07-18-06 1

Characters involved: Zoe_Lang & Rahier.

Salamandastron: Leaders' Office

"Not! Righ'! Now!" This is what the private standing outside the office door, with his fist poised over the door, receives as way of greeting and farewell, even before he's really had a chance to knock. Apparently the officer within saw their shadow and took a preemptive strike. Hum. The private's ears splay back and he turns, looking dejected as he heads back down the leader hallway. For her own part, the 'officer' doesn't even look up from her work. It is none other than Zoe, of course.

Rahier doesn't have to catch the words, really. He can hear the shout and the poor dejected chap wandering past. XD He shakes his head, and moves up to the door, opening it himself. Of course, the major's head pokes in first. "Not righ' now, eh?" he asks, looking at the Zoe and her work.

Oho! They're asking for it. Zoe looks up with a scowl that could chill any vermin's heart, "I /thought/ I toldja, not ri-!" But then her one-eyed gaze settles on Rahier, and she sits back with a blink, all the scowl fizzling out of her. "... Oh, Rahier. Hullo." Heh. She plucks her spectacles, which are now only serving half their usual purpose, from the bridge of her snout. "Sorry, sorry. C'mon in," and she gestures him forward.

Zoe needs a monocle. XD Rahier slips his way through the crack in the door, and closes it behind him. "Th'masses clamorin' for attention t'day?" he asks, whilst taking the seat on the opposite side of the desk. "Y'shoulda seen th'look on his face. Poor kid." Grin.

"I dunno what they're clamorin' for, but it seems they're always clamorin' /righ'/ at that door," and she inclines her head in a jerky nod to said door. And she looks rather weary about it, too, as she sits back again. "But nevah mind all that... they bounce back. How're ya doin', Rah?"

Rahier laughs. "P'raps y'should find another hidin' place?" He drapes an arm over the back of his chair and grins once more. "I'm good, I'm good." He'd ask in return, but she looks stressed. XD "Whatcha workin' on?"

"I've tried many, but this seems t' be the only one where I c'n quick folks out with any sort o' authority," Zoe replies. She smirks and shakes her head, steepling her fingers together in her lap. "What'm I workin' on?" She glances down at the parchments laid out before her, then shorts. "Not a bloody thing, t' be honest. What brings ya in here?"

Rahier shakes his head. She obviously doesn't know the good hiding spots. XD Ahem. The hare looks to the stacks of parchments again, and chuckles. They do seem to pile up. Paper in, paper out. At the question, he pauses. "I..." Hm. He touches a finger to his chin. "I had a thought." A very rare occurrence.

A thought? Zoe sits forward, leaning over her folded paws. Her eyebrows raise. "Aye? Well... m'always open t'hearin' yer thoughts, m'lad. Let's hear it."

Rahier looks a little troubled, as if he's not really certain of what he's saying, and continues tapping at his chin as he thinks. "Well, ahh..." Hmm. "I was thinkin'. 'Bout all th'vermin bands we've had t'face in th'past. There's th'kind that raids over our border.. an' th'kind that actually lives on th'shores." He pauses, and considers. "I was thinkin', we should stop it from happenin' again. Keep them from livin' among us an' keep 'em from comin' back in."

As he begins to speak, Zoe's eyebrows raise a little more and she sits back yet again, listening intently. As he continues on, her forehead begins to furrow. Perhaps because she's not certain of what he's saying, either. She remains silent for a few seconds after he's finished speaking, ducking her head forward while she thinks of what to say. "Noooow... d'ya mean... keep vermin /bands/ from livin' amongst us, oooor... no vermin a'tall?"

Rahier has tried to make Zoe more tolerant so many times. XD Poor Rah just doesn't know anymore. "I mean... I guess, all o'em." He sweeps a paw over the surface of the desk. "They can be someone else's problem. We clean house 'n then close it up. S'our land."

"And what of Halyard? Do we clear out the vermin who live there, s'well?" She doesn't sound as if she disagrees with the idea. Then again, she doesn't sound as if she agrees, either. She seems to be musing over the idea, mulling over it. "And what if they choose not t' leave? Then what?"

Rahier frowns. One can't help but consider his point of view. That of hares hanging from the ceiling. ;p "Ah.. yes?" He folds his paws upon his lap. "Halyard is jus' as much ours as th'dunes. It isn't their choice."

"We've always left them t' their own leadahship, in the past..." Zoe seems to be very deep in thought, and from the point of view of one with one less point of view, she's playing the devil's advocate fairly well. "But what if they resist? What if some five season old ferret's lived in Halyard - or somewhere else on the shore, fer that mattah - all his life 'n' decides t' take issue with your decision' t' remove him from his home?"

Rahier shrugs. "Th'past is th'past." Ah heh. He touches his thumbs together, and frowns further, and... thinks. "We've been livin' in this mountain all our lives. It didn't stop 'em from doin' what they did." Grunt. "They can get used t'livin' in th'woods."

Well, that answers her questions. She falls silent for a very long time, so long that Rahier might actually think she has nothing more to say. She folds her paws together, her two index fingers lining up alongside each other while the rest of her fingers fold together. She taps the two pointer fingers gently against her chin, forward and back. "... This would signal a rathah significant shift in our policy. Our patrols now are just... precautionary. Scoutin' the area. What you are suggestin' would require... constant sweeps, active rathah than passive patrollin'. But do we have enough of a physical presence t' maintain somethin' like that?" This question doesn't seem directed /at/ him, so much as her inner monologue verbalized.

Rahier waits while she thinks, thinking it over himself. "I think we need a significant shift. Precautionary patrols didn't stop th'massacre." He folds his paws again, staying his thumb-tapping. "It won't be easy, an' it won't be fair t'those who had no hand in things, but fare t'me isn't worth hares' lives."

Oh, bother. Zoe's brow furrows rather suddenly and her gaze shifts downward, taking in the view of her suddenly shaking paws. It's so typical anymore, though, that she only shifts her paws, wrapping one around the other to stay its movement. It works and she rests them in her lap, shaking her head. "... Well. I can't say m'not sorry t' hear ya sayin' these things, Rah. I can't say m'not proud of ya fer sayin' 'em, though." If that makes sense. She looks up at him, smiling sadly. "I'll considah yer... 'thought', Majah."

Rahier nods, appearing still he's not quite sure of the things he's saying himself. He just.. y'know. They all went through a lot. Shifts one's perspective. He nods. "I had t'..say somethin'. Thank y', Zoe," he says, and then stands and salutes. before.. turning around to leave the room. Flee. XD