Catching Up
Characters: Ella, Fira
Location: Dirt Road: Before The Bridge
Its a lovely cool spring day. The snow is finally melting off the meadows and plains, and forming large streams, all running toward the wide northern river. Which is quite high, and quite cold. That's where we meet this otter. An Ella type of otter. Just off to the side of the bridge, she sits at the side of the river, her bootless feet dangling in the side. She hums a small tune as she rests, her axe lovingly in her paws. Ella is finally making the trip back to the camp after hanging around Ferravale. She finally decided it was time TO GO! Couldn't take the vermin anyway. Plus sleeping in a tree was starting to hurt her back. She thinks she is alone, so she is not on real high alert.
It's odd, the first thing to enter Fira's head when she spots the bridge in the distance is meeting Will there for the first time all that time ago. There was a life changing event and a half. Ella's easily spotted, what Fira lacks in hearing she more than makes up for in very sharp eye sight, even as she ages. Besides, she's expecting her daughter to be in the area somewhere. They can travel all they like but somehow she'll track them down again, it helps that they all seem to have a bad habit of causing trouble of course. She's slow walking up the road from the south, leaning on her old spear as she goes "Should try some fishing, they just seem to love it under the bridge" She finally calls out, trust her to know random fishing spots but then this is her neck of the woods.
Ella yawns as she paddles with her feet in the water. Like a little dibbun. She might be an adult now, but she never did grow up and stopped having fun. She chuckles to herself as she puts her axe next to her, reaching for her bag and a biscuit. When she hears somebeast calling out to her. She blinks before getting up quickly and looking around. She then spots Fira, and her face explodes with a smile before she quickly runs over, "Oi! Mum!" she grins as she runs up to her, and gives her one hell of a hug, "I haven't seen ye in forever!" she lets her mum go before laughing, "Fishing? Like angle fishing?" she laughs as Ella never got the hang of string fishing, "Its good ta see ya"
Fira erks and is almost sure she feels something pop from the hug. It's to be expected from Ella though and she laughs in her usual odd sounding way, giving Ella a pat until she's let go and can breathe again "Yes like angle fishing, and yes it still requires sitting still" she suspects such things are why Ella never got on with that way of fishing. She stretches her back back into shape after the hug and feels a little stiffer again every day "It wouldn't be so long if you'd ever stay in one place long enough"
Ella chuckles and then sticks out her tongue, "Sitting still? You know that's not me. Leave that to Tagg and Vee. I much prefer spear fisnin'... Lot faster" she grins and then nods toward the side of the river where her axe and bag are, "Come on. I have some grub if ye want any." she nods and then watches her old mother as she stretches. Ella gives a soft smile before answering, "But i like living in the Trees! I've been told i was half squirrel." she places her paws on her hips, "Come on. Sit. Tell me what you been up too."
Fira snorts as she follows Ella to the bridge "I struggle to believe your brother could sit still for much longer" Venei probably could but she was far too busy. She settles down on the edge of the bridge, her mind wandering over memories though she has to focus enough to lip read still "If you're half squirrel then your father has some explaining to do" Her smile goes a little sad at the question of what she's been up to but she forces it into a smirk "I've only just caught up with you, I don't want to send you to sleep right away. I know you've never had much interest in my piles of books. Come now, what have you been doing? Keeping out of trouble?"
Ella sits down next to her bag and pulls out a redish looking biscuit. Fira would remember that Tagg invented these when he was learning to cook for the first time. And decided to put an entire tin of hootroot in the mix. Thus, the hotroot biscuit was born. Ella hands one to Fira before leaning against her bag, "Heehee. Too true. Tagg would probably start coming up with other inventive ways of fishing. But in the end he would end up with no fish!" she laughs, mostly to herself, putting her paws behind her head as she sighs. Its true. Ella hasn't even touched a book since her days of Fira teaching her things when she was much younger. She leaves that to the others. All the bookwormy stuff. Ella is more like her father when it comes to books, "Heehee! I promise i wont fall asleep!" she then immediately pretends to sleep before giggling, "Heehee! Okay. But i still want to know anyway... What have i been doing?" she goes a bit red as she sits on her paws, "Well. Lets see. After i left the camp. To many rules to follow in the guards... I met up with this mercenary group called Contra. They are pretty cool. I joined them, and... So. I'm... Semi... staying out of trouble?" she chuckles oddly.
Fira looks a little concerned the moment the biscuit comes out, she really hopes Tagg perfected that recipe a bit but cautiously tries it and doesn't find herself sticking her head in the river for the heat. Talk of Tagg makes her smile again "It's just his way of doing things, if he stuck at it he'd probably come up with something brilliant" Fira has just had to focus all her bookwormishness onto Venei, poor girl. It's probably hard for the kids to even imagine their mum being just as adventurous as Aik these days though, she lacks her old energy. Ella's current news causes a frown though "A mercenary group?" Should she disapprove? She sounds like she disapproves.
Ella chuckles, "Oh aye. Probably make a fish... Catching thing. Or something... Something with a net i'd bet." she grins before it immediately disappears when she hears that voice in her mum. Its very subtle. But she knows it very well. Luckily. Ella cant be sent to a corner for being naughty... or can she? Like all the siblings, lying never came easily. They just found it to tell the truth, run into the brick wall and get it over with. She takes a deep breath before answering, "Yeah... Its alright. We mostly do security work and bodyguard stuff. I only take the cases i want. They are off in Southsward now anyway..." A reason why she is all alone here up in the north. That. And Tagg left her behind! But thats another story.
Fira has no idea what that tone sounds like but she spent ages practicing it with Aik until declaring it her 'mum voice' when it started coming naturally "Sounds dangerous again...So long as you don't have to do anything...you know, too bad" She sighs quietly, she never could stop worrying all of them though she tries not to take over their lives and tell them not to do things "...Be careful"
That voice installs fear into all the ottery siblings. Probably one of the few things that Ella is properly afraid of. The younger otter pulls at her ear, like she does when she is slightly nervous, "I haven't done anything too bad yet... Mostly protect caravans and beasties as they walk the roads..." she nods a bit and smiles softly, "I will mum. I promise." she chuckles before scooting her butt near the water, and placing her footpaws back in, "And lets see... That's about it for me... since we last met. Not very exciting. But i like it. Im free to do what i want. What could be better then that?" she grins and starts to kick the water again, "So. Now. You have to tell me something. And i promise i wont snore"
Running into trouble as usual, just like her father. It scares Fira a bit, she can't imagine losing one of her kids, she can barely imagine losing Aik and yet it happened and she's living with that. She can't help be think he'd know what to do about everything or make it easier, even with the stuff she doesn't tell the rest. She aims a paw to clip Ella round the ears to make sure her daughter pays attention "You just better keep writing home this time" There's that uncomfortable question of what she's been up to again. Reading certainly, she's not quite willing to tell them what she's been trying to find though "Oh it's all old books in dead languages" she hesitates slightly, she doesn't like lying to them either but she's skim past the truth all the time "I had been considering a trip with an old friends for a while, treasure hunter sort. I translate things for him sometimes and might have found him something"
Ella does not see the paw coming. You would think she would have learned by now. But no, Fira has too much ninja speed in her paws as it clips Ellas ear, "Ow!" She reaches up to tug at it, "Alright! Alright... I will." she chuckles slightly reaching out to put some cold water on her ear with the earring on it. The one that used to belong to her father, "Hehee. You still got that... super speed thing going on... Couldn't see your paw coming a mile away." she grins before tilting her head, "Old books and dead languages!?" she grins wildly, "Oh fun!" she tries to not laugh at the boring, before continuing, "Ooo. A treasure huntery expedition? Glad you are still up on your paws..." It would be hard to see her mother as one of the old elders like they have at Redwall. Ella cant picture Fira in a dusty old robe, "What kind of treasure-y hunter-y thing-y?"
Fira is just an expert at ear clipping, it works for keeping her family in line "That's cause you still never pay attention for it" No one really expects it from Fira, most of the time she wouldn't hurt a fly. She's turning into a dusty old robe type, Aik and the others kept her from it, now he's gone and they've all moved away, it's just her and the books and she had to throw herself into something to stop thinking about Aik. She hesitates again, it's probably not a good thing to make it sound too exciting with Ella "Oh, some old civilisation that disappeared off of the maps. There's probably some fascinating history in the place. They were actually still using pictograms, the ruins should be an interesting insight into ancient beasts"
Ella sticks her tongue out at her mother, "I was paying attention. Just came at me like an arrow..." she fake grumbles before streching her own back, reaching to pull out another red biscuit, plopping a hunk in her month. She still has a tilted head as she listens, it was always a bit hard to tell if she was excited or not. But Ella really tries to listen to her mother. Though she wishes Venei was here, "Pictograms? That's the thing were... Their word are like. Pictures, right? Like a bird means something..." she asks. She knows a little bit. A bit of Fira and Venei rubbed off on her. If just a little bit, "Sounds fun. Who is this other beast?" she asks.
Fira forces a heavy sign, though it's in good nature, for her daughters lack of knowledge of ancient languages, she really is like her father "In some cases it's a little more literal. The bird may actually just be a bird and it may simply be a drawing showing people what the bird did" brief, yet endless, attempt at a lesson done she shakes her head "Handak, you don't know him. I think I scared him away when I moved from home and then told him about Aik, he doesn't like splitting up families. Still, I've been translating things for him for years..." she smiles faintly "Poor guy was wandering around lost up here after this rat pretended they could read old moss script then sold him a bunch of gibberish"
Ella crosses her eyes as she tries to explain what a pictogram is about the bird. She scratches her noggin, boy thats confusing. Silly old beasts drawing pictures of bird that may, or may not actually be a bird. She chuckles though. Ella knows she wasn't born with the biggest brain in the family. She is okay with that. Let Venei and Tagg have their brains. She is happy with ignorant bliss, "Handok?" She chuckles when she says about how she moved away, though that also causes her to raise an eyebrow at that. But will remain quiet for now. Must not jump to conclusions. Though she does laugh when she said he got lost after buying a knockoff, "Heehee. I bet it kept leading him to a river!" See. Moss. River. Nevermind, "So is this just like. A history thing. Or is there... Gold!?" she grins.
Fira doesn't see the conclusions to jump to but then she actually knows Handak and what's going on. She rolls her eyes skywards when Ella asks about gold, no one appreciates a good ruined civilisation "I'm interested for the history, if there weren't the chance of some treasure I don't think I'd be able to convince him either"
Ella looks a little sad, but then shrugs. Treasure is in the eye of the beholder. So she guesses that 'history' is the real treasure here. Which is good for some. But Ella could go for a few jewels, "So... You are saying that there MIGHT be some?" Her eyes slightly light up before coughing and chuckling, "Well. If you DO happen to fine some... LIKE... Maybe an emerald or two..." she makes the 'please-mommy-face' that she has practiced over the years. She then decided to throw the convo in a completely different direction, "I'm guessing haven't seen or heard from Tagg recently?"
Fira chuckles and shakes her head "Alright, I'll arrange a nice cut just for you" Maybe a few gifts for the others too. She shakes her head at the next question "I'd heard he was in the area, visiting Will and everyone. I was thinking of stopping by before I spotted you out here"
Ella grins and claps her paws, "Yes! Awesome." she then flattens her kilt, trying to be a proper lady. Which is an oxymoron in itself. "I mean. I would love it..." she chuckles before sighing, "Well. Don't bother going all the way to Ferravale. Nobody is there except Syla and a weasel... OH! Syla and rob had twins.. Apparently. But anyway Tagg and them are not there... I think they have gallivanting off somewhere. That's why i asked if you heard from him recently." She then goes to hug her legs.
Fira smirks at the younger otter's excitement, she'll definitely have to bring presents...all going well. She chuckles again "Just what we need, even more stoats. They're all off on another adventure then? None of you lot can ever stay still. You don't know where they went?"
Ella laughs, "That's what i said when i saw them. They are cute don't get me wrong. But at this rate, we are gonna have more stoats the beasts!" she chuckles, "Aye. Syla said they were off to Panov... It was that village that you guys went too on the coast while you were preggers with us..." she chuckles before cleaning her throat, "Ahem... Well. After that they are off to Kentars old homeland to do something about... How he was left some stuff..." she shrugs, "I don't quite remember..."
Fira looks a little surprised and slightly worried "They're going back there?...That seems far more trouble than it's worth" she shakes her head, trying not to worry after all the trouble they've been to over the years "I suppose Kentar will have a reason for it"
Ella nods slowly, "I think Kentar was left something in a will. And they had to get it by a certain time..." she shrugs a bit, "It will be alright I'm sure. Tagger is with them. The walking armored wall..." she chuckles, "If anybeast can get past him. Then there must be something deeper then just what was left in a will..." she chuckles and then crosses her eyes again, "I hope nothing like THAT happens..." she snorts before going to lay down... before immatiadly sitting back up, "OH! Speaking of Tagger. Do i have some gossip for you..."
Fira shakes her head at the lot "I guess I'll just have to catch up with them all when they get back. It's not quite as far from Redwall as I was fearing" she raises a brow at the mention of Tagg again "Oh for the days when you were all too young for gossiping. What's he done?"
Ella rubs her paws, as this is pretty juicy stuff, "Well. I heard from my old friend Dina. You remember Dina right? Taggs old girlfriend when he was in the guard program, and then they broke up when she punched him..." she shakes her head, as that's not what the gossip is about. Just had to catch up her mother in case she forgot, "Well. I head from Dina, that Tagg has a new girlfriend. A lass called Garolyn... And you will never believe it... But according to Dina... Garolyn is a ferret..." she fakes gasps.
Fira snorts and nods "I remember having to speak to the Skipper about it afterwards" She always tried to keep them from getting into too much trouble. She tilts her head "A ferret?" For a moment she's not sure she lip read that right but it was clearly ferret "...I guess in this family it shouldn't be so unexpected. It's a wonder it hasn't happened before"
Ella chuckles as Tagger was bleeding a lot that day. Almost knocked his jaw out of place and broke a tooth. It was not pleasant. She then nods at the next part, "Aye... A ferret. I couldn't believe it either..." she then nods and chuckles, "Aye. That is true. I haven't met her. So i cant really tell. But i guess in this family it was to be expected at some point. I just hope Tagg knows what he is getting into..." she sighs and chuckles, "So i guess you are gonna head back to Redwall after this? I can follow you, heading back to camp myself. See what VeeVee is up too."
Fira was not happy that day, it scared her half to death, she tries not to think about it really "We were just lucky to find those of our own species I suppose, otherwise perhaps it would have already happened. I'll just have to rely on you girls for the grandkids" she smirks, expecting a response from Ella before she carries on again "Well if they've all gone walk abouts who knows where I suppose I may as well get back to my books. It's a shame, I could have done with the break"
Ella chuckles then turns slightly red at that, tugging at her ear again, "Oh come off it. I'm no where near grandkid status yet..." She eyes her mother before chuckling, "Me and Row only just started dating... Havent even... THOUGHT about stuff like that..." she grumbles going to put back on her boots, getting ready to head off, "Heh. Well. I will keep you informed of their return... Whenever that may be..." she chuckles, "And of course, you can always stay with Vee. She would love the company, and you guys can talk about picture bird graphy things all the live long day!" She laughs.
Fira moves stiffly as she gets off the edge of the bridge and straightens up, giving time for Ella to get all her things together "So it's Row now is it? Which one was he?" it's hard to keep up with the younger generation after a while "Oh I think Vee's busy teaching others to read and write, she doesn't need me on her doorstep talking about dead civilisations" it's a little subtle usually but Fira's definitely become more distant from everyone since Aik passed away, she never really got over that.
Ella chuckles as she places her rather large looking battle axe on her back, where there is a little hook that holds it up. She just holds her bag in her paws, "Yeah. Rowan. Actually. He is not a camp otter. I met him... Actually right outside of Ferravale. Don't worry. He is an otter." she laughs a bit before checking her surroundings. Make sure she didn't leave anything, "Heh. I guess that's true... Gasp! Now it makes since why Vee doesn't let me attend her classes. I would just bother the crap out of her, all the time! She would never get anything done..." she then puts on an evil face, "Mahahah! The plan is all coming together..." she grins, "Well. It was always nice seeing you again mum. Make sure to get out those dusty books once in awhile..." she then nods quickly, "And! I will send you more letters. I promise!"
Fira starts off on her slow walk back south to the abbey with a small smile, at least she found one of the kids to check in on and Ella does seem to be doing alright "Well bring him by when you want me to scare the whiskers off of him" and probably embarrass Ella in the process. Her paw shoots out again and stops right by Ella's ear, not clipping it this time but for a moment it looked like she was going to "You better keep that promise" She gives it a few weeks before Ella gets distracted and forgets but that's better than nothing.
Ella chuckles, "Oh. I well. Though it will when were a little more serious. Don't want him running off already!" she chuckles before she tries to duck out of the way of the clip, once again. She didn't see it coming. She blinks a bit before she chuckles, "Heh... I promise! I promise!" she then grabs her mother and gives her another hug, "Goodbye mum... Ill see you later" She holds onto her for a few seconds before smiling and heading off toward the north.
Fira returns the hug and hangs around long enough to watch Ella go again, giving her a little wave on the way "Take care of yourself Ella" She sighs a little, content until she starts worrying about other things. She's always worrying but she's got the whole trip back to work on that.
