01.02.09 - Are You Not Afraid?

Location: Redwall Great Hall

Characters Involved: Tameus, Sagras

A few hours past midnight; the darkest part of the winter night, everyone's abed, the fire in great hall is flickering down to embers. Not a time for anyone to be awake, especially not Tameus - but awake he is, wandering down the stairs after leaving bed, a blanket around him and doll in his hand. It's the aimless, shuffling walk of a sleepy, but restless child that leads him across the hall toward one of the big, comfortable chairs.

For one, getting into and out of and all around the abby was too easy. He always found that -that- was a temptation in itself. For a while, there was a disturbing number of Long Patrol running around, but none of them gave him any trouble. Either way. With a blast of cold winter air and the creaking of the doors, One Eye, entered the warmth of the great hall once again. In the doorway he shakes the snow from his cloak, which was again completely restocked. Removing the hood, he begins on his path towards the fire so he could restoak it and warm up.

Clambering up onto the chair, Tam settles himself in the wrap of the blanket, knees tucked up, doll in the crook of his arm. He snuggles down a little, then looks toward the door - blinking at the flurry of cold air, his ears pressing down against that chill. Sargas receives a slight tilt of Tam's head in acknowledgement of his arrival, then a soft, "H'lo," when the fox comes toward the fire.

Once an 'out of place' sound reaches One Eye's ears, he immediately crouches down and a paw goes into the cloak. That is, until things register and he sees the dibbun. A wide grin spreads on his face and he starts chuckling lowly as he continues towards the fire, "Well well well...hello there little one. Permit me to say, but you are not supposed to be out of bed right now." The fox raises a brow and continues over towards a small pile of wood, gathering a few pieces and placing them on the fire. At random intervals, he would begin to chuckle and laugh, for no apparent reason.

Tameus's ears perk up a little with curiosity. There's a slither of fabric against fabric, the creak of the chair, faintly - and he turns a little, gaze on the tod, looking groggy still but more awake as he views the newcomer. ".. y'r righ', 'm not. Bu' 'cept f' y' there's no'n t' know 'm 'wake, see," he explains. "'m Tam. What's y'r name?"

Sargas pokes at the fire with a poker, watching it intently, "Tam....it's a nice name. I am only called One Eye in these parts." For once, he seemed to be calm and without giggle-fits. "But...one thing that I have to point out, young Tam. Is that I am a fox. Are you not afraid? Have your parents not taught you to be wary around...vermin? The evil ones that stalk this land?"

Tameus eyes Sargas thoughtfully for a moment - then shrugs. ".. well Bottlebrush 's a fox an' 'e's nice t' me. There's vermin 'round 'ere an' they's ain' all bad, y' know. An' e'en if y' /were/ bad ... I wouldn' be 'fraid'a y'." He gets more of a smile now, almost cheeky in nature for a moment.

Almost without thinking, his paw tightens around the fire poker, now hot from it performing it's job. The cheekyness of the dibbun made him angry for a second, he didn't know his place. But, a second thought permeated his mind, bravery. Youthful innocence. He loosenend his grip on the poker and set it aside, moving to take a seat beside Tam. "Even if I was bad, you wouldn't be afraid of me? Why is that?" he asked.

"'cause 'm gonn' be Colonel one day," Tam says with more of a grin. "Like m' gran'mum. An' Lon' Patrollers ain' 'fraid'a nothin' like one vermin."

Sargas smiles, remembering some of the few times he managed to capture a long patrol member. "Well thats true. They don't fear a single vermin, I will give you that," One Eye says truthfully. He turns his single eye to the young hare, "But, you are not a colonel...yet. There is still much growing you have to do first. And also, you do not have a sword...or even a knife. I have many....."

Tameus lifts his brows a little and cocks his head to the side. This is just a game to him, and he grins more. "Well I c'n /bite/," he points out, with a low chuckle. ".. an' I c'n kick real 'ard. I got inna figh' wit' Kori's brother's once, they's both bigger'n me."

Sargas chuckles some. Then he chuckles more. This one still posessed a youths ignorance. Something that he was finding hard to deny was the urge to give the young one a little learning session. He kept his one eye on the dibbun, "Well. That is very commendable." He shifted in his chair and a paw slipped inside of his cloak idly.

"Aye," Tam says, nodding and giving a slight yawn. "Mmhmm. They's punched me inna face though. Byron did, 'r maybe th' other'n. Bled like 'ell, I did, but I /won/, see. An' I.." Interrupted by another yawn. ".. I freed th' cr'ckets, I did."

Sargas blinks then gets stern, "Watch your language." Then he blinks again, for a different reason. Why did he care what the little runt said? He didn't, shouldn't at least.

Tameus lifts his brows a bit at the chiding. Blinks, shrugs. "Don' see 'ow I c'n /watch/ 't. 't doesn' look like anythin'," he points out, grinning again.

Sargas lets out a low growl, "Haven't you been taught to mind your elders? You know darn well what I was talking about. How do you think the brothers or sisters would take to you talking like that?"

"... well m' da's a brother an' 'e jus' scolds me sometimes," Tam says, shrugging a little. He just seems amused, eyes a little narrowed at the fox with an inquisitive gaze. The growl gets no reaction. He spends time with Sivaine, anyway.

Why, oh /why/ can't she /sleep./ She's sick. She ought to be in bed. But it's a groggy, disheveled-looking Sivaine who descends the stairs with the jerkity gait of the half-awake.. in a dress? A long white shift at least, though the cuffs of her old trousers - threadbare and soft from many washings - peek out from the bottom. The mousemaid stifles a yawn and scruffs at her excuse for bangs, blinking. "Tea," she mutters.

Sargas starts to get up with the intention of teaching the little hare a thing or two about respect....or was it fear....he couldn't decide, until he caught a glimpse of someone coming. He sat down in the chair and turned his attention to the fire. Yes, this little one needed to learn a thing or two about the world. This abby was too soft on the young. He'd decided. He would not want to raise his kits here like he origionally thought.

Tameus is distracted by Sivaine's entrance. His ears perk and he leans up in his chair, on his knees now, and gives a little sleepy greeting noise to the mouse. "Siva."

Sivaine blinks muzzily and tries to focus. Squint. "..Tam?" She trails over to the fire and its circle of chairs, taking note of the other occupants. Just one. Hmm. It's the leveret she approaches, though. "What are you doing up? You got your lullaby."

Sargas continues to watch Tam with a strange interest as thoughts filled his head. Then, as Sivaine got closer, he turned his eye to her. He recognised her, but couldn't place any particular event. He sat back, until, without thinking about it, his gaze returned to Tam. Yes, it had been a long time since he had skinned anything....

"'t wasn' da's, though," Tam explains to Sivaine before another yawn slips from his muzzle. He looks at her with his eyes half-shut. "So's I couldn' stay asleep. What're /y'/ doin' up?"

"Maybe I should learn your da's, then," Sivaine suggests. It's the sort of idea that sounds good in the wee hours of the morning. "And I'm up because no one sings me lullabies anymore. Come on." She offers a paw to Tam, giving another brief glance to Sargas. Her eyes narrow the tiniest fraction.

Tameus glances over at Sargas and gives him a vague little smile. "G'nigh' then, mister," he tells the fox, and slides off the chair, bringing his blanket and doll with him and clasping onto Sivaine's hand with his own.

Sargas was still watching Tam, imagining the screams. Or, why not take the kid and tell him horrible things that had happened to his father. Yes...that would do as well. The look on his face had become a morbid, sick pleasure. He turned his gaze again to Sivaine, "Hello again. Forgive me, but I do not remember your name..."

"Have everything?" Sivaine asks, giving Tam a little tug upright as she starts to lead him off. For a moment she hesitates, dipping slightly.. then straightens and looks back at Sargas. Sleepy and sick, but there's something about that smile that sets off alarm bells. "Don't you? That's a shame. Good night," she replies, and keeps going.

Sivaine says, "You'll forgive me, but this one needs sleep."

"Mmhm," is Tam's mumbled response, and he goes toward the stairs with Sivaine. Again.

Sargas smirks and tilts his head to the side, thinking, 'maybe he should take this one too. she was insolent.' He forces a smile, "I....understand. Perhaps we can speak on more plesant terms tomorrow?"

Sargas starts chuckling softly.

Her ears twitch. "Perhaps," Sivaine replies, keeping an unhurried stride as leads Tam across the hall. "I'm not at my best when I've just woken, so. Your pardon. But you're.. nnh, Sargas, wasn't it?" A name and details are thrown up from the depths. "Your mate is here with you." She mounts the first step.

Sargas nods and continues to smile at her, finding that it came easier the more he thought about breaking and ruining her body and mind, "Kara must have told you that much. She is the only one here that knows my true name, but yes. Yes it is, and yes she is."

Tameus shuffles along with Sivaine, glancing over his shoulder when the fox speaks and then letting go of her hand to go up the steps ahead of her. "Siva, c'mon."

"I'm coming, Tam," Sivaine murmurs quietly. She casts a look over her shoulder at the fox by the fireplace. "A true name for a true name, then. I'm Sivaine. Good night, Sargas." She disappears up the stairwell, keeping close behind the leveret.

Sargas starts chuckling again, now alone in the great hall. Yes, he would have his fun with both of them. Each in their own time, but he would have his fun with them.