A Late Night Question and Answer Session
It's in the middle of the but Cera doesn't care, she needs to have a chat.
RW Abbey: Cavern Hole
This room is slightly smaller than Great Hall, but still of a size large enough to accommodate a great number of gathered beasts. A large fireplace is set into one of the walls, and there are a series of small tables and chairs near one end for beasts who are eating late, or simply prefer the smaller tables for their meals. Cushions and blankets have been set in one corner. A short flight of steps leads up to Great Hall, and along the walls of the stairs, going both ways, the word 'Redwall' has been carved into the stone.
Exits/Entrances:
[G]reat [H]all
[Ki]tchen
After another late night trek over to the abbey, Tristan has settled into Cavern Hole for a quick meal, which he had to fetch himself, as late as it is. It's not his usual lurking grounds, but it does just as well. The room's large fireplace is unnecessary with the summer's heat, and he sits with his back to it. On the table next to him is a plate with a few crumbs of bread on it and a little bit of fish. The remains of his meal. He seems to be sitting around idly at the moment, a mostly empty glass of wine in one paw.
Cera is walking through the cavern hole, sometimes it’s been hard to sleep and so she takes a walk to get tried, she slows as she sees the otter and watches him, she remembers seeing him a couple times in the abbey and she stops in her walking to look at him, not yet saying anything just looking at him.
Tristan looks over at the little ferret as she enters, her appearance drawing him out of his thinking. He tilts his head to her in a slight greeting that she may or may not acknowledge. As he shifts a little in his seat, he remembers that this is Mal's adopted dibbun. Or at least was. He takes a slow sip of wine, wondering if she'll approach him. It doesn't seem likely, with what he knows of her.
Cera frowns and backs up, maybe scared of the otter, her father had seemed to want to protect her..but why? She starts to go forward again and stops after a couple feet, "Y..Y..You knew..f...father...o..or least who I c..called father."
Tristan regards her with a neutral expression. Honestly he's surprised she even spoke. "Yes, I did." He sets his glass of wine down and places his paws on his thighs as he looks at Cera. "Why do you ask?" He uses the softest voice he can manage, which is still a little coarse, but he recognizes what the dibbun's going through, so he makes an attempt.
Cera stays a short distance away, she only gets a little closer to hear better, "W..w..why d..did b..beasts hate him..s..someone said he..he hated the abbey" She is still unsure of other things she been told, maybe he knows, "F..F..Flicktail said he..killed him c..cause he threat..ummm wanted to harm a..and he almost killed Flick...tail." She stutters a little more in her asking but tries to stay calm, she is curious and it's clear she knew very little about Maleficus.
Tristan sighs softly, looking at the small ferret, knowing she's likely far too young to understand. He's not even sure he fully understood Maleficus, really. "Maleficus... wasn't evil." He says, choosing his words carefully. "It's just..." He looks down at her, doing his best to make eye contact as he speaks, "He wasn't really understood. He didn't quite fit in." he's not sure that's quite the right wording. "He was angry, but I don't think he really wanted to be."
Cera is more confused now, "W..why angry..a..abbey is nice place and I.." she is unsure whether to even state it but she does, "I g..g..gonna be healer a..and novice..ma..maybe s..s..sister too." She thinks and adds quietly" I..I..good..n..n..ot bad,e..even if some not like me."
Tristan scratches his head a little, an indicator of his inability to properly explain things to a dibbun. "He had some very bad things happen to him, and I think..." He trails off. "He started to blame it on other people, maybe people who never had anything to do with what happened."
Cera is listening, she is unsure whether to ask what the bad things were so she doesn't ask and maybe that’s for the best so she simple nods slowly, another question, "B..B..beasts won’t think bad of me...too will they?" Hey she is curious and this otter is the first who has really said much on the issue, anyone else told her to go away or hey let’s go get a snack or don't you have lessons to do, she rubs her eyes as she starts to get tried.
Tristan gives her a very slight smile, "No, I don't think they will." He says reassuringly to her.
Cera she seems to want to ask more when a very annoyed looking vole maid comes in and talks sternly, "There you are young lady, what are you doing your supposed to be in bed, be lucky I don't tell Papa Oz this.." The ferret frowns, "I..talking to..the otter and...no tell Papa Oz..I..I go bed." She looks at Tristan, yes she has more questions, it shows but it can wait, she frowns and is led off to bed with the vole maid going on and on and on about did she know what blooming time it was? Why is she brothering a guest? and so on.
-A half an hour later-
Cera had been upstairs for a short while and has managed to tip toe back down the stairs after the grumpy vole went back to the bunk room, she looks to see if the otter is still down here as she still would like to know more.
Tristan is still sitting where he was earlier. His dishes from his meal are now absent, sent back to the kitchen, it would seem. At the moment he's looking through some documents, parchament rustling slightly as he inspects it. The otter looks up as he hears someone enter, someone obviously is trying to be discreet and stealthy. When he sees it's Cera again he gives her a slightly forced smile and waves her over. "Seems like you should be in bed." he says quietly.
Cera slowly goes over to Tristan as he did motion her over. "B..But I didnt..f..finish talk about father, why did he..g..go away for 4 seasons a..and come back and act nice, but wasn't nice? Why didn't he t..take me with him, h..he not want me c..cause was..l..learning at abbey?"
Tristan lets the smile fade into an almost grimace. "I don't think so. I don't know what he was doing while he was away, but he probably knew that you'd be safe at the abbey.", This is a bit of a lie, considering how often Maleficus ranted about the ease of sneaking weapons into the place. But if it's some small comfort, Tristan's willing to offer it. "And he think he was... nice." Tristan hesitates to use the word, as it's a bit unsubstantial. "He wanted the best for you, he just... Didn't seem as nice to others."
Cera nods slowly, ok but it’s still unclear of the rest, "B..but he had..w..wea..ponds,d..didn't he? Fl..Flicktail said he had and..why? Did he not like some beasts h..here?" She frowns a little, still upset over the death but not as much or least it doesn't show much.
Tristan nods slowly. "Yes, he had weapons." he thinks for a few seconds. Wording is key here. "I guess you could say that he doesn't like some of the beasts here, yes. That's probably the most simple way of putting it.", He looks down at her, meeting her eyes. "Mal was one of the most interesting beasts I’ve ever met in my lifetime. I'm still not sure I fully understand how he thought. But I do believe that he loved you very much, Cera."
Cera manages a small smile, she does believe this as there were a couple times of happiness with her father, short but happy before he went off to where ever he went, she nods slowly, "I..I n..not gonna be like him, g..gonna help by..by being healer beast, Mr. L..Leon gonna teach me."
Tristan gives her a very slight smile in return. "That's good. Like I said, he was not a.. bad beast, just... misunderstood." He sighs, "It's best to try to remember the good parts of him, and lets the bad parts remain in the past."
Cera nods "G..Good parts." She says quietly and yawns, yeah she is tried, more so now but seems happy with answers she got as she climbs into the one large chair here in the room, she manages a "t.t..thank you." Before letting sleep overtake her.
