An Evening Constitutional
Characters: Aikuen, William
Location: Moledeep
Moledeep
The oldest of all otters steps out from the entrance tunnel, glaring up at the darkening and cloudy sky. The air is stiff and very cold, as autumn nears to a close. Pulling the the cord around his waist, he sighs. He then pulls the heavy brown habit around him, and tucks his paw within the sleeves. If no beast knew better. He would look like an elder from Redwall. He takes a deep breath of the embracing cold before stepping slowly for his walk around the edge of the forest.
William is also outside. He can see the otter from where he's been sitting in the grass. He's in is usual clothes and even though it is cold by his own standards he hasn't seen reason to bundle up like the others have been doing. The rat watches Aik leave and hurries inside to write a half hazard note before following after him, at a distance.
Aikuen continues to follow along his normal routine of following the same path. Day by day. The very edge of the forest. Where the trees meet the clearing, and so on. He slowly walks forward slowly making very little noise, except for the light crunching of the dead grass beneath his paws. He stops shortly and eyes a nearby bush. He blinks at it for a minute or so, before continues on along his path. He does not hear Will, as he has other things on his mind. Probably a bad thing.
William has little trouble following the otter since the path he treads is so well worn from use. However the rat doesn't let that stop him from being as silent as possible just for the sake of doing it. Though from the look of him the rat could probably trod on the otter's rudder and he wouldn't know it.
The rat probably could. Though the otter would probably not like being snuck, and then having his rudder trod upon. Aikuen glances toward the sky once more, before continuing along the path. He slowly starts to mutter to himself, "Getting cold... need the wood soon... The food stores are alright... for now... Though with the new influx of beasts... may need to get more soon..." he hrms quietly, as he stops and stares at another bush, breaking a dying twig and looking at it. Still unaware of the rat.
William watches the otter from his hidden place nearby. He chews on his lip thinking over what the otter's said a little while being sure to keep alert, just in case.
Aikuen yawns loudly as the seems to sniff the twig. He shrugs and tosses the stick right next to the bush, before continuing on along the path, "Eh... It will be alright... I guess... Lets see... what else..." he puts paws back within his sleeves, "Fira has been keeping things pretty clean... Garnet has been making quite well with the cooking... The garden has been protected... Probably need to acclimate the chores a bit more... before it starts snowing..." he takes a deep breath, and smiles a bit, "The kids are starting to crawl... need to keep a better eye on them... now more than ever..." he frowns, and hrms a bit more.
William nods a little as the otter starts talking again. Amy had just started trying out a pair of crutches this last week too. Little otters under paw could be disastrous. The rat continues to follow Aikuen closely while staying hidden from sight. He's finding this quite fun.
William nods a little as the otter starts talking again. Amy had just started trying out a pair of crutches this last week too. Little otters under paw could be disastrous. The rat continues to follow Aikuen closely while staying hidden from sight. He's finding this quite fun.
Aikuen blinks a bit, and blows out a foggy breath against the cold before chuckling, "Heh... an elders job is never over... Lets see..." he is silent again and walks a good long distance, almost about half around Moledeep, before continuing, "The newcomers have been living here quite well... And it seems Robin has taken a small shine to Hannah..." he snorts a bit, "At least... From what i can tell, and what Fira told me..." he chuckles, "Well... Good for them..." he hmms lightly, "Theo has been less than perfect... to be expected with otters i suppose..." he snorts, "Isn't that right? Aye? Aye! At least he is not evil or something..."
William crouches still watching the otter has he shadows him from behind the trees. His breathing is shallow to minimize any signs of his being here, a life saving trick he's had to used all too often. The rat smile a bit as Aik keeps taking on and on, his ears tilt forward as far as they can to not miss any of the otter's words while still moving about enough to keep Will from being suck up upon himself.
Aikuen has always talked to himself. It has gotten better ever since he met Fira. But he still does it from time to time. Talking like he was, to himself. Clears his head better than just clogging it with just swirling thoughts. He smacks his mouth a few times and continues, "Lets see... Amy has started walking. With the help with a few crutches and some...ahem, 'volunteers'... I think my wife likes her excuse of having kids. A terrible thought. But i like it..." used it a few times himself, "Chris and Kluna are still in trouble. But i think Kluna has been hit hard with it. At least more than Chris... better keep an eye on him..." just in case, "Kentar..." he reaches the three quarters point.
William continues to tail Aikuen silently curious as to what he may hear from the otter.
Aikuen yawns once again, "Kentar... Has not bugged me much about the training as much as he used too. I still plan to go on with it... Seems a bit more distant than normal. But that is probably due to the cold... i hope..." he nods a few times, "Aye..." he stops and places his paws behind him now, "Which brings us... to Will..." he takes another deep breath, but doesn't say anything as he walks onward.
William is still following the otter though as the otter's talk turns to him he wonders if he's been found out or maybe the otter's know all along. He's being as quite as he knows how to be and he's never been caught spying before but with Aik a beast can't always tell.
Aikuen takes in another deep breath, "William... My son... Is all grown up now... Though he wont be an adult for a while yet... But i always wonder... What is he doing sometimes... Giving in to a life as a husband... this early... I mean..." he shrugs, "Once you get married... that is pretty much it, for life... I've always wondered if he ever looked for something more, in life... " he hrms and glances behind him, "But if this is what he wants... what can i do to stop him... At least Amy is not a 'vermin' in a sense... could be worse..." he tilts his head as he gets near where he started, "I mean... I married when i was 8... but that was a whole different story... we gave up our lives to be with each other... They are just... giving in..." he shakes his head, "I shouldnt talk like that..." as steps on the 'starting point'.
Aikuen looks behind him and around for a minute, "Here we are... The epicenter... once again... Walks seem to get shorter and shorter everytime..." he chuckles, "Think i got a lot done... Wouldn't you say so? Aye? Aye!" he snorts, "I need to stop that... I wonder where Fira is..." he shrugs, as he reaches down to pick up a cold rock, and runs it through his paws, "Heh... I'm happy for my son... All the same... If he is truly in love with her... " he nods, "Though it was strange. I guess love is like that sometimes..." he grins, "Face it... I found Fira because she said 'yah sure' to a little trip to the east... And i love her more than life all the time... makes the day, a bit brighter..." he grins softly, "Its getting late..." he nods as he slowly makes it back for the tunnel, and away from the darkening sky.
Moledeep: Mole Hall
William slips inside and takes a seat near the fireplace, his breathing's returning to normal now and his head hurts a little from all that shallow breathing he'd been doing but he considers it worth it. "Hey, Pa!" he calls out to the otter looking over at him from his nice warm armchair, "How was your walk?" He half suspects the otter knows he was followed since he kept looking behind him so much but he doubts Aik knows it was him.
Aikuen enters shortly after him, and yawns as he unties his habit cord. Its much warmer inside, "Hey Will!" he eyes him for a moment before walking over toward him slowly, still running the rock in his paws, "It was good... got a lot of thinking done... as normal... Cold out toady... gonna snow soon..." he pulls back the sides of his robes, uncovering his normal clothes of shorts and barechest. He walks up near him, and smiles, "Ah, Nice and warm eh?" he holds his paws toward the fire, rubbing them together
William nods a little as he starts to warm up as well though he can stand the cold better than the otter can. "That's good. ... Really?! How soon do you think it'll snow?" he asks excitedly. He pauses a moment then asks, "Do we have enough wood? Th rest of you get cold a lot ..." he shrugs a little. He'll work on being sympathetic later.
Aikuen chuckles, "I'm not sure... if the temperature continues to drop like it is... might see the first frost within the week..." he then shrugs, "Not really... need to get some more... probably go out in the woods tomorrow, to get that evergreen ive been meaning to cut..." he yawns again, "Anyway..." he then eyes him for another minute or so before saying, "You know if you plan to spy on me in the cold... at least wipe your headfur after you get in..." he points to his sons headfur, which is a bit damp, "When going from cold to warm quickly... you tend to collect moisture..." he chuckles and winks.
William sighs and wipes at the dampness on his head with both paws swiping them down over his face and back down to the arms of the chair in one quick motion. "I'll remember that. Should have waited til you came in before coming in." He's not denying his sneaking this time it wouldn't do any good at this point anyway.
Aikuen snorts and chuckles, "Heh! I kinda expected somebeast was following me. Just didn't know who!" he grins and winks once more, "That could have helped! Being sneaky... like some father i know..." he, of course, is talking about himself. He slicks his headfur back wiping the wet on his habit, "Your getting good at being quiet. Just need to remember a few more things... and you will be as sneaky as a shadow..." he nods a bit before leaving the fire
William shrugs, "Already knew how t be quiet. Learned that real quick. Not being quiet causes trouble."
Aikuen thinks about if for a moment before saying, "I heard movement... You need to remember not to move... until i do... there was no wind out. And i heard rustles... See?" he nods a bit, "So you're quiet... but not silent..." he taps his nose before putting his paws behind him, and starts to go toward the sleeping hall, "Anyway... I'm off to bed... Keep the fire going until you go to bed... Okay?"
William nods, "I will. Night, Pa." He shrugs off the otter's comments a little it was only Aik he was following though the otter did have a point he'd gotten rusty living so comfortably here. "Maybe?" he asks the otter, "Maybe we can start some more training later. You still haven't showed me how t climb a tree yet. Bet Benar'd get a kick out of that. .... Should go see him again before winter. Hope Gwen gets back or found before it snows." The rat stares into the fire and chews on his lower lip thinking.
Aikuen leans against the door into the hall, "Sure thing Will. We'll have to be sometime after I get the wood... But yah sure" he nods a bit, "And that would be alright. Wouldn't mind seeing him again. Been awhile since I've been to the abbey." he then nods to the Gwen part, but remains silent about it. Better not give Will anything to dwell on too much.
The rat nods a little, "Thanks Pa." He smiles a little then chuckles, "Before long you'll be showing th twins how t climb trees an stuff. We'll have t watch out of them even more than now. I can just see either one, Ella maybe more, jumping down at us just t scare us."
Aikuen snorts and chuckles, "I could easily see that... as bad as it sounds..." he smiles a little bit, as the thoughts fill his mind. He grins stupidly before shuttering back to reality, "It's going to be fun... I can tell you that... Night Will," he gives a small wave before heading off to the hall.
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