A lost beast is found

• • OOC NOTE: The end of this log overlaps with another log, just so know...

FV:Town Center(#180524R)
The gravelly path through the village gets wider the further into the village it travels until at the centre of the village it splits off into four around a large  firepit just waiting for any excuse for a feast or celebration and still showing the bones and a few broken mugs from the last one around the edges. A large  longhouse for meetings has been built on one side of the road, standing important, decorated with carved wood, shields, weapons, furs and a large skull over the door  with the large similarly fearsomely decorated house of the chief sitting proudly beside it.

Meek in comparison across the road a smaller wooden building bares a misspelled sign over the door naming it the 'Infermery'. A few trees dot the edges of the  clearing but buildings take over in most directions, only the north showing some vegetation within the village walls. To the west houses seem to spring up and take  over the land while noise and masses of beasts take over the south around the market and shops. Down the eastern trail the village gates can just be seen with the  tavern close by.

Exits: [A]banded [W]arehouse, [T]own [H]all, [In]firm, [C]hieftain's [H]ome, [N]orth, [S]outh, [W]est, [E]ast

Leon is sitting down on one of the benches outside of the Inn, and so far today seems a fairly good day as beasts walk around the village going where ever they are going

Rayen had ventured away from the group and went to the tavern to get a snack, something a little different from what they brought with them. She now comes back walking slowly on over to where the group has stayed the past couple days.

Leon nods a hello as he yawns, "Hello Rayen, where have you been today?"

Rayen answers "Just the tavern for a snack..Something a little different is all and we didn’t have it with us..so, yeah" She goes to sit down nearby

Leon asks, "Different is ok sometimes, what kind of different?" Ok he is curious" Just curious"

Rayen flicks her ear and speaks "Umm...welll, just not too odd I mean, it was good and all. Just a cravings and had to take care of it"

Leon tilts his head and hmmms, "Odd cravings?..Could be cause with dibbun maybe. Beasts seem to want odd things during that time, never understood it "

Rayen chuckles "Well mine was...wood Pidgeon with some onions and carrots and I got chocolate on top with chestnuts and honey, it was strangely good. I ate it at the tavern." She then goes quiet, stupid strange cravings.

Leon now wishes he didn't ask and looks ready to barf, luckily he doesn’t as he just sits there and nods "Umm..well, guess that’s different"

DoraRose comes to the center of town, her sword on her back and battleaxe in paw. She looks beyond worried and stressed. Blisa the cat, riding Basilisk the whiptail snake, comes from the North, followed by Ferdinand the ferret and Valerie the vixen. They meet near the others and the feline shakes her head. "We couldn't find her." The Warrior mouse looks ready to either start bawling or to behead someone.

Rayen shrugs and looks up as the group of beasts come into view "Ello there! whats happen?"

Leon coughs, he still can't get the image of that snack out of his mind, he turns and sees Dorarose "Hello dear.." He then stands "Whats the matter?"

DoraRose is distraught. "It's Lily! We can't find her!" She covers her mouth with a paw to keep herself from sobbing. Blisa pats her pet's head and adds, "We've just searched the entire village. She is nowhere to be found. I've sent guards to search again. I'm about to go look for her in the woodlands." Butterlaw flutters up to the Master Healer and sets himself down on the ground, chirruping anxiously as tears flow down his cheeks, "Lilymouse friendworm lostgone! Butterclaw's heartbroke!"

Rayen frowns "But..how? When was the last time you seen her maybe I could help go look for her? She couldn’t of gotten that far...right?" She has her longbow and quiver with her as she goes to get them and returns.

Leon blinks "Gone?! Are you sure she isn't in a room or a tent?" He goes to hug Dorarose and now is a little worried himself, "Its ok, we will find her"

DoraRose lets some tears fall down her cheeks as she allows her husband to hug her. "Yes, I'm sure! She's nowhere in the village!" Blisa says something to her bodyguards, and Basilisk turns and starts to slither off. "We'll find her, don't worry! Butterclaw, we need your help!" The Sparra nods and flies off to look for his friend, and soon the little group is out of sight.

Rayen nods "I think I will go look as well, don’t worry Dorarose we will find her and soon" She then heads off as she calls over her shoulder "Just let the others know I went to go look for Lilymoore and yes I will be careful!"

Leon looks more worried now, "Its ok try not to worry love. See others are looking for her. Did you see her this morning, how long ago it may help"

DoraRose sniffs and passes a shaky paw over her eyes. "I saw her last night. I noticed she was missing this morning--she wasn't anywhere where she asked me she could sleep. Oh, Leon, what if something's happened to her? I...I can't stand the thought that something terrible has happened to her!"

Leon says, "I am sure she is fine, Ferravale is fairly safe place to be. But if she isn’t here any idea where she could of gone to?"

DoraRose starts to shake her head and then continues to shake it as her lower lip and chin begin to tremble. "I....I....h...h...have n...no I.....idea...."

Leon sighs, he holds her close "This was supposed to be a relaxing trip." He glances around "And I don’t know for sure where Benar is or even Flicktail, probably busy."

DoraRose goes to rest her head on his shoulder and silently cries, unable to say anything.

Leon holds her closer and is unsure what to do. He is worried but tries not to show it as he needs to be strong for Dorarose

DoraRose looks up as a guard comes running over to them. "Ma'am! We looked everywhere, and we still can't find her. We're about to start combing the woodlands." The Warrior nods, then looks at her husband. She just can't say anything, she's so heartbroken.

Leon shows concern as well, he hears the guard and frowns in worry and concern, "Yes there is the woods and they are by the village and even behind it as well."

The guard nods and sighs. "I'll go try to find the Head Guard and let him know what's going on." and off he runs. DoraRose is struggling to keep her composure.

Leon watches as the guard heads off, he would go try and look himself but he needs to stay by Dorarose, he then says softly "I wonder how things are at the abbey, probably ok my guess"

DoraRose thinks that her husband is trying to distract her from the problem at hand but she's okay with that. "Oh, Nana is probably bossing every beast around and being grumpy, but other than that, I'm sure everything is fine there." They are out in the middle of the town center, the Warrior standing by the Healer. She has her sword strapped to her back and her axe in paw, and she is struggling to not cry. The day is bright and sunshiny, belying the sorrow and worry she is feeling.

Leon nods "Yes, I will have to ask her how someone is, when I return but more on that later, I am sure he is..is fine" He stays by his mate’s side, quiet and there for support.

The day started out nicely enough, thought Bandit. The day started so nice. But with the robbery, a half a dozen other small crimes going about the city...suffice to say that one foxy guard has his work cut out for him. His old clothes ruined and his guard uniform too...classy, the fox is wearing a small black vest that only helps highlight the fact that he is overweight. The fox sighs at that as he walks into town, he needs a new wardrobe.

DoraRose sniffs and nods. The guard, who had run off to find the Head Guard, now finds him. Hurrying up to the fox, the minute weasel salutes and says, "Missing beast to report, sir! It's one of the Redwallers; she's been missing since this morning. She's not in the village; Miss Blisa has taken her snake, Ferdinand and Valerie into the woodlands to search, and a contingent of guards are also out there." He looks around, then points at the Warrior (with her 2 sharp weapons). "That's the mother. Over there."

The fox pauses. It takes a moment for Bandit to process this information. Missing woodlander = bad. It would incite Scioto's wrath...most likely. He peers over the weasel to see, DORA? Oh that sets off the equation completely. That is missing woodlander = Dora’s daughter. Missing daughter + Dora rose = one dead head guard. He whimpers. "Good work...go...go tell Scioto. And if I'm not back in five minutes, send someone to collect my corpse." The fox gulps, wishing he had more than the standard issue short sword at his hip. He steps forward and greets the mouse warmly. After all she is a fellow warrior...but one with a nasty, nasty temper. IT's best to greet her from distance thinks the fox as he says in a loud voice, "Dora! Dora is that you? What are you doing here?"

The weasel guard gives the fox an odd look, then runs off to do as he is bid. DoraRose whips around and looks directly at the Head Guard. Her face is etched with worry. She takes a step forward. "I'm here with the Abbot's Processional. We're traveling around Mossflower. My daughter is missing. Have you seen her? Blisa took her snake and a couple of her bodyguards out into the woodlands to search for her. Lily's nowhere in the village." She sounds desperate, and almost pleading.

Bandit rubs the back of his neck. "Oh...uh..." He has raided ships, fought off beasts in a bloody warfare, but nothing has ever prepared him to offer sympathy to a grieving mother. His tail twitches most nervously behind him. Does he give her a hug? Does he NOT give her a hug? Does he say something comforting? Will she see right through it? "If..if they are on the case, then there is nothing to worry about. They will find her." The fox blurted out and instantly regretted it. Those words would come back to haunt him, he was sure of it.

Then the fox falls says, placing a paw (a hopefully comforting one) awkwardly on her shoulder. "Why don't you tell me what happened? Did she say, or do anything to indicate she was going somewhere on her own?"

DoraRose takes slight (very slight) comfort in the fox's words, and she doesn't pull away from his paw. "No, she didn't. She just asked right at bedtime if beasts got lost in the woods often...oh my word!! Could that have been a sign that I didn't notice?! Oh, how could I have been so blind?!"

The fox twitches an ear, "Why...don't we find a bench to sit on...ok? Have you eaten today?" It seemed like a silly question when there was such a cause for grief but it was an important one. The fox didn't want her collapsing on him. "Why don't I lead you to a place with more shade and then you can tell me what happened. Just one more time for the head guard, ok?" The fox gestures towards a wooden bench under the shade of the bakery. He begins to push the mouse forward.

DoraRose decides to let the Head Guard guide her to the shaded seat. She sits in it, resting her elbow on her knee and her head in her paw. "I saw her last right before bed last night. I woke up this morning at dawn, and she was gone! I told Blisa, who helped me search getting allot of guards to help. She’s nowhere in the village, and it

"...it' been searched twice." She ignores the question about eating. She hasn't eaten anything at all today, but she doesn't feel like caring right now.

Marek enters slowly as he looks around, yes he came back to Ferravale and beside him is a young mouse, Lilymoore, as he makes sure she stays close as he walks along the path. A couple beasts stare at him and he rolls his eyes, a rat tries to sneak up on the young mouse and Marek turns and punches them in the face, yeah unconcious rat! And he looks around and soon sees the Redwallers and walks towards them. Well this could go good....or very bad.

The fox continues to pat the mouse on the shoulder, "I see...let's see if we can get some, um, cheese, yes, cheese in you. It will help. Trust me on that." He moves her towards the bench. With his back facing the stoat and the missing child the fox takes a deep breath, "Now, this will be hard but I want...no, need you to answer as accurately as possible. Do you know of anyone who might want to, take Lillymore? Do you have any enemies? Did she have any reason to leave of her own free will?"

DoraRose is only half listening to the fox. Then she spots her daughter, and the half of her brain that was listening is now ignoring him. Leaving her axe leaning up against the bench, she runs to her daughter, screaming her name in relief. LilyMoore breaks away from her friend and runs towards her mother, crying, "Momma! Mom!" The embrace in the middle of the square, both weeping like a pair of crazy people.

Marek watches this and smiles at the reunion, "I am..glad she is ok. She was in the woods Ms. Dorarose, but now she is safe and..here with you." He looks at Bandit and nods a hello and looks towards the tavern, "I..need a drink" He mutters.

Bandit turns abruptly and watches the scene unfold. IT takes his brain a moment to wrap around such an outcome. "Well...ok then." Paws o his pudgy hips the fox says aloud, "That's another case wrapped up in record time." The fox then moves forward towards the beasts, "Are you ok Lilly? Dora? MARAK? Where did you find.." and the stoat is gone. "Great...just bumming great. OH well, all's well that ends well but really, where have you been little one?"

DoraRose pulls back and strokes her daughter's ears. "Why did you leave? I've been worried sick." LilyMoore looks down at the ground. "I wanted to explore the woodlands, but I was foolish and got lost. But Marek found me. He's my friend, and he brought me back here." She looks over her shoulder at him and smiles. "He helped my with my shoulder 'cause it was banged up. He's a good friend." The Warrior stares at the stoat obviously surprised and suspicious. But all she says is, "Thank you. For helping my daughter." Lily looks at the fox and says, "I'm okay, I guess. All thanks to my friend."

Marek blinks in surprise at Dorarose and nods "Your..welcome" He then bows and heads over to the tavern and disappears inside, and he sets to work getting the tavern back in running order. Good grief he leaves a couple days and the tavern starts to go downhill. Well he is back now so that’s good.

The fox raises an eyebrow, He passes the stoat a glance as he disappears in to his own tavern. Then to the mice he nods his head, "Are you two ok for the moment? I need to let the guard's know that they can call off the search." He hesitates for a moment before adding, "I'm glad your daughter is ok. These woods are not the safest for lost travelers these days...and in my opinion there is enough tragedy lately..."

LilyMoore nods and hugs her mother, who stands, hugging her in return. "Thank you. I understand that the woodlands are not safe. They haven't been in the seasons I've been here. I am just glad to have her back home. And please make sure that Blisa is told. She’s somewhere out there with her snake and Ferdinand and Valerie." They go to go to wherever the Abbey dwellers are staying and eat a late lunch.