A little chat between 2 of the Salamandastron Ambassadors....
Salamandastron Crater
Mice: DoraRose, female.
Badgers: Zinnia, female.
Zinnia is up at the crater today looking over the view. It's colder up here so she has her warm cloak around her. Just glancing around and being quiet for the time being and has been out here a little over an hour.
DoraRose comes up from the depths of the Mountain! Well, okay, she comes up the stairs to the crater. Pulling her winter cloak tightly around her, she looks oddly at the badger. "Hey, Zinnia. How long have you been up here?"
Zinnia doesn't answer at first, but finally does with a shrug "I don't know, I was just ...looking at the view. You can see pretty far from up here you know."
DoraRose joins her friend and looks out at the horizon. Pulling the hood of her cloak farther over her ears, she says quietly, "Yeah, you can. Brrr, it's cold up here! I should've brought some warm tea or something."
Zinnia nods "Tea is nice sometimes. I know a lot that drink tea, though some most likely wouldn't drink..." She moves away slightly as she looks at the beach and sighs a little, "I wonder how much longer it will be cold"
DoraRose shrugs and leans on the wall, peering down at the beach. "Well, I know that in Mossflower they're probably going to be having another, oh, I'd say month or 2, or maybe even 3 months, more cold weather. But here? ....I can't read this weather. It's so...bizarre...." She continues watching the beach below.
Zinnia says, "Yeah not much snow, and it's colder here as we are higher up than the beach...not that the beach is always the best place to go." She quiets some now and speaks again after a little while" I was going to go on a simple walk, but didn't stay simple...did it? Some of it I don't really remember just being tired a couple days "
DoraRose continues to stare down at the beach. "I'm not sure. I only got there at the end of it. I did see you whack that stoat with a board. Felicity filled me in on the details, but if you're having trouble remembering, perhaps you should talk to her. She did tell me that Xander was about to be kidnapped as a slave and it seemed to....push you over the edge, let's say."
Zinnia listens and frowns, "He is ok right? I been doing a lot of resting past few days, and I was in the library a couple times."
DoraRose shrugs. "I brought him back to Salamandastron, but I haven't seen him since. His ankle was hurt, but I'm not sure how badly." She finally turns to look at her friend and smiles. "I'm sure he'll be fine. He's young; he'll heal, don't worry."
Zinnia nods "I just don't know what happen, I guess I went to protect Xander maybe and maybe a fight happen...was anyone hurt?"
DoraRose shakes her head and cannot help but grin. "No, only Xander and the stoat. Girl, you got him a good one! You just smacked him and knocked him flat! It was ep--um, a very, very necessary action that was needed to save Xander from slavery." She ends with what she hopes is a reassuring smile. Oh, yeah. Hitting people is against the Abbey Charter. Ooops....
Zinnia frowns, "I..I shouldn't of though. I should of went to get help what was going threw my head. And I could of got hurt too...I..." She frowns more now, "I should just stay inside and not go anywhere till it's time to go home"
DoraRose sighs and goes to rest a paw on her friend's shoulder. "Zinnia, you did what you had to. If you hadn't stopped him, he might've gotten away, or somebeast might have died. I believe that you did exactly the right thing. If it helps, I won't tell anybeast back home about it."
Zinnia sits down now and folds her paws in her lap, "Guess...cause I care. Unless something happens I plan on taking him back to Redwall with us...Xander that is, I wonder what others would think of him?" She manages a small smile, "Guess I am also stronger than I think, but...yeah not the fighter type and that's also why I...well say no to someone else about something when they were visiting"
"I think everyone at Redwall will adore him," Rose says as she sits down beside the badger. "Yes, you are very strong, in many ways. Did someone ask you to be a fighter? Do you need to talk about it...or want to talk about it?"
Zinnia shakes her head "Not..exactly, they just said a sword was meant for me to have cause of how left to next in..." She looks down, seeming a little sad "Family..." She is quiet before she goes on "I held papa's sword for a little while...it was a day or so before Uncle Zee left and me and Uncle Zee talked a little while. I also found out swords are heavier than you would think...it's odd and heavier when you swing them or try too...there is like weight to it. But Uncle Zee said he knew I was a Sister in the order and it was up to me, I asked him to keep it safe..."
DoraRose smiles wryly. "Oh, I know very well. Axes are even heavier." She gets a distant look in her eyes. "I wonder what Xander will be when he grows up...." she shakes her head and her face clears. "I think you did the right thing, Zinnia. You have nothing to be ashamed of."
Zinnia nods and seems to think on the statement and shrugs "I...don't know, I know he seems eager to learn things and is in one of Quinten's classes in the library, learning to read and write and like history and stuff and it would be up to him what he does when he is older."
DoraRose taps her knee with a finger, then shrugs again. "He's very darling, and so lucky that you are adopting him. You'll be an amazing Mom." She shifts into a more comfortable position and wraps her cloak around her better.
Zinnia smiles "You....really think so? I mean...I do worry somewhat if I will be ok as a mom. I mean a son of my own, not just a temporary class and hey they go off elsewhere afterwards"
DoraRose smiles and goes to hold her friend's paw. "I'm sure. And I'm planning on always being around to help." She rests her elbow on her knee and her chin on her fist. "I hope that the journey BACK has much less adventure than the journey HERE had..."
Zinnia frowns "Yeah, me too..it wasn't fun on the way here and the last few days was not either, course maybe part of the last few days was my fault"
DoraRose refrains from agreeing. "Maybe we should take a long way around and hopefully avoid any enemy-infested areas...." She stretches her legs and adds, "I am getting tired of how many /beasts/ there are here.....I...don't like crowds.....even Redwall gives me anxiety...." she hides her face in her paws.
Zinnia nods "Yeah...I mean not the best way to meet the badger lord really." Yeah she remembers the wandering away from her friends, the cat and the ferret, the beach and all that happen and sighs "Like...hi, oh you helped me let me just pass out and you carry me inside "
DoraRose 'pffts' with suppressed laughter. "Yes, that is a bit on the embarrassing side. But I'm glad that we met him. I would say that this mission has been a success."
Zinnia nods and smiles "Yeah me too. Me and him have talked a couple times, when he wasn't busy with something that is."
DoraRose nods, then stands, stretching. "I haven't really spoken to him very many times. I'd like to, but he does seem quite busy, doesn't he?" She shakes her head, gazes up at the sky, and rests her fists on her hips. "I never wanted to be a leader. They always seem so /busy/, and from what little I've seen of military leaders, they don't seem to have many friends.....
Zinnia slowly stands "Well, maybe some don't try and make friends, who knows." She smiles feeling a little better "I like to think of Ciocan as a friend, he is nice. I think he has done very good as leader from what I seen. The patrol seems to work well and they have small groups of hares now and they didn't have that I don't think before, they just sort of all worked together sort of and now they have smaller groups of hares to work together and do what ever needs done." She hmmms "You know I bet it's almost lunch time. Maybe we can go inside where it's warmer"
DoraRose grins and goes to loop her arm into the crook of the badger's elbow. "I think that's a great idea. I'm with you, friend. "We might wanna hurry, too; else those hares'll eat everything..."
Zinnia chuckles some, "I wonder sometimes where all the food goes that they eat. One of the things I did was sort of watch the hares eat when I first came here thinking...just where DOES the food go, I sort of get the bottomless pit thing and besides we walk pass Lord Ciocan's room on the way there, he can make sure they save us some food...I mean who is gonna say no to him" She grins at her plan. "Besides...he will want lunch too...let's go."
DoraRose laughs. "I think they have hollow legs. But whatever. yeah, let's go! I would think that Ciocan could pack away the food too...." she goes to lead the way. Hopefully they'll also be able to get a seat, too.....fun times in the Badger Mountain!
Thanks for reading!
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