Break on the Road

The week had been quite...interesting. The three days leading up to leaving, the mountain had been running drills. Over and over, hares would be put through random battle practices though out the nights, and days. Sebastian, spent most of the time forging Anomen a sturdy sword, and preparing for the long journey to Mossflower. Before the group had set out, the badger assembled the entire patrol, or at least, those eight hundred chosen to go to war, and gave a long speech. Where they were going...what they had to do, and most of all, a stern caution that some of them will not see home again. But that was a week ago. Currently the patrol, and those from Redwall, have taken cover in a valley between two mountains, a slightly safer path than traveling through the toad's marshes. Sebastian's sitting alone, writing on some parchment, kept stable by a flat stone. He's not exactly keeping to himself though, the large beast keeping near the campfire while other hares sing, dance, have fun, and of course...eat.

Zinnia has found hares curious and even written about it in some jornal writting she is doing for abbey records, she hmmms and closes her book looking over where the Badger Lord is but decides to not go over there right now, least yet.

Treesong sits near the abby beasts as she knows them a lot more than she knows the hares. She looks around and just seems glad to be closer to trees now as she has missed trees.

Lacota is sitting on a rock, keeping to himself as is usual for the decidedly crotchety squirrel. He seems to be lost in thought, perhaps about some feast or new recipe he'd like to try.

Sebastian isn't very good at socializing it seems. The few hares who try to come over to him seem to get a little discouraged by his lack of energy and go back off to whatever they were doing. Nobody seems to want to bother the badger lord right now. And the hares tend to keep to themselves around the abbey beasts...all but one, anyway. Roscuro, a tall, black-furred hare, makes his way on over towards the group. 'G'evenin there!" he greets with a wide smile, offering out a tray of small things to nibble on. "Care for anything to eat?! Army marches on its stomach, dont'cha know..

Zinnia manages a chuckle at the stomach joke, "You hares do eat alot.." She frowns, "Oh..sorry." She looks over at the Badger Lord and then the hare that came over, "He doesn't talk much unless it's important I am guessing or maybe he is just busy getting ready for upcoming fight?"

Treesong waves to the hare, she has talked to a couple other ones and takes a scone and nibbles on it, she glaces over at a sleeping Anomen but has, for the past week , not spoken to him much it would seem.

Lacota glances over at Roscuro. "Hello sir. What is that stuff on the tray, may I ask?"

The officer doesn't seem offended. Actually, quite the opposite. Roscuro laughs and pops a cube of cheese into his mouth, chewing on it before grinning. "That we do, ol'gal, that we do!" he says, turning to Treesong as she takes a scone from the tray before glancing towards Lacota. "All sorts of things, wot! Vegetables, cheese, scones of all sorts." he nods settling it down on a rock nearby. "Y'more than welcome to help yourself!"

Zinnia decides to take a couple scones, "Never seen this many hares in one place before, then not sure seen a hare before...maybe one." She tries a scone and smiles "These are good."

Treesong smiles a little and nods, she does seem a little distracted today but tries to smile as it seems most are having a good time and enjoying the evening.

Lacota grabs a scone, and sniffs it experimentally. "Hmm, it certainly smells good, but be warned, I *am* the Friar of Redwall Abbey. I have exacting standards." He then takes a bite, chewing thoughtfully.

"As for the lord, marm..." Roscuro replies in a delayed manner, glancing over. "He tends to keep to himself, wot...I mean...he's friendly enough, but he's got a lot on his mind right now...this is the first time he's had to leave the mountain during our less friendly conflicts...there's a lot happening in our south right now, dontcha know...not as much as in your east, of course, wot!" he laughs before glaring at Lacota. "I'll have you know, sah! We hares eat only the bally best, wot!"

Zinnia nods and sighs, "I just hope every one is ok at home, I jsut want news and we have none just that.." She sniffs, "Badger script I read and..what it said and some of it's still confusing."

Treesong listens, she wasnt really there when that was going on, she has heard of it and all, " We fight when get back, my tribe will fight and help free the lands amd all be ok again.

Lacota chews the scone, then nods. "It is delicious, sir. What is your recipe. Also, pardon my curiosity, but I was unaware of any more places to the south of here."

Roscuro tilts his head slowly at the mention of 'badger script.'. Opening his mouth to inquire what that is, he stops himself, figuring its quite obvious. Turning his attention to Lacota for the moment, he nods. "Aye...there's a city in the south. At the very end of the shores. Large, vermin city." the hare explains. "Haven't had troubles with 'em till recently. Sebastian's pretty worried they may try something while the bulk of our forces deal with Mossflower...unlikely as it may be."

Zinnia sighs, "How many are still at the Mt sir?"

Treesong nibbles her scone and just listens right now. After eatting a scone she gets up in a tree to sit and relax, a low branch as to not go too far

Lacota nods. "Ahh, sounds unpleasant. I generally dislike vermin...for personal reasons."

Roscuro shrugs a little bit and looks upward to the sky, thinking a few moments. "About six hundred...but we could hold that place with as little as a hundred. There's not exactly many ways into the mountain, wot..." he laughs. "So we're quite confident things will go fine if that happens. Besides, no group has ever taken the mountain away for more than a few days." he grins.

Zinnia smiles as she listens, "Wow, but then you travel fairly fast and your probally get back faster, or it will take a shorter amount of time to get back to the Mt, than it did to leave and go to Redwall...my guess anyways"

Treesong looks around and gets down from the treee, looking once more at Anomen when he moves in his sleep she sighs and sits by the abbey beasts and hare again,"Not understand some beasts sometimes..friend says not fight, tribe wil say fight, not making no sense"

Lacota nods. "I am glad the Mountain will remain safe, sir, and I do hope no really bad trouble comes from the south."

"I don't think anything will happen, y'see...it'd take morons to think they could challenge us!" Roscuro laughs a bit and then frowns. "We are talking about vermin though...so who knows?" he shrugs a bit before yawning. "I'm gunna go grab a nap! Remember, help yourself to the food!" he smiles, giving a salute before turning to head off to another part of the camp.