Camp Willow - New Students?
Characters: Venei, Nikolei, Wildefray
Location: Camp Willow:Main Grounds
Its been another day, another silver kinda day, as the sun starts to descend over the sky. A lazy smell of fish wafts from the Swaying Reed Tavern. That's where we meet the teacher of most little ottery things come from. Venei is tired and would really like a nap. Her hair is slightly disorganized and tangled every which way, and her normally green dress is spotted with todays little outing (claw painting) She take a deep breath, and sighs as she takes a wrapped package of smoked fish from the tavern and makes her way down the resident path. Her bookbag bouncing lightly against her sides.
And what do otters do when they smell fish? READ! Read? That's exactly what Niko is doing. The otter is sitting off to the side, reading a book that has weird 'art' on the front. Its not really art, its just the words of Niko's language. If Venei remembers the stoats from Moledeep, she should recognize the shapes. If not, it just looks weird against the leather binding of this book.
Venei is walking quickly, but not killing herself. She just wants to get home. Is that so hard? And normally she doesn't stop to shoot the breeze when she wants to sit down, But books always get her attention. Always. So, when she walks by the otter reading a book with strange art. Strange art the she does remember from her days at Moledeep. She stops abruptly and walks backward toward the otter. Stopping right in front of him and looking at the book. She cant really read it. But does know the style of the letters, "Excuse me. But um, What are you reading?" She asks.
Nikolei hums a little bit and glances up, seeing the other otter. He turns the book around and glances at the cover, often forgetting nobody else reads his language. "Ah. Eet is book off stories." he replies, thickly accented. "Zings you read to dibbuns." he smiles weakly, marking up his page and shutting the book closed.
Venei blinks at the accent and shakes her head, "Im guessing you're not from around here?" she smirks, "A book of stories for dibbuns? Ahh! Like a book of fiarytales and folktales, and such? Like the 'Otter and the Beanstalk' and... " she blinks as she realizes she was about to name a couple hundred that she knows. She clears her throat and switches topics, "I have well, and uncle, but not really. Who has a language similar to that. Might in fact be the same one..."
Niko shakes his head slowly and chuckles. "Da." he replies. "I haff interest in zuch ztories." he chuckles a little bit. "Mithz...are wery interesting." he then tilts his head slowly. "I haff newer zeen language like mine...must be zame." he replies with a smile before standing. "I haff not zeen you beffore." he says, tilting his head and offering a paw out, the tall otter smiling as best as he can. "Nikolei Petrunyik Vlasdominch. But you can call me Niko."
Venei smiles as she takes the other otters paw with her free hand, "Im Venei, er... Niko. Not even going to try the rest" she chuckles, "Yeah. His name was Kentar... Er... I believe it was Grodenchik or something... Been a long time since ive seen him..." she blinks, "The language look almost the same. So it must be. Could never read it myself though. What are you doing in Mossflower?" she asks changing topics once again.
Nikolei smiles and then bows completely. "Pleasure." he replies before thinking for a few moments. "Da...zounds like zomezing zat vould be from home." he nods before then shrugging. "Adwenturing and exploring." he nods his head slowly. "And vhat about you?"
Venei is a little surprised at the bow. Specially from an otter. She is just too used to the ruff and tumble lifestyle that most of the males are, here. She smiles and returns a proper curtsy, "Pleasure is all mine, i'm sure" she cant help but reply, "Adventuring and exploring? Sounds like fun. Me?" she gulps and smiles weakly, "I live here. In fact, just down the road." she points to the general area of the resident houses, "Im kind of a teacher here. I teach the dibbuns how to read, write... Among other things" she points to her dress, "Like, how to claw paint" she chuckles.
Nikolei smiles and then chuckles a bit, tilting his head a little as he glances down the road. "Da. I haff...zeen da homes here...werry nice..." he nods before tilting his head the OTHER way now. "Read?" he asks casually. He could use lessons in reading the common tongue but he won't ask for them. Not yet anyway. The laughs loudly though when he spots all the paint marks on her dress. "Da...zhey tend to be...mezzy." he smirks.
Venei gives a smirk, "Yeah. But sometimes i think they do it on purpose." She turns around where one little pup decided it would be funny to place an entire claw mark on her rear with blue paint. She turns back rolling her eyes and gives a little chuckle, "Its alright. My house seems empty nowadays though..." she scratches her head, "Yeah. Read..." Tilting her head now, thinking "You can read, right? Right as in yes, not in... You know. Write" she places her head in her claw. Its been a long day.
Nikolei laughs a little bit and shakes his head slowly. "Da...vell..." he pauses. "It kinda is.." he laughs, the big otter then blinking at her question. "Da...vell...zhis..." he says, holding up the book with his own language on it. "But...notzing elze..." he nods. "Zhe language heer iz...veird." he nods.
Venei tilts her head in the other direction, "So, You cant read English then?" she asks, raising an eyebrow. It makes since that he doesn't. Its just weird to her, "Our language is weird?" she chuckles to herself. The femotter then clears her throat and says, "Well. How long do you plan to stay in Mossflower?"
Nikolei doesn't do anything at first before he shakes his head with a little bit of a chuckle, rubbing over the back of his head finally. "Nyet..." he replies simply. "I do not read English vell...hard to...zpeak zometimes too." he thinks for a minute and then shrugs. "I do not know."
Venei taps a claw against her chin, "Hmmmm.... Im gonna have to do something about that." he semi mutters to herself, "Speaking well comes with time. But if you are gonna be staying in Mossflower for more then a few seasons. You might as well learn the language here!" she grins a big grin. Teachers instinct are kicking in. She reaches into her bookbag and pulls out a picture book, titled 'The Three little otters' The book looks old and used. And is slightly covered in paint, "Here is one of my picture books, its a great starter"
Wildefray comes walking from the pond area. Evidence of her recent swim remains- her fur is damp and tousled. She waves to the otters in the grounds. "'Ello." She nods amicably to them.
Nikolei tilts his head slowly and then nods. "Da, might help." he says, watching her dive into the bag and pull out the book, which he reaches out to take, reading over the cover and glancing at the words not having any clue what they say. "And...dis vill help?" he asks confusedly. He glances up though when he hears another voice, the larger otter giving a nod in Wildefray's direction.
Venei smiles at the male otter and nods, "Yep! Here look..." she points to the words, "See i will read, and you will follow along. Then you will try to read... The pictures give you hints to what they are." she turns to the first page, "See. In this picture are three otters walking down the road." the picture shows three little otters on a road "And the words are..." she leads her claws above each word as she says them, "Three otters are walking down the road" She grins widly. Not realizing what she is getting herself into. At the approch of the other femotter she smiles and waves, "Hello there!"
Wildefray stops a short distance from the two. "Aye. I 'ope ye're doin' well?" She's a traveler and wanderer by nature, and she's a little awkward and uncomfortable around other beasts, especially ones that she doesn't know, but she's making an effort to be polite before she leaves the camp.
Nikolei's eyes slide down to the book, eyeing the picture, and then the words. "I...zee..." he replies humming a bit, knowing how this is going to make him feel like a dibbun again, learning to read and write his own language...though that was a billion times easier than this will be.
Wildefray looks at the book with interest. "What is that?" She's seen book before, just not this particular one. She was never too great at learning, anyway. She looks at the face of the tall male otter, then jerks her rudder at Venei with a half smile. "Ye dont speak our language very well? She's teachen ye, huh?" Wildefray recalls somebeast trying to teach her to write better when she was younger- it didn't turn out too well.
The big otter shrugs his shoulders a little bit. "I do not know." he replies with a little bit of a chuckle, reaching out to take the book and flip through the pages before shrugging. "I zpeak it just fine." he replies. "Reading...viting not zo much." he says, before looking back to the cover thoughtfully.
Venei gives one of those teenager scoffs before smiling and patting the male otter on the paw, "You will get it. Why dont you come to my dibbun class in the morning? It will be fun!" she says with a HUGE smile. she turns to the new otter when she asks a question, "This is one of my picture books i use for my dibbun class. Im a teacher you see." she says matter of factly, "Its very simple, and its a nice story with otters and wolves!" she grrs evilly, "Heehee! Sorry. Im getting all in a tizzy again. Anyway! OH! My manners, Im Venei" she sticks out her paw. Her rudder tapping the ground lightly.
Wildefray shakes a bit again, but that isn't helping her dry off any. She runs a paw through her head fur, making it stick up in spikes before holding our a paw. She gives the proffered paw a firm shake. "I'm Wildefray." She rolls the 'r' slightly. "I c'n tell that ye are a teacher. I never thought that wolves mixed with otters...but certainly ye wouldn't be teachin' th' liddle ones 'bout war?" She is puzzeled.
The larger otter blinks at the idea of joining a class full of dibbuns. "Uuuh..." Niko isn't too sure he likes that idea. He's not good with kids. When he shakes himself out of his stunnedness, he glance towards Wildefray. "Zometimes...younger better time for learnink about var." he nods.
Venei frowns a little bit at the mention of war, "No... Its not about war. Not exactly if you don't look at the sybolisium." Symbolisium in a childrens book? Why not, "Its just a simple story about how three otters each build a house out of a different material, and then gets blown over by a wolf..." She then ergs. We will leave the ending for later, "And Mizz Hallow gets them when they are young anyway. My brother went though a basic weapon training when he was 4..." she frowns again. Obviously not happy about something.
Wildefray tilts her head, thinking about this. She herself has no qualms about teaching young uns about war. It is a reality, a fact of life that they will have to learn eventually. But she didn't think that that's what happened in CAmp Willow. "Is this a true story?"
Venei nods slowly taking back the book, "Yeah. When we moved here he was about that age, and its standard for male otters at the age to start learning.... I... I get it. I guess he didn't want to be left out... So he jumped right in..." she shakes her head, "He never had any complaints about it i guess. He actually enjoyed it. Just Mum and i, never really liked it..." more shaking of the head, like she is trying to rid something, "I never cared for things like that. My Pa taught me how to use a dagger when i was younger. But thats all i really cared for things of war" he sighs, "Sorry. Im giving my life story again" a weak smile.
Wildefray smiles a bit. "Tis fine. I dun't mind." She's starting to take a liking to this otter. "I suppose i c'n relate t' that. Sorry if'n ye dont like weapons n war though." She pauses, taps her rudder on the ground once. "TH' book though. is that true? 'bout th' 3 otters 'n the wolf..?"
Venei smiles at the new otter, taking a liking to her also. She listens to her talk for ages. She nods, "Thanks. Just something i would like to forget about, thats all!" now, back to being perky. She hands the book over to Wildefray, "Ummm. I dont think so. Its one of those stories you tell dibbuns. But..." she shrugs, "If it was... might have been... Probably before Redwall was even built..." she hums. If it was true. How horrifying.
Wildefray nods. "Aye. Woulda been a terrible thing to witness." She takes the book, and flips a few pages, speeaking almost shyly, seemingly embarrased. Except that Wildefray has never been embarrassed. But what could it be? "I..I was never t' good at readin an' writin'." She hesitates to say what she actaully does know, since it is along the lines of Venei's story.
Venei nods, "Yep. Though the pups seem to like it well enough. Gives them a good scare!" she chuckles, "Never to good at reading?" she glances toward Niko before looking back, "Its alright. Most of the otters around here dont even seem to care. Until i showed up!" she gives a big ole grin and thumbs her shoulder. At that, her glasses go slightly crooked. She clears her throat and puts them straight on her muzzle. The teacher otter getting the subtle hints from the other otter. Venei eyes her and says, "Something you want to say? You can tell me..." she asks politely.
Wildefray oddly finds it very hard not to share her story with the teacher. Something about her is very compelling. Wildefray shuffles her feet, swinging her rudder. "I, uh..left home when I was a young un. learned t' do sume readin an' writin', but not too much. I wander around a bit. Been here an' there. Me matey Hale settled 'ere recently, wich is why Im 'ere. Just seein' her." She clears her throat, although it doesn't need it. "I fight. That's what i do. Could ye maybe let me join yer class?"
Venei listens to her story, a paw resting under her chin, "I... I see." she the blinks at the question. A small smile spreading across her face, "Well. There is only one thing for it!" she pats the otter on the paw, "Here... Borrow the book tonight. And i will see you bright an early tomorrow in front of the tavern..." she grins big, "I would love if you could join." And Niko too, if he wanted, "It will be great to have the youngsters seeing an older otter still wanting to learn!" she chuckles to herself, "Never to old to learn! i say!"
Wildefray grins, slightly relieved. "THank ye. I'll certainly be there! Always felt a bit guilty at leavin' wi'out finishin me learnin'." She takes the book and looks at it for a moment.Vanei's perkiness is almost contagious. Wildefray starts to perk up a bit too. She chuckles. "Id love to 'ave ye teach me. T'will be a lot o fun. An' Im sure the young un's will like it, too! How many o em are there?" Wildefray isn't bad with little ones, but she doesnt hang with them too often- it isnt as if she travels with a pup all the time.
Venei grins widley, "No problem! And it will be fun, i promise. The pups love it... At least i think so..." She thinks about it for a few second, remembering her painted claw print on her butt that one of the pups left there. She shrugs coming back to reality, "How many are there?" she holds out her claws and counts, "... At least 7 of them. There is one that only come around once in awhile... Teca. Silly otter." she chuckles, "I can handle them pretty well. Except when we pass the pond. They ALL want to go swimming..." she laughs.
Wildefray tucks the book under one arm. "Well, I dunt mind a dip in the pond meself. I'll see ye in class t'morrow, Venei!" She waves as she walks away.
Venei laughs and waves at the otter before turning around. Niko has left. She tilts her head and shrugs, "Oh well," she tells herself, "I can always poke him later with my ruler until i get him in my class..." she grins and rubs her paws evilly, "Oh yes... Now... What was i doing?" she completely spaced out while they were talking. She hums and starts to walk in one direction before turning around and walking the other way, "Thats right! I have fish to take home!" she chuckles to herself before heading down the resident path.
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