A Visitor

--Enjoy--

Abandoned Den

This den is fairly good size and clean. An area is here for a campfire and agaist the wall is some old wood and even some flint stones, who ever lived here kept good supplies but left for some reason or other.

Slight smoke comes from the den as a small fire burns, not a great one but its a fire anyways, outside the snow storm still rages as they have been stuck here for four hours, maybe little longer, The badger coughs a little as his cloak is drying, close to the fire are some sleeping dibbuns, one is slightly away from the others but still close to the fire, a ferret who is ill. The badger sits close by but seems to be letting the dibbuns have the most heat rather than him; there is also a sleeping squirrel here.

Outside the wind nips at one otter's cheeks, turning them red under her fur. She was caught entirely unprepared by this sudden storm, and is blundering about, trying to find some crude form of shelter or even a village if she's lucky. She's leaning heavily on her javelin, as the cold aggravates her old wound, causing her limp to be more pronounced. The howling wind and snow covers up any sound she makes.

Oz looks out towards the entry to check on the snow and blinks as he thinks he sees movement and gets up to walk over to the entry, he looks into the snow which is still falling heavily but does make out a shape, he looks back to the dibbuns and then towards the otter shape, he calls out "Hello!"

Aeris whips her head to one side, squinting through the blinding snow. She doesn't need to though; it's hard to miss the big badger. She turns and fights the wind to go towards him, and what she thinks is a cave behind him. She tries to speak, but the words are ripped from her throat by the relentless wind.

Oz frowns, he goes ahead and heads forwards to help the otter to the cave, the wind blows against him and right now he has no cloak on, he shivers but fights the wind to get the ottermaid to the safety of the cave, cold air goes down his throat as he coughs and he makes his way to the den entry and it is much less cold inside the den, still somewhat but by the fire its even better. He coughs a couple times and looks at the otter..."Better in, in here."

Cera stirs under her blanket and whimpers; she is dry after her fall in the freezing water but still is not in the greatest shape. She whimpers low.

Aeris nods graciously at the badger, "Thank you, mate." she says, shivering. She has a normal otter accent, but you think you pick up maybe just a touch of Northern. She warms her cold paws by the small fire, trying to shake off the bone-chilling cold.

Oz nods, he goes over to Cera and checks on her, he sighs and looks outside, he is only glad the others aren't sick and are asleep, he adjusts a cloak over one of them and fixes Cera's blanket.

Cera whimpers "Want... dada....dada..."She coughs and opens her eyes; she closes them again and whimpers. She isn't feeling well.

Aeris tries to control her teeth's mad chattering, "Wha... wha... what's goin' on 'ere?" she says, gazing around at all the dibbuns.

Oz sighs "Were hiking when the storm hit, it hit suddenly and got bad fast, got lost and this was the only place to go...couldn't let the young ones stay in this weather, its till the storm clears then hopefully the abbey will send someone to find us." He glances at Cera and frowns "One...*cough* ...needs a healer, fell in freezing water had to get her out."

Cera curls up and coughs again, she whimpers and tries to go back to sleep.

Aeris shakes her head, "I...I'm no healer, sorry." she pauses, rubbing her shoulders, "Where am ah, by tha by?" she asks, "Was headed fer Halyard an' the badger mountain when I found yew all."

Oz listens "Far from there...Mossflower woods and we are," he thinks "Think, rather hope close to Redwall Abbey, all the blowing snow got me turned around."

Cera stays curled up and slips back into sleep, she sniffs a little.

Aeris sighs, giving him a wistful smile, "Well damn it all," she says, and then grimaces as she remembers the dibbuns present. "Looks like ah might have to spend the winta' at the abbey."

Oz smiles "The abbey is a good place...Oh I am Oz, dibbun caretaker of the abbey or as some call it Badger Father" he chuckles as he glances at the dibbuns "Or as they call me...Papa Oz..." He coughs once and shakes his head. "Storm won't last forever, probably already know I am missing and the dibbuns here too."

Aeris sits down, huddling her knees against her chest. "I'm Aeris. I wander Mossflower an' the Broadstream. Good fishin'." she adds sadly, as she remembers the last of the fish she caught was eaten a day ago.

Oz nods, he frowns "We...don't have much here in the way of food...some rice cakes, berries, a little cheese and bread with juice, like said hadn't planned on getting stuck, was to be a simple little hike, a snack and head home."

Aeris nods, "I'll be fine, as long as that damn wind quits. It's drivin' me crazy." she seems to have grown a bit rough from her seasons wandering.

Oz nods as he sits "Should calm, sometime soon...hope, is a little loud cant see how the dibbuns sleep threw it"

Aeris nods as well, "Aye, they mus' be pretty tired ta sleep through that racket." she jerks a thumb towards the cave entrance.

Oz sighs as he looks to the fire, it is still going good for now "Just... trying to think, firewood....will be wet out there, won't burn as well as would like it too."

Aeris shakes her head, with a grim smile that exposes one of her canine teeth, "Good luck wit' finding firewood out there. You'd be lucky to find it under all that snow, let alone find it dry."

Oz nods "We have some in the den, not much...maybe enough for a day worth after tonight, may have to look for some, even if its wet...dry some with fire have going." He folds his arms over his chest. "Seen snow like this, usually in Northlands, guess your once in while storm."

Aeris shrugs, "Well, I've got nothin' better to do than help out where ah can here, and then go back to tha abbey wit' yew once yer found."

Oz nods "I have faith we will be found, can't let them get sick...or worse." He coughs once and sighs, his throat hurts a little but he doesn't let on it does.

Aeris raises an eyebrow, a look that almost mirrors her brother's favorite expression, "Sounds like yer already sick, mate."

Oz folds his arms "I am fine, it's them I am concern for, did get the ferret that was awake earlier from freezing water, jumped in...Got cloak wet its drying still" points to a cloak on a small edge of rock.

Aeris glances at the cloak, wishing she had one of her own. "Seems like you'd do jus' about anythin' fer these dibbuns. Is any of 'em yours?"

Oz shakes his head "No, I have no dibbuns of my own, and most likely won't"

Aeris nods, "Aye, I'm in the same boat. Or cave, as it were." she grins again, little humor in it.

Oz chuckles a little "I do think of them all as...mine in a way, some have a parent and some are orphans."

Aeris nods. It seems the mention of parents how quieted her for a bit. "Well, it's a good thing they 'ave somebeast that cares fer 'em."

Oz smiles, he checks the fire and makes sure its working good and even gets it to get a little bigger, he looks at all the dibbuns, adjust a blanket here or a cloak here, he takes special note of Cera and makes sure she has the blanket tucked around her, he sits down near the cave entry to watch the snow and act as a guard too, just in case. He rubs his throat and frowns.

Aeris watches him for a while, but she's tired from fighting her way through the snow. She leans back against the cave wall, somewhat warm, and fights against sleep.

--That was all. Aeris most likely fell asleep, and Oz is guarded them.--