A Visitor, A Guest And A Misunderstanding About Borrowing
Characters: Will, Skuld, Amy, Kentar, Aikuen, Isaac
Location: Moledeep
Moledeep: Tunnel Entrance
William is sitting outside by the entrance of Moledeep. The rat is to the left of the red door that marks the tunnel's entrance working on a small bit of clay, possiablly making a small figurine or something it's hard to tell at this early stage.
There's a small rattling noise, in time with somebeast's pawsteps. The rattling is the sound of smooth little bits of wood, clicking together. A beast stops, mostly just out of sight, large amber eye peering through the remaining growth. Hiding, but without making much of an effort to diguise their presence.
William's torn ears swivel toward the sound, he knows the wind doesn't make a sound quite like that. "Who goes there?!" he calls out standing up claws tapping his sword's hilt as he scans the woods beyond the clearing.
Skuld takes a few steps forward. "A... friend?" Comes a small, not entirely certain, shakey voice. Skuld's gotten thin and she's a little taller again from when she was last seen, but all the old wounds have remained. There's a smile, though, like her voice, it's nothing certain.
The rat eyes the cat a few moments and nods a little moving his paw away from his sword. "You can come in if you want just follow th rules while you're here. They're on th sign there," he nods toward the wooden sign on the other side of the door. "We don't get many visitors here and th woods aren't exactly safe," he explains sitting back down to work on his clay thing again. He looks back up a second later, ".. And if you stay around don't bother Amy."
Skuld comes closer, eyeing the sign, and nodding slowly. "Thankyou... How've you been, William?" Her voice is slow, still young, but more calculated if paradoxically sounding more unsure of herself. "And... Who is Amy..?"
William isn't quite sure how to answer this. Saying 'she's Amy' would mean nothing to the cat. So he tries to explain, "She's ... she's a very beautiful maid who you are not to bother and she happens to be blind."
Skuld smirks. "Is she a rat?" The cat's tail curls, as her ears perk. Skuld moves to sit on her haunches, near to where William is working. There's a further rattle as a paw reaches back for her pouch. "Whyever would I bother her?"
William frowns a little, "Yes she is a rat. Why? I'm sure you could think of a reason if she doesn't give you one."
Skuld shrugs. "Just wondering... I can think of reasons, maybe." She agrees, rattling her pouch again, claws digging among the contents. "Maybe she'd like to meet me though? I wouldn't bother her..."
William molds the clay into a flower bud slowly not looking at the cat now. "I don't know. ... She doesn't like cats," he says more to himself than to Skuld.
Skuld picks the little wooden pill from the pouch, examining the symbol on it, before eyeing the flower. "...Doesn't like cats?" She grins a little "Oh, whyever not? I really should meet her... She might think better of us cats? Could always tell her that my parent's an otter."
William smiles a little, "She's not that fond of otters either. Doesn't mind stoats though."
Skuld narrows her eyes, but keeps her grin. "Stoats? Bah. Otters and cats are out, but they're in? That can't be right. I'm sure I could persuade her." She's peering at the rune in her paw before placing it down; an arrow head pointing to the right. "Kan. It's backwards." The kitten says, meaningfully.
William shrugs, "Most things here are at least a little backwards, one way or another."
Skuld shakes her head, but actually smirks again. "Kan... Is the rune of light and knowledge... When it is reversed... It means darkness. Something withheld. Unattainable. In the dark, there is fear, but things can adjust. Your 'Amy'; this is what I draw from her name."
William sighs, "I can add 'No fortune telling' to the sign if I need to. Pa doesn't much care for your predictions you know."
Skuld shakes her head. "A lot of beasts don't... But, this. It's not a bad thing, you know. It just sounds bad... There's..." She twitches her whiskers, and stands, abruptly. "You should add it to the sign. I think... Sometimes it might be better not to do this." And she nods, to herself, her one eye matching up with her apologetic smile. "I'll visit again, if you'll let me?"
William nods, "I will then. And you're welcome to come visit anytime."
Skuld retains her apologetic smile. "Thankyou. I will be.. back here." She shrugs a little, and spreads her paws. "..Nowhere else to go." Before turning, and heading back into the woodlands for the evening.
William opens his mouth to say something but the cat is already gone. He pockets the clay flower bud and goes over to add a new rule to the sign, the first new rule in a very very long time. "You have a father somewhere you could go back to, Skuld," he says quietly, "Or th Abbey. Hell we'd let you stay here if you wanted to."
Moledeep: Foremole's Chambers
Amethyst is in the room she shares with Will, her chair rolled up beside the desk where a pile of papers lay scattered about. The blind ratmaid strums on her lute bored.
William walks into the his rooms from the sleeping hall. He's been thinking about making the study looking room into a library or something since they have little use for a second study. He moves on into the bedroom and smiles at Amy, "It's me. I'm back. A friend stopped by for a little while. She wasn't able t stay long but may come back later. She's ... a fortune teller you could say. Pa doesn't like them so she won't be telling fortunes much when she visits again. Had one for you though."
Amethyst hmms, "You're friends with fortune tellers?" She sounds skeptical.
William grins, "It was Skuld. She does that. She wanted t meet you but I wasn't sure if you'd want t meet her. .... She's a cat and I noticed you were kinda scared of that one at th Abbey. She wouldn't have done anything to you. She's in th order."
Amethyst asks, "Skuld is in the order?""
"Er, no. I meant th cat at th Abbey. I don't know her name but she is in th order at Redwall. Skuld, she's ... I'm not sure what she is. She's a little like you actually." He moves a little bit away in case that's the wrong thing to say.
Amethyst hmms some more and sets her lute down. "What did this fortune telling cat say about me?" she asks.
William relaxes a little, "Um. Something about light and darkness and backwards. .... Uh that ... I think that th more you know about something you're afraid of th better off you'll be or something."
Amethyst frowns a little, "Hmm. Are you sure that wasn't Kentar's fortune?"
William nods, "Very sure. It was yours. Th only fortune she's told that I know of that makes any sense. Oh and we have a new rules, she suggested it herself, that there is to be no fortune telling done here cause it upsets some beasts."
Amethyst rolls her eyes, "Why can't we send the otters to Camp Willow again?"
William smirks, "Because they're my family and if we do that you won't be able to make little dresses and stuff for the twins. You haven't been idle th whole time you've been keeping to yourself and I'm not stupid. I know you like them."
Amethyst seems indifferent, "Well Ella does have her good points and I'm sure her sister might as well ... in time."
William smiles, "Sure, sure. Why don't you come out and see them. I'm sure they're big enough that you won't break em or anything."
Amethyst growls a little and stays put.
William shrugs, "Fine. I'll go bring them in here then." He laughs and goes off to find the otters.
Moledeep: Mole Hall
Kentar is sitting back in a chair, Robin sitting in one across the table from him. The two are playing a game of some kind. They each have five die, and a shrouded cup of some kind. They roll the dice in the cups then slap them down against the table, keeping them out of view before slowly checking what they rolled.
Aikuen comes in from the kitchen bearing with him bowl, and... a blanket? OH! It's one of the little otters... in a blanket, as you can see the little nose peaking out. Aik tilts his head at the stoats and goes to sit as his spot at the table, uncovering the head of Ella. He bounces her a little bit before stating to feed her slowly. She hmmms and grabs the spoon every time its dipped in her mouth. Aik chuckles at this, and continues to feed her, watching the game when he can.
William comes in from the sleeping hall, he'd checked the otter's room first and had found it empty. He waves at Aikuen and Kentar, "Hello." He looks around a bit, "Mum have Venei in th kitchen or something?" he asks his father as he switches his gaze back and forth between Ella and the stoat's game.
Kentar hrms and looks at Robin closely, not paying attention to Aik. "Three twos." Robin checks his dice again and tilts his head. "Four fours." Kentar thinks again, "Four fives." he pauses, staring at Robin. The stoats seem to ignore Will for the moment. "Eight fives." there's a few moments pause. The stoats check their dice slowly before staring again.
Aikuen looks over to Will, with spoon in paw, "Hmm? OH hey Will! Nah, she is outside taking her for a walk..." he goes back to the game, ahs, and nods. He snorts and shrugs.
Kentar raises an eyebrow at Robin then takes a deep breath. "Robin. Your a liar." he nods. The stoat stands to pull the cup away from the dice, looking at them. Kentar has two fives, and Robin. Has three. "And you owe me those rocks!" he laughs. Robin folds his arms and frowns before tossing over a pouch of rocks. Kentar laughs and opens it, looking over the pretty, and odd rocks. "Kluna will love them. Thanks Robin!" he laughs. "I challenge you for those rocks!" The stoat blinks. "And what would you offer?" Robin uhs and looks around. "My sword? No. Uh. My broach." he nods, pulling out a rusted broach. It was Bale's and does mean a lot to him. "Accepted." he nods, sitting back down. He then looks to Aik. "Want in? You could get some time from us to watch the twins." he chuckles. Not that he'd have to win that anyways.
Aikuen dumps a little more into Ella's mouth before looking up, and tilting his head, "Hmm? OH... Ah..." he shrugs, "Ah why not... I think ive seen this game before... Though i have nothing to put up for bid..." he rubs his chin.
Kentar laughs a little and nods, getting out another cup and then five more dice. They're old. Real old. Probably made of bone or something. Whatever they're made of, Kentar didn't make them. "You'll think of something." he hrms. "What about a full week of watching Chris and Kluna?" he grins. "I'm bidding the rocks I want for Kluna. He's bidding his old broach. So...pick." he nods.
Aikuen takes the cup and shakes a little before settling it down, "I guess that's okay..." Kluna pretty much takes care of himself, and Chris... well, Chris is Chris.
The stoats do the same and place the cups down, smirking to each other. Kentar grins a little at Aikuen before nodding. "Four twos." Robin blinks at his father and hms. "Four threes." And then they both look to Aik.
Aikuen tilts his cup up slowly, and hrms, "Lets see..." he nods, "Five threes..." he nods again and starts to bounce Ella, "Aye... That's a good bid..." he chuckles.
Kentar hums and tilts his cup as well. "Five fours." Robin doesn't look yet. He waits and looks between the others. "Five fives." he says after checking his dice
William watches the game a while longer and says, "I can hold Ella while you play, Pa."
Aikuen hrms loudly and and tilts his cup, banging it lightly against the table, "Lets see..." he is not very good with numbers, "Umm... five sixes..." he ergs lightly, and nods, "I don't think this game will last long enough anyway... Will..." he sighs, and chuckles.
Kentar wows a little bit at Aik's bid and then tilts his cup back slightly. The stoat hrms himself now and ponders for a few moments. The stoat looks up to Robin for a few moments, trying to figure out what the chances are of there being five sixes on the table are. He checks his dice again before taking a deep breath. "Aikuen. Your a liar." he says, nervous if he called it right. If he called it wrong, he loses both the rocks and Aik wont have to watch his kids for a week. He moves his cup away, showing two sixes, a three, and two fives. Robin moves his cup away, showing two sixes, a five, and two fours. The stoats look to Aik to see if he's got those three sixes and its clear that Kentar's holding his breath.
William hmms, "Could I borrow Ella anyway?" The game's lost his interest, maybe he can talk them into playing something else later.
Aikuen blinks and takes a deep breath as well, "Here Will..." and he slowly passes over Ella, after nosing her. He holds his breath as he watches Kentar remove his cup. He blinks, and takes another breath, as Robin removes his cup. A weight is set in his stomach. He blinks at each number, counting it up. He lets his breath out, and removes his cup. There is one one, two fives... and two sixes. Aik blinks and smiles a little bit, "...Holy moly... i really do hate this game..." he chuckles.
Kentar watches as Aik removes the cup. The advantage of the game is you don't have to bet blind for your own dice. Kentar yargs a little, putting his head on the table. Robin laughs and claps. "Haha!" His father just frowns then laughs. "Haha indeed." He holds out the rocks to Robin. "Now you get to give them to Kluna. And not me." he sighs then grins at Aik. "Why?" he chuckles.
Aikuen chuckles as he places the bone dice back in the cup, "Heheh... This game always makes me feel really weird.... Too many variables to deal with..." he grins, "So Kentar... How will you be paying me your debt?" he laughs, "Nah... Besides. You would do it anyway..." he laughs and looks around a bit going to get Ella back. She still needs feeding, "Will?" he blinks, "Uhh... Will?" he gets up from the table, as the stoats are cleaning up. When Will said 'borrow' he didn't think he would run away with her. He blinks and calls out, "Oi Will!" he scratches the back of his neck. Robin points that they went to the sleeping hall. Aik blinks as he heads off in that direction.
Foremole's Chambers
Amethyst is still sitting in her and Will's room but has moved from the desk to the fireplace nearby. The maid runs a small article of yellow cloth through her claws as she stitches it together slowly matching up pieces and holding them in place as she sews. She feels over the stitches to see if there are any gaps and how far she's gotten.
William comes in with Ella happily and cocks his head at Amy's sewing. "Hello again. I brought a little pikefish for you. An Ella pikefish," he grins drawing closer. He would have laid the babe in her arms but she's busy so he just stands there holding the little otter close to the blind maid but not so close that she could grab what Amy's working on.
Amethyst blinks and turns her head toward Will's voice, "You stole an otter for me? Why?"
William sighs, "I didn't steal her. She's my sister, how can I steal my own sister. I didn't even take her out of the tunnel."
Amethyst rolls her eyes and picks her sewing back up from where she'd laid it in her lap when he'd come in. "Hello, Ella. As I'm sure you've discovered your brother is an idiot. My idiot but still an idiot." the maid shakes her head.
Ella blinks and gurgles as she holds on to Wills fur. His arms are not as big as the older otters, so its a little more precarious. Her little rudder swings from side to side, as she learned that ability recently. She lightly glance over to Amy, but continues her hold on Will.
William frowns a little but he's used to being called that by her. The frown fades and he watches her claws move over the yellow cloth which is starting to look more like a dress now. "What're you making?" he asks knowing good and well what she's doing. He bounces Ella a little, "What's Amy making?" he asks the babe, "Is she making something nice for you maybe?"
Ella gurgles and pulls on his fur, smiling up at him. She likes it when they talk to her. She cant understand it, but its fun.
Amethyst rolls her eyes again, "No. This one's for Venei. Ella's is already done," she nods a bit toward the finished green dress that's laying back on the desk. "Though i made them the same size so they can trade back and forth. Don't think it really matters which wears which."
Aikuen enters from the main hall and a very muffled "Oi!" can be heard from him. He is a little cheesed off. But he is calm for the time being. As long as she is with Will, all is well. He walks down the hall, and is about to go to the female dorms, when the muffled voice of the rats make him stop. He blinks and tilts his ears in the direction of their room, and he sighs. He takes a deep breath and walks slowly, toward the room, "Geeze Will... You could have just asked... freking me out..." he mumbles loudly.
William blinks hearing the otter but he can't see him yet since he hasn't coming into the room their in just yet. "I did ask," he calls back. "Pa's out in th hall," he explains to Amy in case she didn't hear the otter. "I thought I asked," he says a little puzzled ruffling Ella's fur a bit playfully. "Pa's come to rescue you from us," he tells his sister in a hushed tone as if it were a secret.
Amethyst had heard the otter, "I had nothing to do with this!" she calls out to Aik, wherever he is. "And you'll be sure he knows that," she says turning to Will for a moment before cutting the final loose threads on the little yellow dress with her fangs. "There, that one's done."
Ella gurgles and hmms as the ruffle.
Aikuen comes into the room, finally, and looks at Will, "Oi... When i thought you said 'borrow', i didn't think you would be running off like that..." he hrms, and taps one of his foot claws against the ground. He doesn't look mad one bit.
William shrugs a little, "What did you think? I borrowed her t bring in here. Amy wouldn't come out t see th twins so I brought Ella in here. I took my sister from one room in our home to another, wow. What is so wrong with that?"
Amethyst sticks her needle back into it's proper place and packs it away after rechecking the new little garment for mistakes. "I'm innocent by the way and not responsible for your son's behavior," Amy says smiling.
William mumbles, "Sorry." He holds the baby out to Aikuen should he want her back, "Here. I'll try t ask differently next time."
Amethyst rolls back over to the desk and picks up the pale green dress she'd already made of Ella and whells herself back to fold each little dress and lay them on her lap.
Moledeep: Tunnel Entrance
After losing the rocks he wanted to give to his son, and losing out on a free week of not having to look after his kids, the stoat is out and about, getting over his fear of being outside. Kentar hates it but hides it well when he's with others. The stoat walks about, telling himself over and over that nothing bad will happen.
Isaac is out and about alone and on his own, wondering around through the woods, any beats who sees him will find it a strange sight. A heavily tattooed otter with a dagger and only a dibbun, is not something one would see every day. he makes his way around hopelessly lost as hewonders around the area Kentar is in.
Kentar hears something not too far from him. The stoat blinks and draws his sword slowly. Thinking its one of those red cloaked beasts, he slowly takes a few steps forward, gripping his sword tightly. "Who's out there?"
Isaac calls out "I no wanna tell." the otter says hiding, "Until you tella me who ye are?"
Kentar blinks a little. It sounds like a shrew or something to him. "I'm Kentar. Who are you?" The stoat calls back. He peers into the distance to see if he can see anyone.
The little otter comes into view looking up at the stoat "I'm Isaac." he says showing his full form tattoos and all.
Kentar huhs and looks down. "You're not a shrew." he says, sheathing his sword. "You're an otter. A little otter at that." he's got a nack for stating the obvious. The stoat looks around and kneels down slowly. "Where's your parents?" he asks.
Isaac shakes his head "No have none, parents gone dead, very sad stuff." he says looking up at the stoat showing no fear at all "who be ye and what ye be doing?" very strange otter for his age, no fear, very demanding
Kentar blinks a little. "Oh. I'm, uh. Sorry to hear that." he nods a little before chuckling. Demanding, he's used to. Fearless. Not really. He seems a little confused. "I'm Kentar. I'm just out for a walk. I live down there." he points towards a door in the distance. In the side of a hill.
Isaac nods "well I live no were, big woods, no homes, lots of open space very cold." he says looking at the stoat
Kentar ergs a little bit and nods slowly. "Ah. I'm uh. Sorry." he nods. "You can stay with me if you want." he says. "I've got a big family and a nice warm fire you can sit in front of." he chuckles.
Isaac nods a little "good, sounds nice, may I please come?" this time he asked in a more nicer dibbun like tone
Kentar smiles some and nods. "Of course you can!" The stoat chuckles before reaching out to pick up the little otter if he lets him. He's just so used to doing it, since he's got little ones of his own.
Isaac didn't mind he was tired and feeling lazy the otter sits himself on the stoats shoulders "then to the fire." he calls out in a playful tone
Kentar laughs and nods slowly. "Then to the fire!" he smiles, the stoat starting to walk along. "So. Isaac." he says. "What happened to your parents? And tribe?" he assumes from the tattoos.
Isaac thinks for a moment "We were a shore tribe far out of the reach of the bigga hear mountain law, we was attack by a pirate fleet me very fast run away."
Kentar frowns a little and closes his eye. Memories come back to him quickly but then he pushes them away. "Ah. I'm. Very sorry." he says. "Well. You're not alone anymore." the stoat smiles softly.
Isaac nods "Yes like I said very sad, I try not to think about it much, too busy trying to survive." he says as the reach closer to where they're going "what your home like any otters there?"
Kentar chuckles and nods. "Yeah. There is." he smiles. "Four of them. And there's two rats...and a weasel. And three more stoats." he chuckles. "You'll like them I think."
Isaac nods a little "ok then." he says as he looks around "Isaac sleepy."
Kentar chuckles quietly. "You can take a nap if you want Isaac." he says with a nod. "When you wake up, you'll be nice and warm."
Isaac nods "Naps good but it's late me going to sleep till morning yes." he says yawning
Kentar chuckles quietly, nodding. "Yes. But..." the stoat enters Moledeep. "Lets get you a bed to sleep on." he says, going into the sleeping hall. When he arrives there, the stoat chuckles, the otter having fallen asleep in his arms. The stoat sets him down on a bed and covers him up nice and warm before looking around to see if he can find the others.
Moledeep: Foremole's Chambers
Aikuen smiles and scratches Will on the top of his head, "The bowl is on the hall table. Play with her, only AFTER she eats all of it... When she starts to yawn, take her for her nap..." he grins and leans down, "Thanks Will... You will understand one day..." he chuckles.
William nods a little and carries Ella back out toward Mole Hall to finish her meal.
Amethyst tosses the little dresses at Aikuen when he speaks, for a blind woman she has a very good aim. "You need to learn to knock first river otter," she says simply as she reach back for her lute which was also laying on the desk.
Aikuen smiles at Will, and watches him leave, "Next time. You make sure your beau asks properly!" He then uffs a little, and all the folds go away from the dresses as they fall on the floor. He blinks and bends down to pick them up, "Well well... what do we have here?" he chuckles as he holds up one and blows off a little of the dirt, "Awww... Heh... that's really cute Amy... Thanks!" he drapes both of them over his arm, "Heh... Now... I'm going... to have myself... a little... nappy nappy." he laughs, "See yah Amy! Thanks for these... Fira will be ecstatic!" he chuckles and leaves.
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