Dibbun Games

Characters: William/Orph, Abbot Nic, Kentar, Shan, Darcy, Sorrel, Barto, Rhubarb and Soclose

Locations: Redwall Abbey: Great Hall and Main Gates

RW Abbey: Great Hall

Kentar yelps in a high pitched voice, slamming down on the ground as the bread hits his face. "owie" he frowns, rubbing his snout, not realizing he fell onto the ground.

Orph has rolled up the scroll with the map on it and put the paper he'd been writing on in his pack with he put back on over his head, "I don't know about other rats since I've never seen but two beside myself before, but from what I've been told I doubt I'm anythin' like them." The rat starts to open his mouth to say more when the stoat and blind squirrel come in. "Um hello," more strangers. Very strange since he's never seen a stoat or weasel for that matter before. He watches Kentar curiously until the bread hits him and he turns his attention back to Sorrel, "Ya don't like no beast do ya."

Sorrel, seeing no other objects to chuck, quickly disappears through the nearest door, without bothering even to answer Orph. She barrels through the kitchen door, head ducked, ears down, and is no more in the Great Hall.

Kentar is quite glad the bread wasn't hard, still rubbing his snout some before he opens his eyes and peers around. "Me norra like gettin' attacks" he says as he slowly gets up.

Shan swivels her head around wildly, trying to figure out WHAT exactly is going on. After a moment, she says, "Um...what just happened?"

Orph says, "Some hare hit that um whatever he is with a loaf of bread cause she's mean or somethin. I'm not sure, but she left now."

Shan nods slowly, still a little confused. Finally, she finds her way to a chair and sits down. "So...what's your name? I'm Shan."

Kentar frowns and plops himself in a chair near the fire, looking at Orph. "You norra throw stuffs at dis ztoat, is yah?" he asks, tilting his head.

Orph says, "I'm William," he says to the squirrel then turning to the Kentar he says, "Well yurr th first ztoat I've ever seen, but iffen yurr nice t me an th beasts here I shouldn't have reason t thrown nothin at ya. Though /iffen/ ya hurt th beasts here namely th ones /I like/ my dagger'll be havin words with your hide outside th Abbey. Understand?"

Kentar blinks at the threat, frowning. "Pfft. Oi just be sittin' 'ear, mindin' me own business, an' poor kenny get's thretant" he frowns. "Me norra loiks bein threatant" he nods quickly. "Me norra 'urt anybeasters beforez."

Shan says to this strange William, "Nice to meet you, but, um...don't you think you should be a little nicer to him? I mean, you don't even know him."

Orph nods, "Alroight. Just see thet ya keep on like thet then. Just that th Abbeybeasts let anybeast in so one can't be too careful is all. Sorry. Tthet hare got me out of sorts sayin things she shouldn't 'ave ... I don't like when beast say bad about beasts I like is all."

Kentar tilts his head. "Oi...Ven did oi zay anythin' bout beazters ye loiks, hrm?"

Orph goes to put the map back in the library, he soon returns though and sits down on the floor to reorganize his pack. "I said sorry, an I'd only fight ya iffen I had a reason to anyhow so unless ya /want/ me mad at ya talk about /somethin else/ alroight," the ratling's still on edge from his talk with Sorrel and he hasn't had a chance to calm down yet.

Kentar nods and frowns a bit. "Zorry" he says quietly before looking to the fire and shifting in his seat some.

Orph sighs as he rolls a few 'marbles' around on the floor. Actually they're just roundish pebbles, but they work well enough. "Not yurr fault ... jus I need t keep moi temper is all ... it's hard sometimes ... Hand me a candle would ya, there on th table. Don't think I caught yurr name, what is it again?"

Kentar nods and looks around for the candle, taking it and handing it over slowly. "Oi knows tis 'ard wid da temper" he nods before smiling. "Oi'm Kentar" he smiles.

Orph takes the candle, "Thanks Kentar. It'd take too long t go all th way t th kiln an this works just as good." he begins to carve the candle with his claws, slowly scraping bits of wax off, feeling the shape of the figure hidden within it.

Kentar nods and tilts his head as you carve. "Whadd'ya doin'?" he asks curiously.

Orph asks, "Mmm? Jus workin ... it helps when I'm mad ... see there's a don't know what ya'd call it a thing in here an I work on it an what's in there comes out ... hard t explain it, but it helps."

Kentar oohs and nods a few times, smiling. "ohh...well. Is you good ad' it?" he asks, tilting his head the other way. "Oi be thinkin' ye'd be, iffen yous do itz 'a lot" he nods.

Orph asks, "See that clay squirrel on th table? I made that for th Abbot Nic when I first came here it's not very good though, I can do better then that now. I guess I'm good at it lot of th adults say I am, so maybe I am. I don't know." Usually the ratling is silent when working but for once he seems able to talk and carve at the same time. The candle takes shape under the rat's claws slowly taking on the form of a beast though what sort is hard to tell at this point."

Kentar nods slowly and looks over, wowing, slowly standing up and going over to the abbot figure. "Whats an abbot?" the stoat asks, examining the figure closely, smiling some. "Diz iz verra good" he nods.

Nicodemus steps in from the entry.

Nicodemus enters the hall and nods to the tapestry.

Orph says, "I don't know for sure. I asked Miz Layne and she ... um he is ..." he points at Nic."

Nicodemus says, "Merry meet, everybeast."

Kentar looks over at the entering Squirrel. "He bein' abbot?" he asks, tilting his head one way. "Lookz loiks a squirrel ta meh" he tilts his head the other way slowly.

Orph smiles up at the squirrel from the candle he's carving, "Hi Nic. This is Kentar an he wanted t know what a Abbot is." He turns to the stoat, "Yes he is a squirrel but he's the Abbot too."

Nicodemus nods to William.

Nicodemus turns to the stoat. "I'm Nicodemus, Abbot here."

Kentar slowly wanders over to the abbot and walks around him, thinking. "Watz an' abbott?"

Nicodemus says, "An Abbot is the title for one who runs this order."

Orph finishes carving the candle and sets it on the table. A miniature wax Kentar now faces the clay Abbot on the table.

Kentar oohs and nods. "Oh...Watz diz' ordah?" he asks, not noticing the finished carving yet.

Nicodemus takes his seat by the fire. "Look around you, lad. What you see is the effect of what the order is."

Orph says, "That's what all the beast in th green habits are in. An habits are big green robes orderbeast have t wear. That right Nic?"

Nicodemus nods. "Aye, lad. That's close enough for me."

Kentar oohs and nodnods. "an' watz da orderz for?" he asks again, looking around the room.

Orph shrugs, "There supposed t be good beast. And that," he points to the tapestry, 'is Martin the warrior of Redwall. He's dead now, but he was a great warrior long long time ago and his ghost protects the Abbey."

Nicodemus looks at the rat and smiles.

Nicodemus asks, "So, Will, how's your pa doing?"

Kentar looks around and plops himself close to the fire, looking between the squirrel and the rat quietly.

Nicodemus looks to the stoat. "Soon, the fire will be over-warm. But, surrounded by stone, it's still cool enough to find comfortable."

Orph shrugs, "I don't know. He was fine last I saw him ... we took Zen home t his house cause he want t get some things from there an a pack of tree- er bad beasts attacked us, but we won and they left and went away. Pa an Zen are fine."

Nicodemus blinks. "Lad, you've got a great future as a recorder. That's about as concise a report as I've heard in days."

Kentar huhs and looks around to the fire, shrugging a bit before moving away from the fire, tilting his head between the two again. "Oi loikz diz' place" he nods once as he sort of talks to himself.

Nicodemus nods to the stoat. "Then be welcome and comfortable."

Kentar smiles widely and nods. "Thankie zurr!" he smiles, slowly standing up and going to try to give the squirrel a hug.

Orph looks confused, "Uh ok, but if it's th same t you I'd rather work with the kiln like I have been instead." He looks over at Kentar, "It's nice here, but they do let anybeast in so ya still got be careful," he glances back at Nic not sure what the Abbot will think of that advice, "It's true."

Nicodemus asks, "You mean still allow anybeast? Of course we do. Otherwise, will, we might have an issue with, say, rats."

Nicodemus hehs. "Or we'd have to ask Flicky and Sharpclaws to leave to avoid foxes.

Kentar sits back down, this time in a chair, looking quite happy to be not forced out.

Nicodemus pulls his footpaws up onto seat so he's resting his arms on his knees. "It's a lot easier to allow everybeast ... and deal with the occasional bad one."

Orph huffs, "That's /not/ what I meant, Nic. Th Abbey lets good beasts in and bad ones too."

Nicodemus chuckles.

Nicodemus says, "Aye; it's a shame we do get the bad ones as well. But, it would be more of a shame to push away the good ones."

Darcy heads down from the steps and toward the fire, tying a new bandage around her hand as she glances around. "Nic! Good to see you again."

Nicodemus looks up at the hare. "Merry meet, lass. I wondered whatever became of your wager, but since I heard no howling from anybeast, I figured it must have worked out."

Orph asks, "Occasional?" he shakes his head, "... Nic there a reason nearly all th hares I've met here don't like me? A good reason?"

Nicodemus asks, "Do you have that problem from hares in the Order, Will?"

Kentar looks up to the entering hare, frowning some. "Diz 'are ain't gonna toss norra bread atta meh, iz she?" he asks, a little on guard around the hare.

Nicodemus looks at the stoat, "Is she going to throw bread at you? I hope not; though ... I suppose it's far from impossible."

Darcy gives the Abbot a grin. "Bradge won. Of /course/ he did. But I still owe him his pie... And an osprey /his/ pie, too. Uh." She looks between Orph and Kentar. "I neither dislike nor am going to chuck bread at either of you. Not without good reason anyway."

Nicodemus laughs! "Yes, far from impossible."

Kentar nods somewhat. "otta' 'are tossed bread atta meh for norra reason wen' oi cames in" he nods before settling in his chair.

Orph says, "Don't know, but she one th few nice actin ones so might not. Doubt any of em was in th order except for Harper an he wasn't mean t me though I /still/ say him an Darcy shouldn't have stole that kitten."

Nicodemus shakes his head, trying to get all the pieces floating around to land in the right place.

Darcy keeps on grinning. "What can I say, Nic, I'm an impossible sort. Or would that be un-impossible..." She glances at Orph again. "Is this still a topic of discussion? I mean really."

Nicodemus says, "Ah, Will ... some beasts outside the Order have different views, and we can't stop that."

Kentar tilts his head some. "Zummun stole zummkiddy?" he asks, looking over, hearing not all of what was just said.

Nicodemus leans back in his chair. "And when no answers seem good it's easy to choose one that seems a lot less good in hind-sight, lad. Be not quick to judge."

Darcy plops herself in a chair with a shrug, still working on that bandage. "I don't see how it matters one way or another. Crow's back with his mum and has been, for a while now."

Nicodemus looks at the hare. "You might find the concern greater were you of an age where you were subject to being taken."

Kentar hrms and shrugs to himself, looking back to the fire and stretching in his chair.

Nicodemus says, "But, the issue was indeed resolved."

Nicodemus turns back to the stoat, "I must have missed your name, lad."

"Well I'm of the /size/ to be taken," is Darcy's smirking comment, and she shrugs. "So I hear things've been boring while I've been away."

Nicodemus says, "Quiet ... I'd take that over exciting."

Nicodemus raises from his chair.

Nicodemus says, "And the list of tasks grows longer instead of smaller as we move into the summer."

Nicodemus says, "I bid you all a Merry Part. Don't throw bread without cause."

"Eh, well. I prefer excitement over quiet," Darcy mutters, leaning back and kicking up a foot on another chair. "Have a good evening, Nic."

Kentar watches the abbot quietly and gives a wave, smiling a bit at the bread bit.

Nicodemus bows to the tapestry and departs without interfering with the various tasks being done about the hall.

Kentar tilts his head at the bow to the tapestry, looking to Darcy a few moments later. "Why doz' 'ee bows ta dah cloth?" he asks

Darcy makes a gesture at the tapestry. "That's Martin the Warrior, founder and protector of Redwall. He bows out of respect."

Kentar oohs and nodnods. "Ohh...okie...zounds loiks 'ee were a gud'warriorz" he nods.

Kentar smiles and looks back over. "Oi'm Kentar, yepyep" he smiles.

"Yeah, well. That's what they say anyway." Darcy tilts her head a little as she looks at Kentar. "I'm Darcy. Nice to meet you, then."

Kentar nods and chuckles a bit, smiling. "Nize ta meetch'ya tah"

Orph chews his lip as he takes in this new info. "It's good th kitten's with his Ma, but still wasn't very good t take him ... don't think too much has happened since you were gone ... um Pa that is Aikuen got in a fight with some vermin hare who said he was from th long patrol, but Harper's gonna ask around and write t th mountian t make sure that Craven does get away with doin things like that an he patched Aikuen up afterwards. An a hare name of Dareius came here lookin for his brother Tameus I think he said an he got t talkin with Harper an they went off somewhere so if a lame hare comes up t ya that's likely Dareius, imagine he'd want t ask ya about how his brother is an stuff. An Miz Martha an I fished Bucky out th pond an he's doin' fine now otherwise nothing's been going on."

Darcy cocks her brows up at Orph, quiet for a moment. "Uh-huh..." She tucks in the loose end of her bandage. "I've met Dareius, Tameus is Harper's son, and... you are the most impressive monologuer I've ever met."

Kentar goes quiet and lets the two speak, though does hum a tune to himself quietly.

Orph huffs a bit, but keeps quiet for the moment.

Kentar yawns. "Ow, thin's zure gotta quiets" he nods

Orph lays on the floor propping himself up on one arm and plays with the pebbles he'd left there, pushing them around absentmindedly.

Kentar eyes the rat for a moment. "Watz yas doin'?" he asks

Orph rolls a roundish pebble across the floor from one paw to the other, "Nothin," he rolls a pebble to the stoat, "Ya know how t play marbles?"

Kentar takes the pebble and looks it over, shaking his head, slowly standing and walking over. "No" he says.

Orph says, "I'll show ya," he digs around in his pack and pulls out a piece of chalk, "first you draw a circle like this," he draws a circle on the floor with the chalk before putting it away, "then you put the marbles in the circle and remember which ones are yours and we take turns trying to hit the others marbles out of the circle like this." he sets the roundish pebbles in the circle and taking one in his paw flicks it out aiming at another pebble and hits it moving it slightly. "See that how you play. "He puts the marble he just used back where they were before he'd moved them. "Ok there brown ones and grey ones and greenish ones and some redish ones. You can pick two colors to use and I'll use the other two ok.""

Kentar hrms a bit and plops himself down, watching as you draw the circle and show what to do. "Okie" he replies quietly, pointing to the redish ones, smiling. "'Dem un's?" he asks, sort of hoping their not already taken by someone else.

Orph asks, "You want th red ones? Ok and what other color or you just want the red ones?"

Kentar ums and hrms. "justa reddy'uns" he nods.

Orph nods and puts the brown and grey pebbles back in his pack so they'll have the same number of 'marbles'. "Ok. I'm gonna use the green ones then. We each take turns trying to hit each other's marbles out of the circle the first to get all of the other's marbles out wins."

Kentar ohs and nodnods. "Uhuh, okie" he smiles, looking over the pebbles some more. "Whoa go firsta" he asks, tilting his head.

Orph says, "Um ... You can."

Kentar nods and smiles, getting down low to the ground as best as he can, aiming a 'marble' at one of the other color in the middle of the circle, closing one eye, and sticking his tongue out somewhat before flicking it at it.

The red 'marble' hits the green one knocking it back a ways but not quite out of the circle, though the one behind it does go out of the circle. "My turn," Willims grins taking the struck 'marble', that's still in the circle, in his paw and flicking it out towards one of the red ones on the left.

Kentar watches as his red marble gets flicked out of the circle, the stoat frowning some as it rolls out. "Youa good" he nods.

Orph shrugs, "I taught my friend Zen how t play a while ago. The more ya do somethin the better at it ya get.

Kentar nods some and moves the red pebble aside, thinking its out of the game. "Righta...oo's tur' now?"

Kentar is currently on the floor on one end of a circle with pebbles in the middle of it, with orph, playing a game of somekind.

A large ruckus can be heard coming from the kitchen. Barely audible, you can make out a tiny giggle that gradually gets louder until finally a scrawny hare dibbun comes bounding into the room! With a large smirk on his face and both paws squishing to strawberry tarts, he dashes on the other side of Great Hall and ducks under a table. Faint shouts can be heard from the kitchen... the runt covers his mouth to stifle a laugh. He sits quiet for a bit... waiting for the search party to give up. The dibbun's gaze finally lands on the stoat and the rat hunched over a game. The hare raises a curious eyebrow but dares not to move... not yet.

Kentar's ear twitches as he hears the yelling, the stoat looking up from the game to smile a bit and chuckle, saying nothing though. After a moment he goes back to his pebbles, looking at them as if they were gold or something.

Barto stuffs his face with a tart and nibbles on it thoughtfully as he watches Kentar at his game. After the search party has gone back to the kitchen, he finally saunters over to the pair of marble players. "Ay-o! there? Wot are you doing mista?" he squeaks.

Kentar hrms and jumps a bit at the voice, the stoat turning towards the dibbun and smiling. "Wea playin' a game wid' dese' pebbles" he nods.

Still chomping on his tart, the dibbun watches the game intently. "'n wots 'a game called?" He sniffles and quickly rubs his nose with the back of his paw. "Looks like no game t' me! All pebbl's is good for is skipping in 'a pond. Or shootin' at 'a windows!" The hare grins from ear to ear.

Orph says, "Um I think it's your turn Kentar and that last red one wasn't out, but you can do it however ya like I guess." The ratling's ear swivel around before he raises his head to see the hare dibbun duck under th table. "Hello there. I'm teachin Kentar here how t play marbles. It's fun. Skippin rocks is fun too, though iffen ya go about hitting th window round ere I kin think of lot a beasts thet would take a belt t ya for it or make ya wash all th dishes."

Kentar chuckles and smiles, ohing. "Oha...oi taught' it weres ovah da' line" he points but shrugs, taking his turn, aiming the marble and closing his eyes this time, shooting blind into the crowd of pebbles in the middle.

Rhubarb shuffles in from the outside rather quickly. He takes a quick glance about while breathing a sigh of relief. His eyes meet the stoat, the rat, and he stops quick. He mutters under his breath, "Well I wasn't expectin' to see that... I suppose things do change after all..." He walks around great hall looking for a familiar face.

Barto frowns at Orphs remark, "I've al-w-eddy told 'em I'm not doing a' stinky dishes!!! An' they can never catch me from a' kitchen anyways!" He grabs his suspender strabs and throws his head back defiantly. He doesn't take notice of Rhubarb entering, not yet anyways.

The red pebble goes wild as it hits the middle of the group scattering the marbles around the circle and causeing three of the marbles to go out of the circle. One red and two greens. "Don't matter ya can keep it out or put it back in whichever ya wan- woah careful there yurr gonna hit sombeast!" The younger dibbun cries out as the pebbles are scattered about. "Ok. L'see you got three still in if yurr putting the one you took out back in and I ... hey how'd that happen? I only got two now? Well, looks like your wining." The rat grins taking aim with one of his remaining 'marbles'.

Kentar opens his eyes after the marbles went everywhere, the stoat giving a small wave to Rhubarb but focusing more on the game. "Oi's winnin?" he looks it over and smiles widely.

Orph says, "Well you might iffen ya look where yurr shootin your 'marbles' at. Ya need t keep yurr eyes /open/ ok? Closein one is fine but ya can't close em /both/."

Rhubarb stops quickly after hearing the marbles make an awful clatter. Turning his attention back to the marble game and deciding on giving up on looking for a familiar face, the squirrel pulls up a chair next to the small group and smiles at them, "Hello all! How are you chaps doing?" He then looks to Bartho and smiles, "Hi matey!"

Kentar nods slowly. "okie, onlya closa one-eye" he nodnods

Barto jumps, slightly startled after the marbles go flying about. He looks back at the game and claps his hands, quite entertained, "Oh boy' Hahaha! Do-s it again!!!" He looks up at the squirrel as he pulls up a chair and waves, "Hello mista'"

Orph nods at the squirrel,"Hello Kentar an I are playin marbles/" He gives the hare a stern look for his comment before focusing again on the game.

Kentar looks to the hare and smiles some before to the squirrel. "Isa good, yepyep" he nods, before paying attention to the game again.

Rhubarb chuckles to himself. "Well when I was but a wee dibbun. About your size..." he directs his gaze to Bartho, smiling ruefully. "I was considered one of the best marble champions in the abbey... but that was quite a while ago..."

Not pleased, the little dibbun stares daggers at the squirrel, "Hey mista'! I'm not likkle! And if you ask Abbot Nic he'll tells ya I'm gunna be the abbey warrior some day!" The little hare huffs and crosses his arms about his chest before looking back at the game.

Orph's eyes glance at the hare then over at the tapestry then back to the hare before lower again toward the marble game. The rat keeps his mouth shut though from the look on his face he's a bit sceptical of the hare's claim.

Kentar hrms and looks up to orph, tilting his head a bit. "Ainna youra turn?" he asks.

"Oh yeah." He picks up a green pebble and aim for one of the red ones flicking the green on out hard hoping to knock the red pebble out of the circle.

Rhubarb laughs at the little rogue. He sees the dibbun's wooden sword and he only laughs harder, "Well! I do believe you are right! Now that you mention it... you do have the makes of a warrior!" The squirrel glances back at the game.

Barto gives Rhubarb a large smile after hearing the compliment. The last thing he needed to do was inflate this little tyrant's ego, "Iss ok mista. Whenevva' you gets old n' needs' to be takin' cares of, I'll make shure the abbey is safe." The hare looks back to the game, "Don't hits the red ones! Iss my fav'rite color!" he yelps loudly.

Orph says, "Hear that Kentar, even th Abbey warior t be wants ya t win."

Kentar watches as the green pebble knocks the red one clear out of the circle. "Awwww"

Kentar eyes the two green and gets down very very low to the floor, taking his pebble and aiming very, very carefully at one of the green pebbles, shooting his along the ground quickly at it, hoping to knock it out of the circle.

Rhubarb shakes his head, "Tsk tsk, little warrior... this might not be so good..." He clams up as Kentar lines the shot.

Barto looks somewhat upset that a red marble got knocked out. The little dibbun just notices that he still has almost a whole tart left in his paw... most of the treat now all over his clothes. He starts to munch, rather loudly and rude-like.

The red pebble is hits the green pebble and it rolls just outside the circle. "My turn again," the rat smiles taking his remaining pebble aiming for the lone red pebble.

Rhubarb exclaims, "This is getting rather exciting! Maybe I should have put a bet down on green! Won me some of those strawberry tarts from the kitchen!"

Kentar eyes it and holds his breath, gulping as he closes his eyes, unable to watch.

Barto watches intently as he chews the tart... munching quieter and quieter as the room gets more silent...

The green 'marble' hits the red one hard forcing it out of the circle, but it hit with too much force and both marbles roll out of the circle too fast to see which was first.

Kentar watches and tilts his head. "witch'un wen' out virst?" he asks.

Orph says, "I don't know. I think mine hit yours so maybe the red one, but couldn't tell," the ratling turns to the other two, "Any idea which one when out first?"

Barto is quiet, his eyes darting between the other beasts as he gulps down his last bit of tart.

Rhubarb puts a paw to his chin, "Well well... this is an odd circumstance indeed. In all my years of marble playing in the abbey I haven't ever seen this happen before." After a pause of thought he starts to speak, "Well this could only be settled one way... no... wait..."

Barto pipes up, "It was a' green one that wents out, I saw-r it!"

Kentar watches them for a moment. "Vee' could' seddle dis by 'avn a sparin' match, yepyep" he grins

Barto squeaks, "But it was 'a green un!" He runs over to where the green 'marble' is and stoops down to inspect it, not far from the red marble.

Orph shrugs he was jus playing out of boredom and didn't care much who won, but a sparing match sounded good. He grins at Kentar, "We could, but we'd have t do it outside cause that sort of thing isn't allow in th Abbey. If ya want t we'll need some rules for it an then stop by th gate house of course."

Kentar shrugs, and smiles. "Me norra care 'oo von, nopenope" he says. "Justa wanna 'ave fun, yepyep"

Rhubarb nods, "Well it can all be settled that-a-way to, chaps. I'm sure its all in good fun." He glances over to the dibbun hare inspecting the marbles, not sure if he could fully trust the little menace.

Orph nods, "I'll be for fun but if we need t agree t fight fair. Wot ya planin on usin?"

Kentar shrugs some and grins. "Me norra wanna killya, so me be usin' me paws, yepyep" he nods.

Orph nods. It makes sense seeing that the stoat is older and larger than he is. "Well in that case it'd only be fair for me t do th same, but we still should do it outside so we don't get in trouble for it."

Kentar nodnods and stands up, smiling before looking to the other two. "Yousa gonna comma watch?" he asks, smiling.

Barto perks his ears upon hearing about a fight, "Oooo, we gunna sees a' fight?" He gathers up the marbles outside the circle and puts them back inside of it.

Rhubarb nods to Kentar, "Well I suppose I should. Every gentlemanly duel of this sort needs a referee to make sure no one gets hurt of course!" The squirrel gets to his feet and adjusts his beret upon his brow.

Kentar grins and nodnods before smiling, heading outside. "Me gonna go easy on ya, yepyep" he smiles before heading out

Orph stands up and heads for the entry, "You fought much Kentar?" he asks conversationally as he walks out.

RW Abbey: Main Gate

Rhubarb hustles in panting, "Wait f'r me u guys!"

Orph nods. "That's good t know. I'm sure th Abbey'd welcome more guards iffen yurr stayin round ere. Abbey's nice, but not for everyone. We're waitin."

Kentar nods and smiles. "Yepyep" he nods before grinning at Rhubarb. "Youa hurra, slowa squirrel!" he laughs

Barto giggles at Rhubarb! "Hahaha! the squiggle makes a' funny faces!" He mimics the puffed out cheeks then bursts into more laughter.

Orph cocks his head at the hare, "What was your name again, Cheek maybe?" he teases.

Rhubarb stares daggers at Barto, while stopping over paws on knees. "Why, you little menace... *huff* I'm in the right mind to tell the Abbot how you behave! You wouldn't see the outside of that scullery for a week!" He finally catches his breath and looks to the two contenders.

Kentar looks to the hare and smiles. "Me lika dis'un, yep" he smiles at the hare dibbun. "Youa funna!"

Barto looks to Orph and stifles his laughter, "No sirrah! My name 's Barth-ar-a-mew! But ev'rybody calls m' Bah-to!" He puffs his chest out, putting on airs to convince the beasts of his importance.

Orph had taken his buckler off, put it in his satchel and left in at the gate house where his dagger is. He faces the stoat unarmed stretching his arms and legs. "I guess so. Maybe Ol' Bartharamew'll here 'll find Martin's sword, if they haven't already, seein as he's gonna be the warior of Redwall an all or so I hear."

Soclose lands upon the edge of one of the battlements. The osprey puffs his feathers a bit and preens them down, his orange eyes looking down at the scene below.

Barto casts his gaze towards Orph, "Yesirrah! I'll use 'et sword t' fight off all 'a bad varmints!" The little hare unsheaths his wooden sword from his suspenders and holds it above his head to prove his point. Looking at the blades tip he speaks. "All 'a bad beasts will... be ..... 'fraids... EEK!" At this point the hare spots the large bird on the battlement and trots back to the safety of the gate.

Rhubarb watches the little hare make his speech, trying his best not to laugh. He quickly gazes up to see what had spooked the little one and sees the osprey. "well my my, I haven't seen one of them in quite a long time!"

Kentar hrms and looks up to see the osprey, the stoat giving out a rather loud sqeak, diving behind Rhubarb, never having liked big birds and such.

"Ahoy down there!" Soclose calls out clearly, "This is a battle..." His eyes fix upon the wooden sword and with a mutter he continues, "--or something?" He hunches his shoulders and calls down, "Oh, don't stop stop the play, I am only looking for two hares!"

Not sure of what to do, the hare quickly stashes his sword behind his back... hoping the osprey wouldn't notice. He gulps at the mention of 'two hares'. Trying to fight off the shakes-- he stammers, "P-r-eeze mista big burd... you ar'nt gunna eats me arr ya? I nev'a sees a' real-ry big burd befor'!"

Rhubarb moves his paw to adjust the beret slipping from his brow as he looks up. "Blasted thing!" Immediately getting back at hand, he speaks up. "Ah! Bartho! He isn't gonna hurt you! I'm sure he already ate earlier, and scrawny hare ain't on the menu!" The squirrel starts to walk towards the dibbun. He looks over to Kentar, "And not you too! We can't have a decent duel if ya go running about all willy-nilly hiding behind dibbuns!"

Orph braces himself upon seeing the raptor, but seeing the other dibbuns are the only beasts alarmed it's less likely the bird is a threat, "Hello up there, the hares ya lookin for got names?"

Kentar slowly stands but makes sure to stay behind Rhubarb. "Me norra likie bigga birds, nope"

"Wh--wo-ho-well!" Soclose chortles down to the little hare, "You'd have to grow some fins first before I'd put my beak to you!" His talons flex and tap at the stoneworks, "But you are a bit gawpy and fidgety--I could wait, I would wait, to see what follows!" His eyes look over towards Orph and the bird rasps, "One is no so large, and is ran-away, the other is larger and wears green robes like everyone else here does. I did not get names of either."

Barto looks over both his shoulders, left first then right. "I don' see any fins!" Happy to hear that he isn't one of the hares Soclose is lookin' for, he dares to walk out from the safety of the gate back into the open. "Bruvva Harp-a does wear'a green habit." He looks up to the osprey, "I 'aven't seen em today sirrah! 'e was trying to get me to warsh dishes inna scul'ry!"

Orph nod a bit, but wishes the hare had kept quiet til they knew what the osprey wanted with Harper and the other hare first.

"Ah-hee, a Harper and a Darcy." Soclose muses. Calling down again he responds to Orph, "What do I wan't?" Soclose croons, "I only seek assurances..." He takes a few paces at the top of the battlement and continues, "I am sure they both will be happy, and happy to know that I have survived the night in comfort! And also other-business-we-should-talk-about. We will be great friends until then, I think!"

Orph says, "Well like Barto said th only hare round here in green is Harper an the other /could be/ his missus, Darcy, but I've met two others that also met the description ya gave so ya have t ask Harper who th other was t be sure ya got th right hare."

Rhubarb outwardly looks uncomfortable after hearing the little dibbun's innocent confession. "Uh... may I inquire what kind of business do you have? Maybe we could help you out? And I'm not quite sure if its Darcy that you're looking for, we have quite a few hares that live here."

Soclose's eyes look between Orph and Rhubarb and the osprey snaps his beak deviously. Saying sing-song he calls down, "I am sure to know the one is to know the other! Bad form to play one false, do-you-know?" He ruffles his feathers and mutters, "Do not think me unfriendly, unkind, or worse than both, but my business is not the sort you shout from the sky."

Barto is quiet, not sure what to say. He inches his way back to the safety of the gate while the other beasts converse.

Orph says, "Wasn't trying to just have met lot of hare round here and you weren't very clear on your description of the one, but if you'd rather wait for Brother Harper when he comes around again that's your business. Was only tryin t be helpful. Sorry if that wasn't clear."

Rhubarb stares blankly in deep thought for a while. Finally, he looks back to the osprey, "Well if we were to see these hares that you speak of. What would you want us to tell them? Do you have a place where we can find you?"

Orph considers his part of this conversation over and goes back to stretching and practicing jabs and kicks while waiting for Kentar to be ready for their sparing match.

Kentar has actually ran inside a little while back to hide from the osprey.

Soclose bobs his head and paces, "I can not wait all day, not on this wall." He scratches the side of his head with one talon and then straightens up. "I have been invited to sit on the roof," he calls out, "so there I will be thinking of the seas and my rewards, until I find them, or they find me!."

Orph ignores the osprey, but notices Kentar's left. "Oh. Guess no reason t be out here now is there ... Hm back to th Abbey or ..."

Barto looks at Orph and nods his head, "Yah, I wanna go back to 'a Abbey too!" The little hare looks back towards Great Hall, then in the direction of the other beasts.

"Your show is over? Unfortunate!" Soclose croons, "I am sure it would have been entertaining."

Orph agrees with Soclose but doesn't say so. "So you two goin back t th Abbey I take it?"

Rhubarb shrugs his soldiers at the situation, "Well so much for me playing referee. But I need to be heading back to the abbey myself. I also have business that I need to attend to!" The squirrel looks at Bartho and motions towards the abbey as if to say 'go on! lets go!'

"It is late, guess I'd best be headin home," the ratling heads off down the road and into the woods silent as a shadow.

Soclose's eyes look between Rhubarb and Bartho, then glances over to Orph as he departs. The osprey mutters, "He does not live here?"

Rhubarb scratches his head as the rat leaves, "Odd... I could have sworn that little fellow had lived here!" He looks back to the osprey. "Well, if you don't mind sir I'll be on my way also! If I happen across those hares you speak of I will tell them to find you."

"It is a rare time for me to say who comes and goes." Soclose croons with obvious relish, "You have my leave to depart. And the little one also, he may go too since his fins have not grown in yet."

Rhubarb nods to the osprey, not sure if he wants to upset him. "Well thank you good sir, and may you have a pleasant day!" The squirrel scurries off after the dibbun to make sure he gets to the abbey safely.

Groups:

• Order of Redwall