Assassination Attempt on Abbot Lorimis (Bolts of Chaos TP)

(Somewhere in Mossflower Woods, South of Redwall)

Jax walked through the woods until he found where his master had told him to meet.

The tall cloaked figure stood before the rat, before the rat named Jax with a crooked smile. “Hello, Jax, still have that poison?”

“Uhh……yeah” Jax told him. “Yeah I do, boss. Why?”

“Good” The Cloaked Figure told him. “I have a mission for you to use it, travel to the abbey. Gain their trust, and then poison their Abbot. When they see their precious Abbot fall they will realize how truly weak they are and I will conquer Redwall, and when I conquer Redwall, I conquer Mossflower. Do you understand?”

“I uhh…do boss, but….but how am I going to gain their trust, or even get close to the Abbot?”

“Fool, the Abbot is a very public figure, you cannot miss him” The figure told him. “You have an injured footpaw, this will appeal to their sense of mortality, and after they help you and you recover, you will strike down their Abbot. I believe the current Abbot is a mouse by the name of Lorimis”

“B-but boss” Jax told him. “I uhh…my footpaw’s fine”

“Your right” The shadowy figure said. He quickly pulled out his crossbow and shot the rat in the foot, ripped it out and then proceeded to quickly break his footpaw, causing the rat to scream in pain. “You were attacked, they will suspect me so take this crossbow bolt….I want them to know to fear me”

The rat limps off. “Anything else boss?”

“Yes” The shadowy figure smiled, putting his crossbow back in his cloak. “Good luck…or else

(A few hours later, Redwall)

Zork walks back and forth in the entry as he is sort of bored and the dibbuns have worn him out as he has been helping with them a lot.

Arturo is sitting by the wall just enjoying the sunny day and eating some mixed fruit, cheese and some cheery juice to drink, he glances at the badger, "Your goin' to make a trench in the entry wot"

Zork looks at the hare, "I do not think that is possible and pacing helps me think ya know" He grins a little.

Arturo rolls his eyes, “It could happen, besides you flatten the grass walking in the same place over and over again, wot ya have to say on that huh?"

Zork chuckles and grins big "You’re a funny hare, smashed grass you’re funny and your wot wot all the time"

About this same time a rat limps in with an injured footpaw, it’s clear it’s broken as he sees the badger and hare he limps closer "I..footpaw its injured"

Zork looks over and hmmms, "How did ya footpaw get injured and who are you?"

Arturo blinks and studies the rat "Oh dear, an injured beast a healer would be best to find for such as this"

The rat says "I was attacked on the road..robbed and my footpaw broke in the getting away, but he..he took all me gold and left so will ya help me?, my name is Jax."

Zork nods, "Well de abbey helps all beasts long as ya be peaceful and not a threat as for a healer may be on in the infirm"

-Abbey infirm-

Jax looks around as he is led to the infirm and sits on a cot waiting for the healer and watches the badger and hare leave.

Leon step in and walks over to the rat, “Hello, I am the master Healer let’s look at that injury.”

Jax holds still and allows any help that’s needed, he holds back an urge to whimper in pain.

Leon looks the injury over “Broken and a fair bad wound, should heal and you can walk around on it slowly” He gets some needed herbs and bandages, first he cleans the wound and then he applies the herbs and bandages the footpaw “There, now I would suggest not doing much”

Jax nods “I don’t plan on doing much don’t worry good sir, maybe I can repay the abbey for its kindness and help out”

Leon listens “Perhaps, I will check on you later, good day” He heads out.

Jax sits on a cot and looks at his bandaged footpaw and sighs, he looks a little bored and then goes to use his crutches to move towards the doorway.

Jarvis sniffs the air as he enters the infirmary and glances at the rat, "Why is a rat here forrrrrrrr" He blinks "And ya injured, why?"

Jax looks at the shrew "I was attacked, see a cross bolt hit my foot paw and then it was broken and I am here to recover but can walk around if I like" He offers a smile.

Jarvis frowns "That's impossible ya see..a couple others died that way but in de chest...why the foot paw, ya special..that’s just..something not right or even left here"

Jax shrugs "Luck, anyways...odd beast, I am Jax and you are?"

Jarvis narrows his eyes "Someone who is watching ya..always watching!", The shrew frowns "Rats are not good and foxes who steal fur of otters... are strange"

Flicktail walks in, his ears perked "Or Shrews that don't like the Otter furs of Foxes in the Infirmary...sometimes....”

Jax  says , "And your odd and if there was a fox stealing otter fur, he wouldn't be allowed here my good beast" He limps a little with his bandaged footpaw " Huh?"

Jarvis rushes over to Flicktail "He's a rat be careful of stealer of otter fur" He backs up and goes to the door "I will be...watching you" He then heads out and adds as he points to the rat, "Watching!" As he then disappears into the hallway.

Jax watches the shrew leave and looks at the fox "Is he alright sir, I am Jax by de way and you are?"

Flicktail says, "I am Flickyfox..hello there, how’s the footpaw?"

Jax frowns "Painful but it will heal, but the shrew made me feel so...so unwelcomed"

Flicktail says, "Um he be a bit Touched. Ya hungry and want some good abbey ale? where ye froms?"

Jax offers a smile "I cook me own food, I am a good cook and never had abbey ale, I did hear its famous."

Flicktail says, "Well if yer hungry, we have some foods made..and the Ale be free I'll get ye some just say the word Mate so where ya Froms?"

Jax answers "From a place far from here, and I would like to help good sometime as a way to...repay such kindness to me"

Flicktail says, "Well ye come to da right place, but ya can't help no one if ya don't care fer yourself.”.

Jax pays attention to all that’s said, "Of course..let us go eat and gets some ale"

Flicktail says, "Let me show ya to Cavern Hole"

-Cavern hole-

Flicktail offers the rat a seat, "Come this is the place we eat, and we can ALWAYS use another good cook, though Ferravale is looking for one too I hear”

Jax limps in and nods "Well I can help here, least while I am here I can make a very lovely cheese and onion bread and veggie soup"

Flicktail's ears perk "I never had a Cheese and Onion bread...you...can make somein' like that?”

Jax chuckles, "Just said I could make it"

Flicktail says, "I know, I mean. I never head of them things all made..TAGETHER before"  He offers the Rat a seat "Stay off that footpaw lad"

Jax sits down carefully.

Flicktail offers a pillow. "You ok?”

Jax nods "I will be so, what’s ta eat this fine day?"

Flicktail says, "Well we have some nice lemon steamed fish, fresh caught mind you, and some meadow cream, fresh carrots, Warm corn muffins, and deeper en deep beat root pie and Hotroot soup with cordial or Ale"

Jax smiles "My my I am not a hare, I am a rat..some fish and ale please and a muffin please"

Flicktail brings over the largest plank of fish the rat has ever seen.

Jax grins and goes to eat the fish and gulp the ale, he nods, "Very good and tomorrow I will fix de cheese and onion bread for ya"

Flicktail asks, "Has our healers looked at yer footpaw?"

Jax nods "Yes as you see its bandaged"

Flicktail nods "So tell me of your journey?

Jax blinks "Umm..I was injured so came to ya abbey"

Flicktail asks, "I mean where were you born in this far away land? I wanna know of ya"

Jax yawns and answers "Perhaps tomorrow, for now I must rest, good night kind sir and thanks for the meal" He uses his crutches and heads to a bed.

-Pond the next day-

Jax walks into the area of the orchards looking around the abbey ,Jax nods to beasts he sees, "Hello sir" He says as he watches them, "How is your day?"

Lason calls down to Jax, "Hello there would you like a pear?"

Flicktail asks, "A pair of wot?" He then waves to Jax.

Jax shakes his head, "Oh I am just fine, I made that cheese and onion bread"

Lason calls down to Jax, "Good thing I am not full yet, then!" He climbs down from the tree with a pear of his own, "This is for later."

Flicktail exclaims, “where is it!"

Jax grins and shows his basket of the bread, "Here my...friends"

Lason smirks, "Well, we can't eat it here. Let’s go to where we can."

Flicktail says, "Aye why not we kin have a picnic"

Lason says, "Well, to do that, we need more then bread. They have plenty of food in the kitchen."

Jax looks between them, "Food tastes good anywhere"

Flicktail sends a novice to get blanket to lie on the ground "we can enjoy the day here”

Lason sits down, having no reason to take offense to Flicktail's suggestion.

Jax tilts his head and slowly walks over and sits, "I say beasts here are friendly, well...most are"

Flicktail says, "Aye we do have a few grouches"

Lason nods to Jax, "Yes, you are right. Though I feel less than happy."

Flicktail asks, "wot's t not be happy about?"

Lason says, "As I said before, I am bored, bored, bored."

Jax chuckles a little as he eats a bit of bread.

Flicktail asks, "Well we need to play games, go fishing, I need wood brought to my shop, we need to have the walls checked for new stone works, wot would ya like ta do?"

Jax Listens.

Flicktail tries the bread his eyes widening "This is GOOD

Lason asks, "What is this about walls?" He gets a piece of bread and bites down into it.

Flicktail says, "Well the walls sometimes crumble we need new stone in to keep them strong"

Lason nods, "I can help you with that."

Jax leans back on a tree and eats some more bread with some water he has with him.

Flicktail smiles getting more bread "Jax join us, I know nothing about ya beast" He looks at Lason "Yer a mason? “

Jax says "I am here, what’s ta join"

Lason frowns, "No, but I am pretty observant."

Flicktail says, "Oh I just thought we need some cut and hauled and they are heavy" , He looks at Jax "I said Join us chap" He chuckles ,"Where did you learn ta cook like this or Bake or wot ever"

Lason peers at Jax, "Do you have more bread? And there is a fly on your ear."

Flicktail waits on Jax.

Lason munches the last bite of his bread, which he has eaten as slowly as he can.

Jax shakes his head, he is beside them so he is not understanding, he shows the bread, 3 loafs and most of one gone now, "I just learned, I cook for me friends so why not new ones"

Lason gets another loaf and bites down, watching the fly on Jax's ear.

Jax bats the fly away and decides to leave the rest of the bread there as he excuses himself and heads inside.

---The next day lunch in Cavern Hole---

It is lunchtime in the cavern hole and some soup, salad, cheeses and breads with juice is being served in the room.

Flur pokes her head into the large room she has not been around too long but smiles at the idea of a good lunch and goes to sit down in a chair.

Mallory walks into the room and sits down at the table, ready for lunch

Arturo is already sitting at one of the tables, he writes a couple more things down in his journal before sitting it down off to the side.

Lorimis makes his way into the Cavern hole and smiles and waves at the gathered beast, close by is the dibbun caretaker, he still has a couple abbey sisters helping with the dibbuns but does sit close to them as Lorimis sits elsewhere.

Jax enters as he is helping to serve the soup, he sits out a few bowls he has and nods to the abbot as he sits a bowl in front of him and another beast before pushing the cart back to the kitchen.

Zork yawns as he sleep a little too long today; he sits down in the closest chair that’s free.

For the first time in... what, a year? Torry pokes his head in a public place, having kipped away from the other dibbuns to nab him a snack. Or lunch. Lunch is good, too! So he takes a seat with the rest, humming happily.

Arturo looks around, "I say not as busy at lunch, but company good all the same, wot"

Flur smiles, "Redwall food is always good or so I heard, I haven’t been here too long though"

Mallory nods. "I suppose it is, uncle" , He smiles. "Soup smells good"

Lorimis chuckles and smiles at the beasts eating lunch in the room, "Well then let us enjoy lunch then my friends, shall we."

Torry glances about the table, taking in who all was at it, before just quietly busying himself to... well, whatever's offered.

Jax is talking with some beasts in the kitchen before heading on out with some food  he was given for a couple day trip It looks like, he glances around the room before leaving and quietly heads off to entry.

Arturo frowns" The soup has chestnuts, I bally well dislike them..does all of them have chestnuts?"

Mallory nods. "I think so, mine does......I don't understand why you don't like them, uncle. I do"

Lorimis smiles "Not all of them do, here" He lets the hare have his as his is chestnut free. “Half had it I believe..but its ok, I can eat one with nuts I do not mind"

Torry simply quietly tucks into his own soup. Nuts or not, he was hungry. And not really in a talkative mood, but someone was bound to talk to him sooner or later...

Zork shrugs, “Why complain about the soup, still good right, soup be soup" He grins a little. “And goes well with rolls"

Lorimis smiles and pauses to say grace so the meal can start, he then nods that all can eat.

Flur stirs her soup some and finds some bread and salad, and cherry juice if it’s here.

Mallory takes some October ale from a pitcher and some rolls with his soup and starts to eat. "I tell you what, they have good cooks here"

Zork waits till grace is said before getting something to drink to go with his soup, a couple dibbuns follow him but he tells them to sit and grins as he sits back in his chair.

Torry seems content enough to just eat the soup quietly. It was like he wasn't even there!

Arturo sips some juice and takes a couple bites of the soup listening to idle chatter around him.

Flur tastes the soup and nods" Soup is good" She looks around the room perhaps wondering what to do after lunch.

Lorimis smiles as he watches the abbey beasts and any guests enjoy lunch, he listens to a joke told by a novice and chuckles a little.

Mallory has somehow finished his bowl of soup, yes, that fast. He is a hare after all, he piles his plate with rolls and sweet cakes and smiles. "Da vud here if guuuu" he says with his mouth full.

Torry continues to quietly eat his soup, thinking of what he should do after lunch ends... Maybe a little reading? Nah, exploring the grounds. More exciting.

Arturo coughs a little as if maybe food went down the wrong way, he shakes his head and sips some juice to maybe wash it down, it doesn’t seem to help and he coughs more and falls from his chair as if passing out or so it appears that way tight now.

Zork glances over at the hare as he falls from his chair and blinks and stands up to walk over to him to check on him.

Mallory looks towards his uncle. "Uncle?......UNCLE!.....are you okay?....Uncle?"

Flur gasps as she looks over and stays quiet.

Torry glances up from his soup in time to see this little bit of drama, and goes wide-eyed... But remains quiet. He didn't know what was going on, so he felt he'd best keep his mouth shut.

Lorimis frowns, "Oh dear me." He calls over an abbey healer to check on the hare and waits for a reply, the healer frowns, "He..the hare is dead." The healer sounds surprised at this. The abbot is also surprised, "Dead, how?" The healer doesn’t know, "I don’t..." He starts.

Zork keeps everyone back and frowns, "Ok, what happen and what could of caused it?"

Mallory blinks. "Dead? Uncle....." , He cries. "Uncle"

Jarvis enters the room and stops, "A dead beast is in here! Why would a dead beast be in the room and during lunch, that’s not nice or..right, errrr...why is he dead?" ,He walks a little closer to see what is going on. The shrew looking around the room. “Beasts don’t just decide to suddenly be dead"

And suddenly, Torry's entire appetite was dead as well. Pushing away the bowl, he just stares at the scene quietly, unsure as of what to make of the situation...

The dibbun caretaker has any dibbuns be led out of the room and calls in a guard or two, he nods "One of you take Arturo to the infirm, for now,...and the other try to find out what just happen" .He shakes his head and looks at Zork, "Zork you stay close to the abbot till we figure out what is going on"

Mallory slaps the shrew. "Really? Is that the best you can say you stupid shrew" He stands up a table and speaks up. "Sir Mr. Abbot Lorimis sir, it would appear that there has been an attempt on your life"

Zork nods and stays close to Lorimis, "What was different...did anyone see anything out of place, wait..the soup but all the soup seemed fine."

Lorimis frowns "I offered mine to...oh dear", It dawns on him as he takes a deep breath, "But who could of placed something in my bowl and why?"

Taken out of the room, sure. But Torry was right back in a minute later. He'd been through something like this once; since he witnessed something like this, he felt he shouldn't just walk off. Maybe he's still unnoticed?

Jarvis is looking at all the bowls, he backs away from one, probably the one the hare had "It smells...DIFFERENT!" He shakes his head, “It has no chestnuts all the others so!..why?” He thinks, "Wait..DE RAT..de rat, it was close, it was hurt and..maybe faked his hurt or..rats are never good and he was helping cook..rats shouldn’t cook" He kicks the evil bowl away, "EVIL IS IN THAT BOWL!"

The caretaker notices Torry but sighs, he can stay for now as he blinks at the shrew and folds his arms over his chest watching Jarvis and waits to see what else is said or down.

Mallory nods. "I agree with the shrew, it was probably the rat, what he says is true...even if he is a bit....or a LOT insane"

Zork stays close to Lorimis, "There was the one rat with the injured footpaw, unless he did lie and I did see a rat helping to serve bowls and he was near Lorimis, but seems to have disappeared now"

Torry simply stands a little ways away from the others, remaining completely silent. ANOTHER bad rat? Well... Maybe not something he'd shout anymore. Not since last time. "Hm..."

Jarvis stomps his footpaw up and down, "Then we find him, maybe we can find him, yes find him we must he tried to kill the abbot and that’s...well bad"

Lorimis sighs he is confused and upset as he looks around, "Alright alright all beasts calm down, ok We can send someone out to find the rat and question him, also maybe sent a sparrow to Ferravale so they can also keep an eye out for him as well, till then we remain calm, we will not let this death go unpunished and the threat will be dealed with"

Mallory sighs. "I'll miss you Uncle, but I swear, the rat won't live to regret it. I will avenge you" He gets up and finishes his last roll and sits down by the fireplace. "We need reinforcements, we need weapons, we need everything to get rid of this guy.....you know I bet he's the one causing all the troubles we've had lately. I think we have our Crossbow beast"

Torry finally gets the idea to say something, whilst staring at Mallory with a curious expression. "So much for one rat?"

Zork says, "Maybe but in order ta hold a crossbow, need a strong beast, rats aren’t usually strong but he so far seems the likely cause, easy we find him and question him, then we get answers"

Lorimis frowns "I need to find Flicktail and tell Benar of this as well, but I do suggest no one look for the rat alone, it’s too dangerous, take a couple guards with you and stay alert"

Mallory nods. "yes....he needs to be dealt with child" , He heads off. "I need to go somewhere quiet to write all this in my journal, and take uncles journal and keep it safe. That rat is going to pay for what he did" He walks off in the direction of the pond where he will likely eventually calm down.

Jarvis is pacing, "We look high and low, left and right and we..find de rat" He stops pacing "I didn’t trust the rat but NOOOOOOOO...no one listens to me, and the sneaky rat got out of my site, it knew I was watching it!"

Torry just blinks a few times, looking rather confused. He still found that to be a bit extreme... He even felt he could probably take on one simple rat alone! Of course, that was just the thoughts of a young dibbun...

Zork nods "Yes we will find the rat and stay on guard as we do so"

Jarvis grins, "I will start now!" ,He rushes off, he is on the hunt!

Lorimis looks around as in all the upset lunch ended early, he shakes his head again, "We need to make sure guards pay closer attention to beasts at the gates, more so rats and the sort, just to be safer as not all are friendly or choose to be as some may seem, some use our helpful nature against us it seems"

Torry rubs his head a little bit, and, still looking confused, goes back to the Great Hall. He needed to do something else, it seemed...

Zork looks around and then to Lorimis, “Let me take you to your room Abbot Lorimis,

Lorimis nods “Of course of course Zork, but still need to speak with the elders and Flicktail before I go to my room, you may follow.”

Zork nods and does so.

(Shortly afterwards, woods North of Redwall)

Jax limps into his master’s lair smiling. “I did it boss!”

“You did?” The cloaked figure asked. “Well then explain to me this, I found it on the sparrow I shot down” He holds out a note to Jax.

“Dear Scioto” Jax reads. “We have sent this letter to inform you that there has been an attempt on the Abbot’s life and you may be the assassin’s next target. Take Caution”

“Is there any part of that note where it says the Abbot is dead?” ,The figure asks.

“Uhhh….no boss?”

“That’s right, so is the Abbot dead?”

“No boss”

“Guess who IS dead?” The figure asks.

“Who boss?”

“You” He quickly draws the crossbow and shoots the rat, this time in the chest. “Goodbye, Jax. Shame, you were a good cook”. He takes the foot off his body and takes a bite of a roll. “Not bad, anyway. I have to pay a visit to this, Scioto. But why do you care….you’re dead” , He grins evilly. “And so is he”