"Why does my daughter have to have the Bloodwrath?! Why won't this curse leave my family????" (A Long Patrol and Salamandastron Ambassadors log)

From Redwall MUCK Wiki


In which DoraRose gets Benar's letter, and the Salamandastron Ambassadors discuss a faster way to leave the Mountain and get back home to Redwall as fast as possible.

Salamandastron: Crater

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You are on the very top of the mountain of Salamandastron: a large, bowl-

shaped crater. The crater is not smooth, quite the contrary in fact.

Numerous boulders and large chunks of rock are strewn around randomly,

making the crater top just as craggy as any of the mountainside. The

crater provides an outstanding view of the surrounding country. The sea

sprawls off to the west as far as the eye can see, and north and south

along the endlessly rolling sand dunes. In the distant east, a tinge of

green is just visible from this height, marking the vegetation in the

foothills of the Western Mountains.

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                 Visible Exits:

[N]ortheast [M]ountainside [Down] to Third Level

Mice: Leon, male. DoraRose, female.

Badgers: Zinnia, female.

Hares: Felicity, female. Quinten, male.

Sparrows: A random spoofed messenger.

Leon is up on the crater, why he is up here is not right away clear, maybe just to get some fresh air.

DoraRose comes up the stairs from within the mountain and walks over to her husband. "Hello, love. What're you doin' up here?" She has a cloak around her, and she pulls the hood up over her ears.

Leon smiles at Dorarose and shrugs "I don't know, needed some fresh air maybe and the view up here is....not to bad"

DoraRose peeks over the edge of the crater. "It's.....a bit high up, but yeah, not too bad." In the distance, coming from the direction of Mossflower, a brown fluffy dot can be seen. It's too small to be a gull, and besides, what would a gull be doing that far inland? It must be some other kind of bird...

Leon stays where he is, "Yeah...I still bit...well" He shrugs "But maybe not as much on hating high places"

Zinnia soon joins them, she has been up here before to look out at the sea, to just look at the view and to think sometimes, its also quiet up here. Seeing her friends she smiles and gives a wave "Hello Leon...Dorarose"

DoraRose turns and sees her badger friend and smiles in return. "Hello, Zinnia!" She then sees the fluffy brown dot and frowns. "What is that?" It gets closer, and soon she can see what it is. "It's a sparrow! What's a sparrow doing so far away from Mossflower?"

Leon looks just as surprised, "Umm....I have no clue, its lost maybe? Maybe there is some sort of news or something." He walks closer to where Dorarose is and looks the direction she does and yep he sees the bird now as well.

Zinnia smiles and then blinks "A sparrow? Are you sure it's not something else like a seagull, they do fly around the beach at times, and there is an eagle around here, but then again that would be much...MUCH ...larger"

The sparrow flutters up, then collapses at the feet of the mice. "*Gasp* Which mouseworm is *gasp* Doramouse Roseworm?" Dora kneels beside the sparrow right as Felicity comes up to the crater. As the haremaid stares at the bird in shock, the mouse just smiles. "That would be me. How may I help you?" The sparrow hands her a letter, then flops down on the floor of the crater as the mouse opens the letter....

Quinten comes walking up out of the mountain, he heard a Sparrow had landed and when he finds the abbey beasts already talking to it he stops and waits to see what they have brought.

Leon watches the sparrow flop down and is in his healer mode as he goes to check and make sure the sparrow is ok from that flight, it did sound tried and he figures the letter is for Dorarose as the sparrow only mentioned her. He will get the bird some water from a canteen he still has on his side from where he was on the beach earlier in the day.

Zinnia walks a little closer to the group as she was by the entryway area "So...what's the letter? If it's just for you to read then don't worry on telling me"

Remembering her manners, Felicity goes up tot he sparrow, who is now perched on a bench, and offers it some water, which it accepts.

DoraRose gasps and holds the letter out to her husband. "Leon! Read this! It's terrible!!" The letter says thus:

"Dearest DoraRose, Lilymoore has the Bloodwrath. I am afraid this is now confirmed after an incident a couple of weeks ago. I was attempting to inform her of the situation when your brother stormed in and made the situation impossible. I fear this is something only her mother can deal with. Please return to the Abbey with Zinnia and Leon post-haste for I fear Lily needs your aid urgently. Abbot Benar."

Dora sits down on the nearest bench and buried her face in her paws. "Why?? Why did she have to get that horrific CURSE?! Why why why??!!"

Leon does not always get out of healer mode too easily, then again the sparrow seems fine it just needs rest as he looks at the closest hare Felicity, he doesn't see Quinten yet "You should see if the bird can have a place to stay maybe a day and rest, maybe have something to eat as aswell...what?" And the letter appears in his face and he reads it slowly and then rereads it just in case he read it wrong "Incident...what sort of...what happen?"

Zinnia has yet to see the letter as she looks to Dorarose and then to Leon and frowns "What's going on? What happen?" Concern is in her voice as she speaks and maybe a little bit of worry as well.

Quinten says, "Is... everything ok up here my friends?" he frowns at DoraRose then over at Leon and Zinnia, "I heard a sparrow had arrived. Not bad news I hope?"

Felicity nods and heads down to the lower levels to do what the mouse Healer suggested. The sparrow chirrups. "Lilymouse make bigfight. Not allowed to see Sparrafriend Butterclaw, my brother. Butterclaw much sadupset." Dora takes this time to wail, "Why does my daughter have to have the Bloodwrath?! Why won't this curse leave my family????" Tears course down her cheeks, and she rests her forehead on her knees as she cries.

Leon frowns , he goes to hug Dorarose if he is able as he answers Quinten, "I am supposing some...fight or something and what Dora mentioned, but the letter doesn't have details on what happen and it looks like we may be leavening sooner than planned"

Zinnia frowns at the word Bloodwrath, she has heard of it before from someone else, but she not see it but she has read of it enough to know what it is and that other different creatures can indeed have it.

Quinten says, "Oh I see... well we will be sorry to have you leave us so soon," he glances at DoraRose, "I am sorry to hear your family is afflicted with the bloodwrath... I have some texts on it in the library. I could loan you a copy if it would help your daughter Miss DoraRose."

DoraRose sniffs and glares a little angrily at the Recorder hare, then sighs as she accepts her husband's hug. "I thank you for your offer, and I appreciate it. I don't think it would help as much as what I have learned from experience. I, too, have the Bloodwrath, as does my brother. I....we need to get home as soon as possible, before Lily hurts anybeast, including herself." She wipes her eyes and sniffs. Felicity takes this moment to come back up to the crater. "I 'ave found a room for the sparrah, Mister Leon, sah." She looks at the mouse Warrior and frowns with concern. "I say, was it /terribly/ bad news??" She looks very worried now.

Leon sighs "Lets hope she has not hurt anyone then, but it's not like we can leave today we would need least a couple days and we would have to let Lord Ciocan know we had to head off early and then there is all the travel...there has got to be a better way and faster way back than just walking or...." He thinks of an idea, nahhhh that idea is off, he is not NOT going by eagle, even if that Thunderwing was around and besides there is also Xander and Zinnia, not just two mice.

Zinnia clears her throat "Papa talked bout...Bloodwrath before...no one else has talked of it though...maybe Uncle Zee knows something 'bout it I...I don't know."

Quinten says, "I understand miss DoraRose, if you need to leave I can pass a message onto his lordship so you are able to take your leave." he frowns, "It sounds serious, and there is still snow on the ground. Have you thought about hiring a boat at Halyard? It could sail you up the River Moss in about four days."

DoraRose looks back at the Recorder hare. "Hire a boat? How much does that cost? I didn't bring much money with me...and besides, it's all Mossflower coinage." Felicity decides she can talk to the Warrior mouse later, and guides the sparrow to the room it can rest in for a few days. "I do hope Zee can talk to Lily..." the mousewife murmurs, worried beyond belief.

Leon hmmms "A boat? Well we wouldn't need a large one, a simple size one would do ok it's just me and Dora and Zinnia....oh and Xander would be going back with us also"

Zinnia nods "Of course Xander is going back with us, why wouldn't he?"

Quinten says, "I am sure your Abbot sent the Ambassador with plenty of funds, you should speed back home swiftly, there are usually several types of boats available."

Quinten says, "I must go inform his lordship you will be leaving us though, If you will excuse me"

DoraRose nods and rubs her face. "Hopefully we can find a beast willing to take us back home on the river....Oh, Leon, this is terrible! I wish Benar had been more specific in his letter......"

Leon says, "We can find out more when we get home and the river is faster and avoids a lot of trouble. Maybe me and Zinnia could go, look for a boat tomorrow"

Zinnia nods "Yes, we could maybe and yes I do have coins for this area. I just know we don't go into town much and been there really...once, maybe twice this whole time."

DoraRose nods and sighs. "I have been in town only a couple times, myself. I trust that you 2 will be able to find somebeast trustworthy. I would ask that you would please take at least one hare as protection. I'm sure Felicity would go with you. I can be getting our supplies ready, or at least making up a list of what to take."

Leon nods "Sounds good love. I am sure the hares and Lord Ciocan can help with supplies and we can stop in Ferravale after the boat ride, then get to the abbey that next day"

Zinnia nods "Uncle Zee is in Ferravale" She has yet to know he is not in Ferravale, "We could stay with him a night"

DoraRose nods, then sighs heavily. "I wish we could give Xander more warning.....when do you think we should leave? I would like to leave as soon as possible......" the worry is heavy in her voice.

Leon answers "Well we get the boat, get supplies and maybe say goodbyes, maybe in a few days time"

Zinnia says, "Xander doesn't have much to bring really and I will talk to him. Oh he...does have that hermit crab of his and not sure he would want to leave that here"

Leon says, "Most likely not....Mr. Dot I think he calls him..least think it's a him"

DoraRose nods and slowly stands. "I wonder if Quinten has a book about hermit crabs that we can keep. I...don't know anything about them, really, and I wouldn't want his pet to die." She rubs her eyes again. "I should probably start packing tonight......" she goes to rest her head on her husband's shoulder. She looks very tired. And worried.

Zinnia goes forwards to help "You need help inside Dorarose? I could carry you if needed."

Leon frowns "We can start tomorrow dear, you should rest right now"

DoraRose shakes her head. "I can go inside by myself. I'm just feeling overwhelmed. I think I will go lay down for a little bit.....tomorrow will....hopefully be...good...." she goes down to the dormitories where she will rest. Actually, she will sleep the rest of the night and into tomorrow morning.

Zinnia frowns and is still worried and will make sure she doesn't fall over on the way there.

Leon follows his wife and stays by her side till she wakes up the next day, whether he wakes up first or she does remains to be seen

Da stress is at dangerous levels here :O Will they be able to find a boat owned by a reputable beast?? Will they be able to get back home without incident?? Tune into future logs to find out!!!

Thanks for reading!

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