05-25-06

Characters involved: Flaxpaw, Harper, & Darkmane.

Great South Stream Bridge

Flaxpaw makes her way back to the camp a bit north of the river, drenched from river water, knees all muddy from the mud on the bank, and very very late returning. she does, however, tote the water she went to get in the first place.

Very late in returning, indeed. Harper is pacing back and forth by the fire, though he's making a conscious effort of looking 'casual' in his pacing. His paws are shoved in his pockets and his head is lowered, though every now and then he does send a glance in the direction Flaxpaw left from. And it's during one of these glances that he spies her. His eyes first widen and then lower, because... he can't look /worried/, or anything. He continues his leisurely 'pacing'.

Flaxpaw spots Harp pacing, and suddenly becomes aware of her appearance. she slows considerably, trying to tidy her uniform up without seeming to be. As she gets nearer to him, she smiles. "Hey, Harp....got the water." She shows it, glossing over the fact that it took at least an hour to do.

Harper halts his pacing and looks up and around, trying to look surprised and at the same time unconcerned by her arrival. He blinks at her, the nods. "Yeah? That's good." He takes a couple of steps to her, holding out his paw for the water. "Here, I'll take that for ya."

Flaxpaw passes it over, grinning at Harp. "thanks." she waits for just a moment, then adds "well, aren't you goin t'ask how come it took so long?" She seems quite eager to tell.

Harper's eyebrows go up and he laughs, a short one, taking the water and turning to deposit it near but not too close to the fire. He squats in order to do this, his back to the doe. Fiiiinally, with a secret grin, "Well, then? Why'd it take ya so long?"

Flaxpaw looks over at his back, a smile on her muzzle. "Met an ol' friend of ours down by the river. Was a bit surprised. Remember that odd chap Oswald? GUOSIM shrew? the one who loves the mud so much?well, he was there. Needed help with his boat. That's why I look like this, too." She chuckles.

Harper glances over his shoulder, resting his paws on his squatting thighs. "Look like wha-" He pauses in his survey of the doe, then pushes himself upright, smirking. "Oh. Ya wanna blanket or something? Must be cold."

Flaxpaw nods, smiling a little self-conciously. "That'd be a good idea...I am a bit cold." She starts toward the fire, and the packs slowly.

Darkmane yawns slightly as he slowly starts to sit up from where he had been taking a 'small' break, eyes blinking a few times while surveying the area

Already close to the fire and the packs, he digs in his own pack and has produced a blanket by the time she reaches him. He holds it out, though his eyes shift to Darkmane when the horse sits up. He nods.

Flaxpaw reaches out for the blanket, half-ducking her head and grinning. "Thanks...you, um....nice of you. thanks." Her eyes also go to Darkmane, and her eartips turn pinkish. "Sah."

Darkmane kills a final yawn in the middle of it as he offers a slight grin "evening Flax, Harper " a nod being offered to both

Harper dismisses Flaxpaw's thanks with a wave of his paw, delivering a nod to Darkmane. "Evening, sir. How're you?"

Flaxpaw wraps Harp's blanket around her, and goes to sit by the fire, smiling, as she digs for tea-making supplies in a pack, and makes some.

Darkmane chuckles softly and shrugs "doing good, and quite well rested"

"Glad to hear it, sir. How long do you think 'til we arrive?" He knee-crawls to the fire and sits near Flax, plucking up a stick to prod at the fire for a moment.

Flaxpaw finishes the tea up, and passes it around, waiting for Darkmane's reply a she sips, watching Harp pokethe fire.

Darkmane grins wryly "my guess is we should be there very shortly, we have been setting a camp a lot more then we have needed to" his lips twisting into a humored smile "tho staying away from the abbey for a prolonged period of time is worth that i guess"

Harper's answering grin is enough to confirm /that/ statement. He ducks his head to try and hide it, focusing closely on the whole 'poke the fire' job. Very important, that. "Well... we could break camp 'n' start marching again, sir."

Flaxpaw looks from Harp to Darkmane, catching his eye and smiling. "Any time away from the abbey travellin is a plus, sah." she agrees, then looks at Harp, and nods. "Good idea...maybe get to the other side of that river..."

Darkmane nods his head as he smiles back "that sounds like a good idea to me, we will break camp and walk on once you are dry"

Harper glances toward Flaxpaw at mention of her dryness, or lack thereof. He grin-smirks, shaking his head. "You go around following every shrew ya meet into the river, Flax?"

Flaxpaw blushes at that, and looks a tad indignant in a good-natured way. "I do /not/ follow them, Harp. That one's just determined to get me wet an muddy. 's not my fault...silly little spiky-furred cad." She considers him. "Don't tell me they didn't do their little trainin thing t'you?" Then she looks at Darkmane, grinning. "I c'n walk while i dry, sah....doesn't hurt nothin."

Darkmane gives a slight shake of his head "we can wait until you are properly dry, i'm not about to return to the abbey with one of my charges sick" chuckles softly "besides, it can get quite cold walking wet during the evening and night, that mutch i know from experience"

Harper roooolls his eyes, but he's grinning. He doesn't answer whether or not he was subjected to the tortu- that is, the /training/ of the shrews. He looks between Darkmane and Flaxpaw, nodding in agreement at Darkmane's assessment. "Darkmane's right, Flax. We can wait."

Flaxpaw gets a little stubborn look, chin jutting a bit as she looks between Harp and Darky. "Well...if you two say so." She looks into the fire. "Little dampm an cold never hurt me, though, 'm not Dande or somethin." she mutters to herself.

Darkmane chuckles softly "not saying it would hurt you, but i wouldn't be walking myself unless i was dry"

Harper looks at Flax out of the corner of his eye, looking amused by the Dande comment. He gives a small shake of his head and looks away, snorting. This trip's really perked up his mood. XD "Well anyway, it'll give us a chance to eat something." He digs in his own packet, bringing out a hard biscuit, which he starts in on nibbling.

Flaxpaw nods in agreement, and digs a little herself in her pack, wrinking he nose at the field supplies, and shoving her biscuit back into the bag. "Least the shrew's got good rations." She grins at Harp, he is indeed different from the buck she met at Sala, and even at the abbey. ;) She looks to Darkmane. "You don't think it'd hurt if we look around as we go, do you, sah? kinda prolong the trip as much as possible? It's nice bein out here, as you said earlier, and, well, as you know, I'd like to have some time away from the patrol. At least, time to think."

Darkmane chuckles wryly and nods his head "sounds like a very good idea to me, give you two time to think aswell as experience a few new things" then twists his lips into a semi-evil grin "not to mention get the abbey to get into a new and relaxing habit with you two gone, meaning that your return will be twice as effective and fun"

Harper ducks his head once more, but the silent laughter shaking his shoulders belies his seriousness. Apparently he doesn't mind that idea so much, himself. He manages to bring himself under control and looks up, first to Darkmane and then to Flaxpaw. "I"m sure they'll have loooooads to say to me when we return. 'Just out for an evening run'."

Flaxpaw looks at Darkmane chuckling, then claps her paws over her mouth when Harp speaks, muffling her laughter. "Oh, dear. The officers're gonna go spare. I forgot you don't have permission." She looks a little grave. "Harp? You gonna be ok from doin this? Majah Jarril c'n be real harsh. Made Quint cry, you know. Not that /you/ would, but...." Her brows knit in worry.

Darkmane says, "he should be as i'll claim responsibility for him being here"

At mention of Major Jarril, some of Harp's 'usual' dark mood seeps back in and he looks down, hunching his shoulders in a shrug. "I'll be-" He glances to Darkmane as he speaks up, concluding with a nod. "Fine."

Flaxpaw looks closely at Harper. "Harp? 'course you'll be...'m sorry. Wot's wrong? y' not upset that I asked, are you?"

Darkmane goes silent for the moment

Harper only shakes his head, to start. He worries at his lower lip for a few seconds, then shrugs. Cover. "Guess ya... guess ya just got me thinking about what'll happen when we get back. But Darkmane says it'll be okay, so it's fine." He looks up and to Flaxpaw, forcing a grin. "All right?"

Flaxpaw tries to hold Harper's eyes, nodding slowly, then shakes her head. "That's...not all that's botherin you, but, all right if you say it is." She looks over to Darkmane. "Sure I've dried enough, sah, maybe we should start?"

[Two poses missing. One from Harper and one from Darkmane.]

Flaxpaw watches Harp as she gets her stuff gathered to go, but keeps quiet for now. Mental note to work on him more later. :p

Darkmane nods his head and grins wryly "sounds like we can focus mainly on the exploration then and minimally on the studying of subjects since i bet the two of you have a better knowledge in the areas taught at the abbey then me on those subjects"

Harper nods his head, deferring to Darkmane's judgment. Since they're preparing to leave, he begins stirring the fire apart, separating the embers and larger chunks of remaining wood out to lessen the chance that they'll start a fire later on. He also utilizes the water Flaxpaw fetched earlier to douse the logs, his ears perking at the satisfying sizzle which emanates from them. "All the same, though, sir, do you happen to know the Redwall Charter? I think I've got it /mostly/ memorized, what with them drilling us on it every day, but... we're supposed to be able to explain every section in detail, too."

Flaxpaw can't help giggling a little. "Think the charter's pretty easy, Harp. Don't do anythin, be real nice all the time, an wotever you do, don' have fun." She winks, tugging her pack on, and setting off slowly, figuring the other two will catch up.

Darkmane says, "i'd have to think back a lot to dredge up those memories, if i've been told them its been once or twice ages ago *gets his pack on properly and waits on Harp to finish and starts heading off before following after himself*"

Harper stands when he's finished his task, shouldering his pack and starting off with them. "Aw, Flax, don't be /too/ hard on them. The Order can't be that bad if Keiran's a Brother 'n' all." He shrugs, catching up and falling into step alongside them. "Besides, I figure I could specialize in healing. That ain't something I'd /ever/ do back at the mountain. But I bet it'll come in real handy one day. What do you think, sir?" He looks to Darkmane, then.

Flaxpaw shakes her head, a little snort of disbelief escaping her, and she glares at the road. "Sure, not that bad." She looks st him from the corner of her eye, then shrugs moodily.

Darkmane muses toughtfully before nodding slightly while watching Harper "i think that sounds like a good idea actually, herbs and healing can be a very usefull thing to know"

Harper's ears twitch at the disbelieving snort, his eyes shifting uncertainly to Flaxpaw. His eyebrows raise and he sends a glance to Darkmane, as if to ask, 'What'd I do?' He shrugs and looks away from them both, down at the road. "Yeah. Useful."

Darkmane simply nods his head as he follows alongside the two