I'd truly like to stay, so long as I'd be welcome."

DoraRose stands and stretches, tossing her stick into the fire. "As long as you don't go off murdering beasts and trying to take over the world, you'll be more than welcome here at Redwall. Our gates are always open to those with good intent and kind hearts." She waves as she tramps off. "I promised I'd help in the kitchens after getting off guard duty. I hope to see you at dinner. It was lovely chatting with you." And the mouse trudges off, her nearly silent footsteps quickly disappearing through the orchards.

Saro snorts at those criteria for being a welcome resident of Redwall, which seems to be a wordless expression of "As if!" Shaking her head, she says, "Well, I'd hope I can do a little better than that -- and -maybe- not even lock anybody in a closet either." She grins at DoraRose, jumping to her feet as the mouse rises. "Oh, you're right though, it's getting on in the day and I told the friar I'd help clean up after tonight's dinner. I think I'm going to catch a few winks before the meal -- no rebellion against bedtime for me!" With that she props her stick against a bench and traipses off towards the Great Hall.

~*END*~

Thanks for reading!

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#1 2022-03-05 07:35:01 PM

IC RWA RP March 5th, 2022

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