06-29-05 1

Characters involved: Miette, Ralai, Oxeye, Farren, Zoe, & Gynyvieve.

Salamandastron: Library

Miette says, "Ah pulled th'ears off someone else's doll. Bu' they nevah share'n they're mean'n Ah don' like 'em."

Ralai continues looking through his pack and seems to find what he's looking for but looks closer and puts it back in sighing and looking some more

Oxeye raises a brow. Huh. He hesitates, this time. "... Undahstandable, Ah s'pose. But... Erm. Ye're not goin' t'do it again, eh?" Right? :/

Miette's ears fall back down, "They're mean, too."

Oxeye, again, reaches for Miette's ears. Both, this time. He lifts them until they're straight up, giving her a gentle grin. "Well they'll b'spoken to, too. Ah promise. But ye've got t'promise not t'go wagin' war on their dolls, ahlrigh'? Can ye promise meh that much?"

Miette smiles just a little bit, "..Ah promise Ah won't go wagin' war on their dolls anymore."

Ralai seems to be unable to find what he is looking for and shrugs closeing his pack and putting it back on his back

Right. One thing at a time. "That's a good lass," Ox praises, quite proud of his own little fatherly deed. He drops her ears, glancing up briefly at the badger. Hrm. He looks back to Miette. "Now, how 'bout ye hang 'round here with meh, while Ah talk t'th'big ol' badger, eh? An' then we'll go raid th'kitchens. An' tomorrah, we'll talk t'ye teachah. Th'two o' us. How's that sound?"

Miette smiles, moving to give him one more hug, "I'sounds good!"

Ralai waits patiently his reason for wanting to talk a bit less important then this in his eyes

Oxeye allows and returns the hug, before slowly standing. He rolls his shoulders once, and then hails the badger. "Ahlrigh', lad. What is it Ah can do fer ye?"

Ralai says, "i heard about the problem with the nearby town and would like to help sir"

Oxeye's expression darkens swiftly. Slowly, Oxeye crosses his arms over his chest. His entire stance seems to stiffen. "Is tha' so?" He grunts, softly. "Firs'. Who th'blazes are ye, if'n ye don't mind meh bein' frank, an' how'd ye end up here?"

Miette clings loosely to Oxeye, now quietly watching the badger.

Ralai says, "i am ralai nothing more as to the how i got here i kept on being asked if i was from here and decided to see the mountain people kept on asking me if i was from..."

Farren enters the library, whistling. Yes, whistling. It's not very loud or very well done--in fact, it's rather off--key, but she's not immediately aware of what's going on, that's plain.

Oxeye's eyes narrow, in consideration. At length, Ox grunts again. "Righ'. Well, what exactly do ye do? Badjah o' not, not all stripedogs are fightahs. Good ones, anyway. Ah learned that from an ol' friend o'mine." Logain. :3 ... And wait. Eartwitch. Look, it's Farren, the martenny-thing.

Ralai says, "i am a decent fighter sir"

Oxeye snorts, this time. He's a harsh critic of fighters. And probably even harsher on badgers, seeing as they tend to get underpaw. "Decent doesn't tell meh anythin', mate. What's ye game? Ye carry some honkin' sword o' axe 'round?"

Miette's ears are perked straight up, listening intently to her father and the badger.

Ralai says, "i do not cary anything that is considered a weapon unless my walking stick counts but i am good with a sword"

Farren stops whistling abruptly, instead perking her ears and peering towards the conversation. She sniggers very quietly into one paw.

Look, it's Zoe following after the martenny-thing! Or following the sound of her whistles, anyway. Popping her head inside the room, the doe quirks a brow 'til she locates the whistling Farren, at which point she abruptly stops. Hm. Her gaze then goes around the rest of the room, resting first on her ickle family type, and then on Ralai. What /ever/ is going on in here... She steps into the room, keeping quiet for the moment.

Oxeye arches a brow. "... An' Ah don't s'pose ye know anythin' 'bout military formations, ordahs, o' takin' down a city's worth o' vermin while maintainin' th'safety o' two dozen o' more hostages, do ye?" He's not completely dismissing Ralai. Merely very, very wary of putting the badger under fire with his troops.

Ralai says, "i have no military training sir but my size is not just for show"

Gynyvieve walks in. "I'm sorry, am I interupting something?"

Farren sniggers into her paw once again. She doesn't appear to have noticed Zoe, her entire focus on the conversation.

Oxeye cracks a grin, finally. He pats Miette briefly on the head, and then steps away. Striding to the closest bookcase, Ox takes a moment to ponder the shelf's contents. Then he selects two books, and sets them on a table close to the badger. The first is a small booklet, perhaps no more than fifty pages. It's narrow in girth, and quite unassuming with a lightly-tanned leather jacket. The second is a much mightier, larger tome, of impressive dimensions. It's a bold, vibrant red in color. "Which one makes a bettah target, Ralai?"

Ralai says, "neither"

Miette tags along at Oxeye's side, not releasing her light grip on him. She peers at the books, then raises a paw, "I know! I know, Daddy!"

Oxeye arches a brow. He turns, raising both books up on their end. Look, Ox has an audience. Huh. He looks down at Miette. "Tell th'badjah, deah."

Farren breaks into a cackle at this. Not a particularly quiet cackle anymore either, though she does try to muffle it still.

Miette points at the bigger one, "He is! There's more of him. Right, Daddy?" She looks up toward Oxeye for confirmation, a little smile on her face.

Oxeye grants Miette a grin, nodding. "Ye got it." She gets a proud pat between the ears. He looks to Farren, now. "Ye there, martenny-one. Which do ye say would make an easiah pincushion?"

Ralai says, "they are both equally dangerous sir because the small one is most likely fast and the large one is strong."

Zoe_Lang watches the exchange from the wall near the door where she leans, arms crossed casually over her chest. At all the cackling, Farren is given a glance. Eyeroll. ;p Silly marten.

Miette beams proudly, but once again goes quiet.

Farren points toward the large, red book. "Ye can bean that one at twice the distance ye can bean t'other, allowin' your bow's good enough. 'Specially if he ain't movin' too fast. Strong don't mean nothin' if ye can take him down a'fore he reaches ye."

Ralai says, "that may be true but i have no training with a bow"

Oxeye waits on Farren's answers, though notes Ralai's statement. "Damn straight, Farren." Gosh, she's learned a lot. Hee. He turns now, to face Ralai. "Ah didn't ask which one was dangerous, badjah. Ah asked which one was an easiah target. Without military experience o' trainin', an' with only a sword, ye can use all th'strength ye want, but ye'll still get mowed down before ye even reach th'walls o' Halyard. /Ye/ may not have trainin' with a bow, but Daclon's troops do."

Gynyvieve walks over to a shelf and pulls off a book

Farren wiggles her fingers a little. "An' so do I, an' I could bean ye' easy, Mister Badger sort."

Ralai says, "i'd be lucky if i could hit the larger one sir"

Farren dissolves into sudden sniggering again.

Gynyvieve smiles behind her book

Ralai says, "when one travels and were raised in an orphanage they generally do not end up with bow training miss marten"

Farren's sniggering becomes more furious.

Oxeye's expression turns to one of, for a moment, confusion. His brow furrows. "Ah'm not askin' ye which one ye could hit, Ralai... Ah'm tellin' ye: ye're th'blinkin' red book." He taps the massive tone, demonstratively. "Ye're an easy /target/. An' without experience, Ah'm not sure how keen Ah am on lettin' ye get ye nice black'n'white pelt stuck full o'arrows. Ye ken?"

Ralai nods saying "yes sir i see your point

Zoe_Lang looks up at the ceiling with a "spirits help us" look as Farren dissolves into sniggering once more. Pushing off the wall, the doe crosses the room, making sure to flick a paw at Farren's ear as she passes. "Somethin' caught up in yer throat, marteny gel?"

Farren's head jerks up in surprise--a moment later the surprise has given over to elation, and she pretty much mimics her actions in regards to Oxeye--without the large takeoff beforehand. That is, she throws herself at Zoe in a sudden, furious bearhug. "C'nel!"

Oxeye allows a subtle sigh of relief. "Ahlrigh'. That said, Ah'm still goin' t'give ye a chance t'show meh what ye've got. Tomorrah, most likely. We're not returnin' t'Halyard immediately, so we've got time." He pauses, giving Ralai another rough appraisal. "Ye're likely as strong as ye look, badjah. But Ah'm not jus' throwin' ye into battle jus' 'cause Ah'm sure ye could knock a few heads. We've already failed once. Ah'm not goin' t'let that happen again. Undahstood?"

Ralai asks, "yes sir would you like me to practice in the archery range in the meantime sir?"

Miette gives Zoe a smile, "C'mere, Mumma!"

Gynyvieve puts the book up, and sighs

Oxeye's eyes widen. "... No. No, lad. Ah don't think that's necessary. Ah wouldn't be givin' ye a bow, if'n ye were among our ranks durin' our next strike. Ye have th'strength t'draw an arrow, but not th'seasons o' experience. T'wouldn't b'wise." He shakes his head again. "Ah'll find ye th'next chance Ah have, though. An' we'll walk down th'beach a ways. Ahrigh'?"

Ralai nods saying "yes sir may i have permission to practice with a sword in the meantime sir?"

Zoe_Lang's eyes widen at the sudden and, indeed, furious bearhug. Still, though, she quickly falls to grinning and returning the hug, patpatting the excitable marten on the back. "'Tis good t' see ya, Farren. I was wonderin' when I'd catch ya..." Hee. She takes Farren by the shoulders and holds her back from herself, appraisingly. "Ya grew up. When'd ya go 'n' grow up, eh?" For the moment, she lets Miette's greeting go by the wayside. It's not every day you meet old friends again. XD

Gynyvieve sits down on the floor, deciding that now is a good time to play with her sitar. She does so.

Farren grins broadly. "I missed ye, C'nel, ye an' t'whole lot an' t'mountain besides." She lifts one paw to rub at the back of her neck, and flicks an ear backwards. "I think t'was all the food I nicked."

Oxeye eyes Ralai critically, ignoring the temptation to glance at Zoe, Farren, or Miette. "... As ye wish, badjah. But b'darn careful, if'n ye will." That said, the buck pats a Miette's head again, and sneaks a peek over at the colonel and the marten.

Miette's ears fall immediately as she watches Zoe and Farren.

Ralai moves to leave the library

Zoe_Lang laughs, and releases Farren with a pat to one of her shoulders. "Ya were well missed t', m'gel. Ya plannin' on stayin', now, righ'?" Grinningly, she turns her attention to the family types, only to see a Miette with drooping ears. Meep? She sends a glance Ox's way, questioningly. 'What'd I do?' in other words.

Ohnonono. With a quick, abrupt, final nod to the badger, Oxeye drops his gaze to Miette and her droopy ears. "Oh no ye don't." He drops to a crouch beside Miette again, following her gaze to Zoe and Farren. "Give Mommy a moment, eh? She hasn't seen that scrawny martenny-thin' in seasons. O' so it feels. Now lift those ears up, dahlin'." A glance up to Zoe. 'Nothing to worry about', in other words.

Farren practically beams with pleasure. "Yeah, I am. I brought some news too, 'bout the old Abbey place--good'n'bad, but more good than bad."

Zoe_Lang's gaze remains on Miette and Ox for a few seconds longer, but Farren's draw is apparently too much to withstand, and so with only the slightest of worried brow wrinkles, she returns her attention to her. At mention of news, both eyebrows go up. Intriiiiguing. "News, ya say? C'n I get the good news first 'n' then decide if'n I want t' hear the bad?" She grins.

Miette's ears don't perk up. Instead, she wraps her arms around Oxeye and buries her face against his shoulder.

Farren grins in return. "Aye. Good news: Redwall's doin' real nice, got the wall all the way back up, got t'gates back up, an' they've got little novices runnin' around. They even promoted two of them to Brother and Sister last Nameday. And t'supplies an' all that...well, t'gardens are bloomin' like anythin', and t'orchards are goin' t'be full o' fruit."

Oxeye suddenly feels the need to act fast. Both because Miette's droopy and... Well. The Bad News. Clearing his throat, Ox shoots another Look at Zoe. This one says 'wait a damn moment'. Because Ox doesn't want Miette to hear The Bad News. ... And he doesn't want to hear it again, either. "... Hey, Miette. What's say we raid those kitchens now, eh?" >.>;;

Those eyebrows just keep going up. Zoe looks just about as pleased as punch - at least until the Look. She has the torn look of one whose attention is divided - head turning towards the new distraction, but eyes still stuck on Farren. She takes the hint, though, and pats Farren on the shoulder in feigned joviality. "Well, mayhaps we'll wait a bit t' hear the bad, eh?" She very slightly jerks her head towards Miette, then, to emphasize Oxeye's already emphasized point, in case Farren's not savvy on Odd Hare Family Body Language. "So the ordah's up 'n' runnin' again. Well, that'd be a sight t' see. Surprised ya didn't join up as a novice yerself," she playfully ribs.

Miette makes a little nod in answer to Oxeye.

Farren is not /completely/ oblivious--just mostly. And she doesn't seem incredibly eager to deliver said bad news, so she holds off without complain. A slight twitch of her muzzle accompanies the rib. "Oh no, C'nel. That wouldn' be for me. I tried doin' t'Abbey a good turn with guardin' t'place before the gate went up, and I got a snippy mouse all up in my face over not wantin' t'give in t'threatenin' bullies."

Oxeye is relieved Zoe's quick to catch onto Odd Hare Family Body Language. He puts on a grin for Miette, and pulls himself free of the little leveret -- enough to then extend his paw to his daughter, once standing. "Let's go see what we can find, eh?" And Ox begins to aim towards the door, navigating around Zoe and Farren -- but rather close, enough to bump Zoe very subtly. Erhem. Yes. Carry on, you two.

Miette clings to Oxeye's paw. But she's still all droopy.

Another glance is sent Miette & Oxeye's way, and Zoe does her very best not to attack Oxeye with questions about just, what exactly, he knows about this news that she doesn't. Forewarning is good! Yes. Ahem. Zoe touches a paw to Ox's shoulder as he goes past, in greeting and farewell, actually, and then returns her attention to Farren with a slightly exasperated smile. 'Kids', that expression says. Gotta love 'em. "Well, the abbey always was a bit peaceful t' a fault, but most of 'em know enough t' pick up a stick 'n' bean ya one if'n they have t', I'll give 'em that much."

Farren says, "He wasn' an Abbey sort, though he sure liked t'throw his weight around. An' he didn' last too long as head guardin'n'stuff--he self appointed himself t'that, an' I guess he got showed up, 'cause I haven' heard from him in ages. But anyways. I wouldn' work well. I'd go an' say what I thought an' then I'd just have t'scrub all those dishes an' get me habit wet."

Zoe_Lang does her best not to ask about the bad news as /soon/ as the two slip through the door. That, and she's not sure she wants to hear it at all. Hm. She nods her head at the ground, "Mind, we've got just s'many dishes here t' scrub. Though I s'pose ya'are a bit old now t' be puttin' t' dish duty." Which Zoe still can't get over. Farren all growed up. Awwwww.

Farren tips both ears back this time, and tries to swallow her grin. She fails miserably. "Well, dishes aren' near so bad as latrine duty, C'nel. Just s'long as I don' have t'curtail t'any snooty mice with no brains 'tween their ears."

"Well, it'd seem we've still managed t' keep ourselves free o' mice, snooty 'r othahwise," Zoe "reassures", not that she imagines Farren was really worried. She then glances 'round, and backs up a step so that she can lean against a table edge. Then, with a small smile still remaining, if it is a bit tarnished at the thought, she gestures towards herself with a paw. "Well... s'pose ya ought t' have out with it. What's the rest o' the news? I take it ya a'ready told Ox."

Farren glances to the side, as if only just /now/ noticing that Oxeye and Miette have vanished. In that brief motion, all traces of her previous dopey grins and smiles disappear. "Well, err. S'just a death. Thought y'should know. An' doesn' hurt t'spread word o' t'killer, since he's up an' vanished. Kevarr, y'know. She got offed."

Zoe_Lang's smiling countenance is replaced by stony shock. Invading hordes she can deal with, and usually remedy. This, on the other hand... "How?" She's all deadpan voice and flattened ears, now.

Farren rubs the back of her neck and transfers her gaze to the floor. "Some novice went wanderin' into the graveyard. A ferret tried t'take him away, but Kevarr showed up an' wasn' havin' it. So they fought an' she got sliced t'bits. Ferret got away, an' we haven' heard hide nor' hair o' him since."

... Oof. Zoe rubs a paw tiredly at a temple, and stands up from her leaning position. "... Kev would do tha'." This isn't meant negatively - quite the opposite, it is said with fondness, if a resigned and unhappy sort. Zoe looks to Farren. "I think I'm goin' t' make m' way t' my rooms, 'n' do m' level best t' forget what ya've just told me. Fer the night, anyway. T'morrah, we'll talk. Catch ya up on the latest Sala news. Mm?"

Farren nods slowly. "Yeah, arright. Sorry 'bout t'bad news'n'all...but I figured ye might want t'know. Erm. There's just one more thing, an' I dunno if it'll be bad or not. But ye know that fox, t'one with his northern kingdom? Part o' his army's hanging around t'tavern north o' Redwall, in order t'protect t'Abbey and t'road, or so he says. Makes me antsy."

The severe brow-furrowing would suggest that this, too, is bad news for Zoe. "That bloody arrogant fox bloke from Ruingate? I thought I bloody well told 'im t' stay clear o' the abbey..." With a sigh, she runs a paw through her headfur and looks up at the ceiling for a moment. Then, banishing any further questions that she might ask, she shakes her head vaguely as she turns towards the door. "I'll... we'll talk about that t'morrah, s'well." Heh. Or she'll never get around to sleeping, tonight.

Farren nods once more. "I'm all out o' bad news for t'night anyway. T'morrow."

Zoe_Lang looks relieved by that, anyway. Nodding, she gives Farren's shoulder one final pat before heading towards the door. She does pause halfway there, though, to glance back. "... Really is good t' have ya back, m'deah. Good nigh'." And then, that final bit said, she continues on to the door, and out.