And this is why DoraRose is not fat, lol XD
Champion's Cottage: Guard Training Yard
This small fenced in yard has been set up for the use
of the Abbey Champion, his guards and designated trainees.
The fence is made from very thick wooden planks over 12 feet
tall so that no one outside can see in. The fence has also
been coated with a layer of spikes and grease near the top to
make it very difficult to climb over. The only way into or
out of this yard is through the large locked door into the
champion's cottage.
The yard itself is split into different sections for the
various activities the champion and the abbey guards perform
here:
There is a small covered area that contains practice weapons
on racks and the storage bins for armour.
There is also a locked room that contains the real weapons.
Both visitor weapons and guard weapons are stored here. The Sword
of Martin the Warrior is kept elsewhere.
There is also a small area set aside for the repair and
maintenance of weapons though there is no forge here for there
making weapons. But there is a whetstone for keeping blades
sharp and facilities for minor repairs.
The main part of the yard is a simple stone courtyard for
sparring. There are practice dummies for archery and sword and
quarterstaff drill. It isn't very big but it is enough for two
or three beasts to practice in at any one time.
Exits: [C]ottage
Flicktail the fox. DoraRose the mouse. Magramba the squirrel.
Flicktail trudges in resigned to practice alone.
What makes him think he's going to practice alone? The fox just needed to wait for his fortunes to change! DoraRose comes into the training yard, dressed in an unbleached short-sleeved linen tunic and matching leggings and black boots. She waves at him, slightly surprised to see him here right now. "Good day, Sir Flick. I'm just here to work with my axe for a little bit." Despite what she just said, she plops down on the ground and starts to do stretches.
Flicktail suddenly looks VERY excited "Hullo DoraRose! welcome to me training yard, are you ere to train? I come ere to make sure I know how to protect me friends........" he see's her stretching and gets a confused look "wot ya doin' THAT for?"
DoraRose Strongheart suppresses a smile as she continues to stretch all of her muscle groups. Even in her arms and chest and upper back. "I'm stretching to keep myself loose and to help me not injure myself when I start training today. After I finish stretching I'll need to warm up, too."
Flicktail asks, "could you teach me how ta do that? do it help?"
DoraRose chuckles and nods. "Yes, it does indeed help. Here," she past the ground beside her. "Sit down, keep your legs straight out in front of you, point your toes and try to touch them with your finger tips. If it burns, then let up a little because that means your muscles are tearing. Which is bad." She demonstrates the stretch, basically folding herself in half and wrapping her paws around her toes. Her truncated tail taps slightly in her enjoyment of teaching someone something new.
Flicktail's eyes widen as he watches the limber mouse stretch...he sits down as she directs, and stretches his footpaws out...leaning over there is a series of "pops" as the fox's joints pop and he only gets about half way over "oh my...."
The door from the Champion's cottage bangs open loudly, and Magramba strolls through, again wearing just a shirt and trousers along with his boots. "Someone said training?" The squirrel rolls his shoulders casually, apparently ready to go as is.
DoraRose gives the fox an alarmed look. "You're not supposed to pop like that. When was the last time you stretched like this?" She glances up at the squirrel, but for now all of her attention is on the Abbey Champion. She's hoping he doesn't hurt himself.......
Flicktail smiles, not in any pain "um...maybe I am gettin' older? it don't hurt......I have never stretched like this...I never heard o...stretchin'....." he looks at Mabramba, andlooks comical all akimbo trying to stretch like the graceful Dora Rose "um...ello Magramba"
"Hello hello," Magramba responds by way of greeting, with a cheery wave. "What're we training with? Swords, knives, bows? Rolling pins?" This is Redwall, after all. "This place is new since I've been here," he adds, looking around with a small measure of wonder at the fence. "Spikes and all. Well."
DoraRose frowns slightly. Well, if it doesn't hurt..... "You're /probably/ okay then. Do what I do. Just....don't hurt yourself." She stretches the rest of her muscles groups (again), ending up on her feet with her paws clasped behind her, her arms almost parallel to the ground. "Now for warm ups." She lays down on the ground and starts to do a rep of 30 sit-ups.
Flicktail stares at the mouse, he has never seen ANYTHING like this before "Hey Magramba...come hold me footpaws?" he says as he begins attempting to do sit ups
"Just stick your feet up," Magramba replies, dropping to the ground and demonstrating. "Make a square corner with your knees, and just curl up." He does two, then gets back to his feet. You can do sit-ups anywhere, and he's in the special prison- er, training area for sparring.
DoraRose has done her sit-ups and is struggling to not laugh at the fox. She now rolls over onto her stomach, rests the bottoms of her toes and her elbows on the ground, clasps her paws, and pushes up, demonstrating the perfect Plank. Her back is flat and even, from her head down to her heels. "Hold this for as long as you can."
Flicktail smiles good naturedly.... he nods to Magramba "that looks easy" he tries it managing to get it MOSTLY right
"It's harder on your paws instead of your elbows," Magramba notes. "Are we going to spar?"
"We will spar after I have finished warming up." Dora states as she tries the Plank on her paws. Augh! It is harder! When she begins to wobble, she goes slowly down, rests for a moment, then stands and starts to jog around the outside of the training yard. "I missed my morning's exercise, so I have to do it now." Blame Lily for keeping her mother up super late so she didn't wake up until 10 AM today.
Flicktail moves over to Magramba, watching the Jogging mouse "ever seen anything like at afore?"
Magramba crosses his arms, watching as well. "Yeah, I mean, she's right that it's important, I just assumed we were going to, you know, spar."
"Just chillax, okay? I'll be ready in a few minutes." Chillax? She's perhaps spent too much time with Blisa and Lily. Dora has finished her usual jogging and now retreives her axe. The huge, black, double-headed, double-pawed one named Nightsong. "Okay, /now/ I'm ready. What weapons do you prefer?" she starts lifting the axe to her chin, then lowers it, over and over and over. The muscles in her arms are rippling under her fur.
Flicktail smiles and has Martin's blade "how about a 3 way spar? every beast for themselves?"
Magramba blinks as the mouse retrieves what seems to be an enormous chunk of death in the shape of an axe. "I... did not see that one coming." Right. "Uh, I guess I'll get my sword out of the cottage."
Dora's grin is almost evil. Yeah, she's been spending WAY too much time with Blisa. "I can deal with that. Bring it on, fluffball." She winks at the fox, then gets into an at-ready stance, eyeing the Sword of Martin carefully. "Um......I don't want my ancestor's blade getting nicked. Do you have to use that sword?" She listens to what the squirrel is saying and adds, "Wha? You weren't expecting me to dig out an axe bigger than your face? I can wield it quite well. Just so y'know."
Flicktail strides out with his word held high "That's the magic o this blade...can't be nicked or broke...and light" he makes several very rapid slashes with the sword, a slash that should be done with a short sword but the bastard sword does it just as easily it is a very quick blade and he advances on DR.
"You kids get started," Magramba advises, ducking back into the cottage to rummage for his own weapon. "Didn't know it was 'bring your own blade'," he can be heard muttering.
DoraRose steps back and goes to block the sword with the haft of her axe. She then goes to parry and hack, then ram the flat of her axe into the fox's side. "What did you think we were gonna be doin'?" she manages to shout at the squirrel.
Flicktail skitters to the side as his blade bounces off the wooden shaft, standing on his tippy paws to evade the hack but catches the flat of the blade in is side as the mouse connects sending the fox tumbling backwards with an "ooph!"
DoraRose leaps forward and goes to trip the fox, then hold her axe blade a few inches from his neck.
Flicktail is not that slow, when he falls back, he does a back roll and comes up on his footpaws...trying to leap under the mouse's axe to tackle her to the ground
Augh! Dora goes down! She falls heavily and goes to bite the fox's ear. Not hard enough to bleed or anything, but hard enough to hurt. Who said that this had to be a clean fight?
Flicktail Yelps as one of his paws goes to Dr's side to TICKLE her...the fox can fight dirty too. He tickles her soundly
Magramba emerges from the cottage, sword in paw, just in time to see Dora bite down on the Champion's ear. "What th'...? What kind of..." And then the tickling. "Maybe I'm out of my depth here."
Oh, no he di'n't! DoraRose roars and drops her axe. Using her remarkable strength, she goes to shove the fox at the squirrel, standing as she does so. After wriggling out from under the Champion, she then grabs her weapon, runs across the compound, whirls around, and stands at an at-read position, panting slightly.
Flicktail is tossed up and comes down on 3 paws, his sword held in the 4th...he begins a very fast 'Zig zag' approach to the warrior mouse.
When the mouse roars, Magramba wilts a little. What is this place. They're all mad. Flicktail gets tossed towards him, but immediately goes after the mouse, and the squirrel, now disturbed by the mouse, is content to watch him go.
Yes, the Redwallers are all as mad as hatters. At least today. DoraRose is regretting agreeing to joust with the fox. What si happening to her life right now? She pulls a stuffed dummy in front of her and goes to shove it at the fox, then dashes forward, aiming to trip him and wallop his little fuzzy bottom like a naughty Dibbun's.
Flicktail says, "Come on Mags let" the fox OOPHS as he gets wufted by the stuffie and trips...Yelping has his bottom is spanked.
"Fine," Magramba mutters, flicking the tip of his sword up from the ground. "Fine, let's just do this." The squirrel closes the distance quickly, his feet moving like a dancer's, both paws on the hilt of his sword as he approaches the mouse, aiming a thrust at her.
Flicktail scrambles out of the way. chuckling as he lets Magramba challenge the warrior mouse
DoraRose sighs and goes to block the squirrel's thrust with the axe haft. She goes to kick the squirrel and then tries to hit his side with the flat of her axe.
Flicktail panting moves off to give Magramba a chance, getting a drink of cool water.
Magramba moves his sword deftly as her haft comes up, never giving her the chance to block it, and steps to the side neatly to avoid her kick. The big axe comes swinging around, and it seems he knows better than to try to block something that size. The squirrel dances back, his blade following the swing of the axe to catch the slower-moving weapon and actually give it a bit more velocity as it passes, hoping to push her off-balance.
Seriously? Dora continues her twirl, going faster and stronger and then coming back around and trying to hit him again with the flat of her blade. She even takes a step forward to try and make sure she hits him this time.
It's fairly easy to keep moving back, and Magramba does so, following his own momentum and giving ground to the mouse, stepping back from the swing and angling a hard, stinging slap with the flat of his own blade at her outstretched arms.
DoraRose yelps as her arms get slapped, and she skitters backwards as she drops her axe, managing to avoid everybeast's footpaws, including her own. She then laughs and nods. "Well done! I haven't been disarmed by anybeast here at the Abbey for months! Good joust." She then goes to get a drink, too.
Thanks for reading!
Groups:
