A Walk Around The Abbey Grounds

---In The Open Grounds Of Redwall Abbey---

Leon walks along the open ground, yes he is back after being away a couple weeks but he has taken today off. So today is a day to try to relax, maybe catch up on anything important he needs to know.

Lacota is likewise outdoors. He pulls his cloak tighter around himself, trying to keep warm. Spotting Leon, the squirrel raises his free paw. "Good morning, Brother Leon. It is good to see you about the Abbey once more." Adjusting his glasses, he smiles. "The Infirmary has not been quite the same without you."

Zinnia is sitting on the steps leading up to the wall tops, she is finishing some recorder entries as she looks up a couple moments and then is back to writing again.

Leon stops and smiles at Lacota, "Hello Friar Lacota." He tilts his head and adds "You have glasses now; they look very nice on you. Have they been helpful to you and yes. I am glad to be home, trust me one of the very rare times I plan to go anywhere and surely not in...the form of travel a friend choose."

Lacota nods his head slowly. "Ah, you noticed. Zork made them for me. I can see again, though my vision is very blurry without the glasses." He shrugs. "No matter. I can see, and that's all that matters. If glasses are required, so be it. Better than my former blindness." He moves to find a place to sit, groaning softly. "This chill weather is making my joints ache..." He sighs. "Alas, I'm not as young as I once was, but at least I'm not ancient...yet. I fear I may be getting the start of arthritis, though."

Zinnia finishes up her recorder entry and closes the log book placing it into a knapsack she has with her till she puts it away and walks over "Hello Brother Leon..Friar Lacota. I hope you are both well today"

Leon listens as Lacota speaks, he nods to Zinnia" I am doing fine." He speaks to Lacota again "I can see about getting you something perhaps Lacota and check to see if it is arthritis or not, and Dorarose's grandma may have some paste for that as well." He looks again to Zinnia and addresses the next question to both of them really "I am hoping to speak to Zork later, I know he wanted to speak to me before I left and I should of talked to him then maybe but my mind was on other news I had just gotten. Have either of you seen him or spoken to him today or even spoken to him the last couple weeks?"

Lacota smiles again. "Good morning, Lass. I'm as well as can be expected. I'm not dead yet," he jokes. Shaking his head, he replies to Leon, "Ah, no, I haven't seen Zork all morning. You can probably find him in his forge, teaching his apprentice, though. I'll be sure to head into the Infirmary when I have the chance, thank you. My joints have been aching ever since the cold weather arrived. I'm not a young beast by any means, but lately my body has been causing me to feel like I'm as ancient as Lorimis.

Zinnia speaks after some quiet, "He been using a cane a lot lately. Other than that he seems ok, he hasn’t done much so he is being careful. I have yet to really speak to...think her name is Silverstorm, she is a sea otter."

Leon nods to them both" Alright, and as for the cold Lacota you can always stay inside a good deal. No one would say much as your be working in the kitchens anyways and could be at the chair by the fireplace in either great hall or cavern hole when you need to rest."

Lacota nods again, crossing his arms. "Silverstorm is the lass' name, yes. An interesting character. Very withdrawn, not outgoing, but she was rather polite to me... Though I suppose that may have to do with my age and position." He nods at Leon. "Aye, I suppose I will have to start staying indoors more often as the weather continues to get colder."

Zinnia says, "Staying inside isn’t too bad, maybe just not go out too often and wear a very thick cloak when you do. There will be snow in a few weeks more than likely, snow is nice..well sometimes."

You say, "Yes snow can be nice and sometimes not so nice. It depends on if one is out in it in a storm or how much falls. Dibbuns seem to love it once its fallen and make like snow beasts out of it."

Lacota hmms, frowning. "I am well acquainted with snow... I lived many seasons of my life in the far snowy north... Not a place I ever plan to see again, as long as I'm alive." He shakes his head.

Zinnia says, "I heard some of the snowy North from Papa, he didn’t seem to hate it..maybe he lived in another part of it, I don’t know forgot where he said he and Uncle Oz lived." She shrugs and figures she can find out later, "But then again snow won’t be here too soon I don’t think."

Lacota readjusts his glasses. "I have my reasons for not wanting to see the north again..."

Leon nods "Understandable and it doesn’t have to be spoken of again. Has much else happen the last couple weeks besides Your glasses and guess some minor things...well hopefully minor"

Lacota shrugs a little. "Things have been mercifully quiet and peaceful in Mossflower and Redwall. The Head Guard Lee took a troupe of guards out into the nearby woodlands and meadows, and scoured the land. He and the other guards with him drove quite a few minor verminous bandits and whatnot from the area. Since then, there has not been a single report of vermin attacks or holdups out on the road or in Mossflower Forest."

Zinnia nods, "Yeah and that’s a good thing. Some peace is good to have and we can maybe enjoy winter months and focus on whatever else." She seems to think on the snow a little, she smiles a little but not totally, “Just so winter isn’t too bad...like not a lot of snow wouldn’t want anyone to have trouble getting around in it"

Leon looks at Zinnia "I am sure paths would be shoveled around the abbey for beasts to walk in and most will be careful of possible ice I am sure. "

Lacota nods. "Indeed. I'm sure Benar would have some burly novices shovel out the snow if needed."

Zinnia nods, she frowns "I hope he doesn't ask like..papa to help, he wouldn’t be able to I think." She sounds a little worried maybe. "Like I said he uses his cane a lot and is not always walking around as much, like he used to...he would walk around a lot and he usually sits more now and he was..making something in the forge area or finishing it maybe but I didn’t ask him about it, should I of?"

Leon does listen "No..Zork shouldn’t even try to do much, especially shoveling snow as its harder than it looks..trust me, not some simple easy task as requires a lot of strength to do that and energy as well." He hmms and nods "Thorn mentioned the wheeled chair yesterday and it’s one thing I want to speak to him about..that’s if he will even say much to me, then could also make him tell me more than what I think he has said probably"

Lacota nods his head. "Zork has confided in me about the chair. He even showed it to me. However, I really shouldn't say more about it. Zork is not yet ready for every beast to know about it yet. He plans to inform Lorimis and Benar about it soon."

Zinnia nods slowly as she listens, "yeah...just hope he is alright"

Leon says as he answers, "I am sure he is and hopefully he does speak to Lorimis and Benar soon and me also if needed. "

Zinnia nods "I..worry. I just don't want to lose him."

Lacota says, "He'll tell Lorimis soon, he told me so."

Leon nods, "And don't worry. You won’t lose him. As long as he takes it easy and doesn’t try and do anything stressful, he should be fine. It sounds like he is thinking ahead even maybe and having an apprentice now will help him also. He mentioned wanting to talk to me a couple weeks ago right before I left to...well I went to where I use to live, a short visit but also a needed one. Though I didn’t know it was too needed right away."

Zinnia nods, she is curious now "How did you not know it was needed right away?"

Lacota tilts his head. "Why did you go?"

Leon sighs, "I..had not been at that place since I was 6 seasons old." He looks at Lacota and frowns "My father...he died." He looks to both of them" Going back to the village helped me with some issues I have had for a long time, seeing faces I haven’t in a while. Letting some know I have been ok and even telling one or two I was sorry I left and just finally putting some painful past behind me." He smiles a little "It..helped a lot to be there, I think some wanted me to stay but my home is Redwall Abbey now and always will be and the village is in good paws. A friend named Dax is in charge and Angelo is Master healer again and even has a helper..a hare maid he meet so all is well there and I am glad for that."

Zinnia frowns "I am..sorry to hear of Taran, that was his name right?"

Leon nods, "Yes his name was Taran"

Lacota frowns. "Oh, Lad, I am sorry to hear that... Taran was a good beast..." He leans forward. "Have you told Lee yet? I happen to know that otter considered Taran to be a friend... You ought to tell him, Leon."

Leon shakes his head "I have not seen Lee yet. I only got back late yesterday afternoon and not talked with many beasts really"

Zinnia says, "Maybe you can tell him later today then"

Lacota ahs, nodding. "Well, when you next see him, you should tell him. He should know about his friend."

Leon nods "I most likely will see him later today, I took the day off so I won’t be in the infirm, least today I won't..tomorrow yeah I am back to being in the infirm"

Lacota smiles. "It will be good to have you back, Leon."

Zinnia says, "I think I will go update some more of the recorder records and will speak to you later, "Waves as she heads off. “Talk later"

Leon nods and waves to Zinnia as she heads off and smiles at Lacota "I am glad to be home, it feels good and I missed the abbey a lot more that I thought I would"

Lacota raises a paw as Zinnia departs, then glances at Leon again. "I'm not surprised. This is your home... Your wife and children are here."

Leon nods "Yes and my friends are as well and your one of my friends and I am glad friends are in my life. I remember when I didn’t want friends, I am glad I changed my mind and decided to have friends"

Lacota smiles. "I am glad to be your friend, lad. Friends help make life worth living, you know."

Leon nods "I know, I had none when I first came to the abbey and had no plans to stay. But someone changed that and helped me decide to stay..helped me decide to make friends "

Lacota leans forward, interested. "Oh? May I ask who it was?"

Leon smiles, "A mouse maid named Dorarose, I meet her that day and..fell in love and well most know the rest. I even helped her with some problems she had at the time. If I had not met her by the pond that day it’s hard to say where I would be now. Probably somewhere far from here..being alone and not much of a healer like I am today, yeah I knew stuff back then..know a lot more now, but I don’t think I would of chose the healer path or even been....well may of become somewhat not so good of a beast. She saved me in a way"

Lacota nods his head. "She's your soul mate, lad."

Leon smiles, “And I am glad..I would be lost without her in my life"

Lacota says, "Aye, I expect you would be, Lad. She's one in a million."

Leon still smiles, "Yeah, she is..I need to check on a couple things, maybe find Lee...see you later Lacota"