Home Returning

Characters: William/Orph, Nico, Darcy, Aikuen, Kentar, Riverdale

Location: Anba_Hor's Den, Mossflower Woods, Redwall Abbey: Ditch, Great Hall, Infirmary

Anba_Hor's Den

Orph woke with a cloth tied over his eyes. As 'rouge rat' he hadn't taken to being tied up and was always trying to free himself via self amputation. The fox had beat him turn the at the time docile rodent against him once again. The rat had fought with all that was in him against the fox despite his fear. After countless hours the rat was bound paw to footpaw with his eyes covered so he'd be less inclined to gnaw on himself.

When the rat finally returned to his senses he woke in such a state and very angry. Not hearing any beast about he slowly and as stealthily as he could to chew through his bonds. If seemed like days with all the pain that would go coursing through his body at the slightest movement. He tasted blood in his mouth as he chewed through the last of the ropes that lead him. The fox had given up chaining him for now so that the dibbun wouldn't keep on hurting himself. Not that the fox cared so much for the rat's well being, but he didn't want the dibbun dead. Free of the bonds save for the 'bracelets' he now wore on his wrists and ankles the dibbun lay still again listening. After a long time he started inching ever so slowly toward the den's entrance. The fox was not stupid and grabbed for him, but the rat dodged and ran out into the woods.

Mossflower Woods

Weak and lost he dug a small hole to hide in til he felt the fox had surely passed him by. He left the tiny burrow and stumbled along foraging and hiding where he could - digging holes to hide in when other shelter was around. After a while he came out on some point along the dirt road.

Redwall Abbey: Ditch

Orph rests a while in the ditch outside the Abbey's gates relived to have gotten away from Anba_Hor the fox.

Redwall Abbey: Great Hall

Outside the Abbey a beast can be heard whistling the tune of 'Home Returning' and occasionally weakly panting out a modified version of the song."... Home returning, home returning, Back to those I call my own. There fire burns an ale brews, An' bread bakes soft an' brown, hm, hm, hm, hm, hm, hm hm hm, hum, hum, hum an' sit me down. Home returning, home returning, Comes the dibbun from the fox, Home returning, home returning, Home to wander nevermore ... alone." A rat dibbun with matted brown fur bloodied from multiple wounds all across his body slinks into the Great Hall. He wears only a filthily, torn pair of black trousers covered in dried blood. a makeshift bandage cover the left side of his face and he waves his head from side to side as he looks over the room warily. Another such bandage is tied to the end of his tail. The rat's low set ears have been trimmed by somebeast to be not as large as they once were and are peppered with small holes along the edges.

'Bracelets' of rope are tied tightly around his wrists and ankles, all that remains of his bonds. His left wrist is a bloody mess after his having tried to gnaw it off once.

Naco blinks as he hears the singing outside.

Naco seems to remember something at the singing and says to Darcy, "If you will excuse me, I have something I need to attend to .

Aikuen is just about to polish off his half finished bowl, when he hears a beast come. Without taking the bowl from his lips, he looks over at the entryway. The bowl drops to the floor with loud clatter. He is just in shock for the moment, and his mouth hanging down just proves this point.

Darcy is distracted from Naco's departure by Aikuen's dropped bowl. Her ears prick and she looks over to the door, spotting Orph. Just what she needs.

Orph slumps against the wall too tired to saying anything to the beasts present just yet. His good right eye combs the room, "H-hi. I'm back ... an' I'm /not/ dead."

Aikuen gets his senses back. He slowly get up form the table, And picks up the chair. He shoves it quickly aside, and one of the legs snaps off. He runs over, as much as he can, to where William is laying, and he he more or less yells in his face, "What in the Dark forest happened to you! Tell me!" He breathes heavily, this is one mad otter.

Orph glares at the otter wincing at the pain this causes him, "Wonderful t see you too /Aikuen/," he growls back not in the mood to be yelled at anymore than the otter had been, when he'd been hurt.

Darcy's ears drop back. She sets her bowl down and gets off the table, heading toward the pair. "You might want to save the yelling for after he's patched up," she points out.

Orph smirks at the otter hearing the hare's comment. Ow, smiling hurts. Breathing hurts too but that's just as likely from running as it is from anything else.

Aikuen eyes twitch, he turns back to Darcy, "He can take it... he is not openly bleeding all over the dern place. HE WILL LIVE!" He turns back to the rattling, just in time to see the smirk. He gets up quickly and begins pacing the hall, yelling in a diffrent language. "Jisk Foyten Heyio" over and over to himself.

Darcy lifts her brows. "He's a /kid/. What kind of father are you supposed to be?" She shakes her head and glances at Orph, offering her hand down to him with another step forward. "Come on, I'll get you fixed up."

Orph sighs, "Course I ain't dyin'. I can't talk t ya if ya don't listen, Aikuen!" The rat frowns at the otter before his gaze moves over to the stairs. He looks up hearing Darcy speak to him, "Uh, alrioght ..." he mumbles still annoyed with he otter for yelling at him and partly for not fussing over him any and now annoyed with the hare /for/ fussing over him.

Aikuen stops placing and begins to count. after fifteen of so seconds, and slowly speaks to William, "Im sorry... but im trying very hard not to just leave and kill whoever did this to you... cause if that happened... I will most likely not live to tell the tale..." He walks over to Darcy, "Can you help him?" He begins to tap his claws against his leg.

Darcy isn't fussing, she's a healer. She actually looks more amused than anything. She glances at Aikuen. "Did you really just ask that? I mean really. Of course I can."

Orph asks, "Um how long was I gone? I know it was a long time ... or it seemed like a long time ... bein' there an' after were both long times ... What happened is I made one too many mistakes in one day ... an well ya can't get away wi doin things like thet in th woods an all ... shoulda know better though not that it woulda helped much but it would 'ave been better if I'd remembered 'rogue rat' is scared of foxes ... don't matter now though ... no beast got killed though Kip should be glad I didn't do worse t him for runnin off on me an save his own skin like that ... "

Aikuen is not from around here, so he doesn't know any healers but Henry. He keeps his breathing controlled as he answers Darcy, "Thank ye... I need to... I mean i cant help him... Thank ye" He gives a small bow. He smiles a short second before turning to William, "Four suns i guess... Fox? Uhh nothing... nevermind... Not important... I need to ... Move around..." He begins to pace around the hall again, mumbling to himself.

Darcy doesn't really pay attention to what the two are saying. She looks slightly harried. "Less talking, kid. Let's get you to the infirmary, I've got no supplies with me."

Orph nods best he can and stands, after a few tries, to follow the hare to the infirmary.

Aikuen goes over to William, and tells him, "I be down here... cant... no... cant have to stay here... no ... wont die today..." the pacing continues in the room, as if he is being chased by fire.

Orph watches the otter worriedly as he's lead up the stairs to be patched up.

Redwall: Infirmary

Orph lays on a bed in the infirmary covered all over in bandages and wearing a borrowed green habit that's a bit too big for him.

Kentar has heard his friend was in the infirmary from a passing mouse and decided to take a bit to go see how he was. The stoat even drew a rather badly drawn get well picture. He didn't know what was wrong, but he didn't seem to care as he strolled up to William's bed, smiling as best as he can. "Hiya?" he asks very quietly, seeing if the rat is awake.

Orph sits up and turns his head so he can see the stoat. "Hi," he manages a small smile despite the pain. "Anythin go on while I was away? I hear I was gone four days. ... seemed like longer. Thet hare Darcy, she's a healer an she um help fix me up some." The less said about that the better.

Kentar looks over the rat slowly, shrugging at the question. "Norra know" he replies. "Norra been' 'rounda mucha mahself" he says, placing the picture on the side of the table, slowly sitting on a stool next to the bed. "Youa' okie?" he asks. "Anythin' yah needa?

Orph's head waves from side to side slowly, "Food would be good ... an ... /maybe/ a little help gettin back down stairs? They got me so wrapped up with bandages ... hard t walk. They say I won't have t be all bandaged up for too long though ... jus mainly round my paws an feet will need t stay a long time an course this one over my eye ... All an all I'm alroight. I ain't dead so I'm alroight." he picks up the picture to look at it, head swaying from side to side slowly as he does so.

The picture is of William, playing marbles and winning, much to another figure's dismay. Under the picture is text that says 'Got weel sooon', the stoat obviously not able to spell, but its the thought that counts. "Oi'll 'elp yah" he smiles some before hmming a bit. "Whatta 'appaned?" he asks

You ask, "Would ya believe I was stupid an made lot of mistakes? ... that a big black fox used those mistakes against me an dragged meh off an did this ... maybe? That's more or less what happened."

Kentar frowns some and sighs. "Wherra foxa?" he asks. "Maka 'em say 'ees zorry tah yah" he says, nodding once. "Yepyep, me maka 'im zay sorrah" he nods again.

Orph frowns, "Sayin 'sorry' ain't gonna fix this," the rat removes the bandage over his left eye to show the cleaned out empty socket before covering it again, "He didn't seem like th kind t say sorry anyhow. Only reason he didn't kill me right off was cause he wanted t hold me for money," The rat's face softens a little, tired from the outburst, "Sorry for yellin ... been a long whatever it's been. Lend a paw so I can get down th stairs .... see if there's any hotroot soup in th kitchens ... should be ... better be after all ..." a few muttered words, mostly curses, finish the thought as the dibbun puts a arm out for the stoat as he moves to the side of the bed to stand up. "Maybe A- maybe things will have quieted down some by now," the rat muses more to himself than Kentar.

Kentar frowns and turns away as he sees the eye socket, the stoat closing his eyes a few moments later, shaking his head. "Norra...Finda foxa, killa'em, den' norra beasta elsea' getta 'urt, nope" he says, thinking for a moment before slowly helping you up. "Willa 'elpa downstairs"

Orph sighs, "Thanks, but iffen ya do go after him don't go alone. Work better t have two or three or more beast go after him all together. Might ask around an see if any other beasts want t come with me an p- ... with me East later on. Not t stay jus more a while an then come back ere ..."

Kentar nods slowly but then shakes his head as he slowly helps you towards the door. "Norra needa odda' beasters. Norra wanna' getta odda's urt, nopenopenope" he says, thinking to himself as they go. "Whoa me aska fora 'elp?

Orph thinks, "Um first ask Abbot Nic who would be choices to take an if he's in a good mood an /isn't/ hurt already /maybe/ ask Aikuen t go ... but only if ya have too. He'd be glad t go I'm sure but I don't want him too."

Kentar hms and shakes his head. "Abbah nic issa abbah' ofa' dah abbah, norra aska 'em wid a mizzion o'arm"

Orph rolls his eye, ow! "He's still a good one t ask anyways. Iffen ya don't want t ask him ya can ask Benar, he's a squirrel an used t be a soldier. He's in the order now, but he'd know a lot about fightin anyhow." The rat walks toward the stairs waiting for the Stoat to help him down to the Great Hall.

Orph adds, "Whoever ya ask don't ask Miz Layne an I don't know what Flicky'd make of it ... Though he might be a good one t take for all I know."

Kentar hmms a bit. "Norra knowa' Benah butta me looka for him" he says, nodding before attempting to pick you up.

Orph narrows his eye briefly, "Not quite th sort of help I was thinkin of ..." huff, "... I can walk, jus ... ya better not drop me ... an put me down fore we get all th way down ... don't want em to see me get carried about like a girl."

Kentar nods some. "orrakay" he replies simply before heading out the door.

Orph mentally hits himself and follows the stoat down the stairs as best he can ... that is very very slowly.

Redwall: Great Hall

Kentar helps William down the stairs, looking deep in thought, for the first time ever, as he helps out.

Aikuen is in a corner head in his paws. He has taken off his bandages, and his sling. He seems to be mumbling to himself for the most part.

Orph hangs onto the stoat's arm, finding it easier than trying to explain how he wanted to be helped /again/. The ratling looks about, head swaying, for Aikuen, hoping the otter isn't still mad with him. He shakes his head a little /Me an my big mouth./

Kentar hums quietly before going to help William to a chair quietly and slowly.

Orph bites back the any comments against the stoat's helpfulness as he's helped to a seat. "Thanks. I'm ... I can ... you don't have t keep helping an stuff ... I /can/ walk ... just not too well up an down th stairs right now." He does not enjoy being weak.

Kentar hms, his train of thought derailed. "Oh...um...Norra mind, canna 'elp" he smiles before sitting near by, going back to his thinking.

Aikuen hears the beasts come down, he takes his paws from his face and looks at the pair. His eyes have gotten redder, though they are still dry. He tries to smile... or just to say anything but cant. After William is places in a chair he manages to hum out, "Lo'..." Its much deeper then normal.

Riverdale is sitting in what was once his accustomed chair by the fireplace. He is wraithlike in his pallor, skinny and shrunken almost beyond recognition. His green cloak hangs off his frame, accentuating the degree to which he has withered, and he is leaning forward, arms crossed awkwardly upon his lap, looking at no one and seeming even ignorant of their presence.

Orph nods some, the pain's less now. "It's alright ... thanks, Kentar." Head ever swaying he turns his bandaged face to the otter, "Hi again ... Sorry for gettin sore at ya before ... jus ... well ya were in same place not too long ago ... Most of it wasn't as bad as it looked t be though I got t be all bandaged up for a while anyhow ... You alrioght ... ..."

Kentar hmms and shrugs to himself. "Norra problam" he says, before looking at Riverdale, smiling a bit and waving at the squirrel. "Hiya!" he says before gazing deep into the fire.

Riverdale casts his eyes, with their weary, sunken weight, in the direction of the salutation, but it's as if he can't muster the energy to finish the gesture; he never lifts his head far enough to see Kentar, let alone a proper greeting. Instead, his gaze drifts lethargically downward again and fixes itself upon the floor between his paws

Aikuen gets up and walks slowly over to William. He hold his left arm close to him, trying not too move it too much. As he limps toward him he says, "Don't apologize... I was just so angry... But... Im glad your better now. Though it looks like you got worst off then me... Sorry... Will..." He drifts off and looks toward the squirrel. He thinks it s a new beast.... Doesn't know that its Riverdale

Orph half shrugs, "I'm a little better than I was I guess ... somethings just don't get better ... like your arm if ya don't take care of it so it'll be fixed again."

Aikuen turns back to William, "My arm is fine..." He goes over to the table and pulls out a chair with his left arm. That sound of glass scrapping against each other comes from the shoulder. He grits as this happens, but makes no other movement to the pain. He looks back to the squirrel and tilts his head, that beast looks so familiar. He gives up and sits down.

Orph's ears lay back a little at the sound, "Liar," he hisses at the otter softly. "You need t get better so ya can go with me on our trip this summer ... any even if ya don't get better you're gonna have t go anyway. I can't go alone an I sure can't take Zen or /Kip/ instead. Wouldn't work. So you have to get better. I'm gonna get better ... mostly .... an if you're arm doesn't get better that's ok, just try t help it get better first ... you did it before ..." There a tone of 'don't be like me' in there.

Aikuen glares back at William, but he smiles, and laughs lightly, "Aye... you right matey..." He reaches for the arm sling which is one the table. Wrapping it around his neck, he places his left arm back into it. "Well i talked with one of the other healers besides Henry, they said it might not completely heal... I'm sorry, but you look really like some other squirrel i know, who are you." The last part, he asks the squirrel away from him

Shifting in the chair, Riverdale's motions gradually lose some of their stiffness, as the frozen bough of a tree regains its limberness with the spring thaw. He remains hunched forward, but he is no longer apparently deaf to his surroundings. He stirs, head once again going through that slow, ponderous pivot, but this time it rises enough to meet the otter's greeting. Riverdale's face is ghostly, the fur framing his features unkempt and matted on one side. The weakness of his appearance only serves to throw into sharp relief the warm, sunny smile that suddenly breaks across his face. "Aik," he says hoarsely. "Hi there, lad.

Aikuen mouth falls open when he hears 'Lad'. He only knows one beast to do that. He asks, "Riverdale?" He gets up quickly and goes over to him, "Riverdale? Is that you?"

Riverdale's eyes are small and tired but lit with a warm light. "Ah... lad..." he says, his words plodding much more slowly than usual. "Y-yes. It's me." He puts a gentle paw on Aikuen's shoulder

Orph sways from side to side as he looks at the old squirrel, make that ancient squirrel. "Hi. You one of Pa's friends, Mister Riverdale sir?" The rat cocks his head briefly at the squirrel as he continues to sway and turn his head from side to side looking at the old beast.

Aikuen looks back at William, "Even in the worst of times, light shines through the clouds..., He is one of the first beasts that actually liked my talents here at the abbey." He turns back to the Squirrel, "How do you feel, Don't think you should be tired. Been Asleep for a long ole time. Hehheh..." He laugh weakly.

Riverdale's back stiffens at the sight of the young rat, and he looks quickly between 'father' and 'son'. Noting Aikuen's tone, his own look softens a bit as he addresses William. "Ah... Hello there." He chuckles a bit at the otter's joke. "I... I don't rightly know, lad. H-how long has it been?

Aikuen slaps his face with his good paw, "OH sorry. Riverdale, this is William, My Son. Will, this is Riverdale, an old friend who has been a deep sleep for almost an entire season." He smiles warmly at them both.

Orph looks confused. Well as confused as a one-eyed rat can look anyway. "He's been asleep a whole season? How many of those flowers did he eat?" He isn't sure if his father's serious or joking so he tries to mask the confused tone of his voice a little.

Riverdale, seeming to have recovered a bit of energy, looks up and down at Aikuen's disfavored arm. He says nothing. Then, smiling to William, he extends a skinny gray paw to the young fellow. "Ah, well met, young one." To Aikuen: "It r-really is good to see you, lad." He looks utterly drained, but the happiness is genuine. "Wh-where's my little friend? Where's Ekho?"

Aikuen says, "William remember the bed in the infirmary that was covered by a curtain. That is where ole Riverdale has been for the last season or so... The healers called it something...Don't remember, But it was like a deep sleep." He hears the word Ecko, and his heart, metaphorically, gives out. He turns to Riverdale, and shakes his head, "I... I... Im... Sorry" He closes his eyes.

Orph shakes the squirrels' paw, his good eye going from the otter to the squirrel and back again. He has a feeling things aren't going well. He lets go of the squirrel's paw and turns back around. "Hm hm hm hm, hm hm hm hm, ...." he starts humming the tune to 'Home Returning' again to occupy himself.

Riverdale's paw hangs numbly in the air for a moment after William relinquishes it, then he lets it fall slowly to his side. His eyes watch Aikuen. "Wh-what is it, lad?

Aikuen thinks that its best to tell him the truth, "After you went into your sleep, i searched the abbey to find the beast that fox was looking for,... after fifteen suns, i went after that... Fox..." He breathes deeply before continuing, "I got to our encampment... That's when i found... her..." He looks away

omething catches in Riverdale's throat, and he breathes less evenly. "Y-yes? Go on..." Though he knows already.

Aikuen sighs, "The Fox was true to his word... When i got to her body, her skin had turned to a light green... Signs of Poison... I took her back to the abbey, but the healers said she had been dead for quite awhile... I buried her by the south wall... with her dollie... Think she would have liked that..." He sniffs a bit, then goes to sit back down at the table, "Sorry..."

Riverdale's jaw works silently for a minute, forming words that he does not or cannot air. He swallows heavily, and tears soon follow, welling up from some spring of sadness deep within him.

Riverdale clenches his teeth, and his countenance darkens angrily. Then it fades back to sadness. His body slumps forward.

Aikuen goes over to support him, "I know this is hard to all swallow all at once, and i am truly sorry..." He nods lightly, "Don't know how close you were... If you want to go see... where she is..." His voice trails off.

Riverdale's quiet lament persists for several more minutes, only occasionally rising to sufficient volume to produce an echo

After a bit, the old squirrel finally looks up at Aikuen, his eyes colored deeply pink, but grateful in expression. "Th-thank you for telling me, lad. I..." There follows a few moments of slow-evolving horror. "It- it was m-my fault, Aik." He makes a dry sob that sounds like a cough in reverse. "It... was m-my f-fault.

/Fox? No couldn't be ... but still .... and poison! .../ "What about a fox an poison ... was it a black fox? Black all over an wearin black ... with poisoned daggers? What was his name?" the ratling asks out of the blue.

Riverdale room-pages, "Interesting how things work out sometimes, innit?".

Kentar snaps out of his daze, his ears swiveling towards the conversation, hearing about a fox, wondering if its the one William told him about

Aikuen pulls up a chair close to the Squirrel, "Well when you do want to go see her... Go to the south wall... look for the blooming yellow flowers... I pick that place, because the sounds tends to Echo against the walls... Thought it be nice" He shakes his head at Riverdales statements, "No, it wasn't your fault... Don't start thinking that... If it was anybeasts fault, it was mine..." He goes to the voice of William, "Oh the name of the fox... I think his name was ... Val? I thinks thats his name... But yah... Wearing all black, and poison daggers... Why?

Orph is quietly chewing on his lower lip.

Riverdale seems to have spent all his tears. Indeed, his face is quite well watered with them, pinning his fur against his skull and further outlining the emaciated contours of his face. He looks somberly at Aikuen, a trace of a smile (or at least something other than a frown) tugging now and again at his lips. "Y-yes, lad. I think I would l-like that." An occasional sob punctuates his breathing now and again, but at least the sobbing has ceased.

Kentar mms and looks to the squirrel for a few moments before speaking. "Oi canna' 'elp ya tah' vere' dah grave isa, iffen yahs wants, yep" he offers.

Riverdale seems disturbed by the stoat's sudden interruption, but he composes himself. "Ah... y-yes. I'd like that." He seems ready to stand

Orph continues to chew on his lip silently.

Kentar nods and slowly stands himself, going over to offer out his arm to the squirrel. "Willa' 'elp den' yep" he smiles a bit.

Riverdale's eyes fall on Orph. "What's wrong, young un?"

Aikuen smiles, and looks to the stoat "Thanks for taking him... don't think i could see her again yet..." He looks back to William, and sees the Lip chewing again. He was going to ask whats wrong, but Riverdale beat him to the punch.

Kentar hms, and looks up to the otter, nodding. "Norra problem, nopenope" he smiles a bit before looking to William too.

"Uh ... nothin' jus was thinkin' .... he did tell me his name couse, but I might met that fox about four days ago. Though it could be a different fox with black fur an dresses in black wot has poisoned daggers ... or not." /Why is everyone staring at me?!/

Riverdale waves Kentar away curtly. "Thank you, lad... No, not just now. I-I think I need a spot of food in me." His stomach makes a rather loud lurching sound. He rubs it. "Br-brother Miles... He sent me down here to eat. Slipped my mind." He wobbles a bit, apparently on the verge of passing out.

Kentar frowns a bit and slowly helps Riverdale back into his seat. "Youa justa aska mah whena yah wanna go ta dah gravah, yep"

Aikuen tits his head, "What, so the beast that did... that to you... he was a fox wearing all black, and had poison daggers..." He begins to tap the table with his good claws, needs to do something before he breaks another chair.

Riverdale smiles his thanks to Kentar. "Yep." He listens to Aikuen's words.

Orph is reminded that food was one of the reasons he had wanted out of the infirm for. ".... um mostly ... er ... yes, but I'm back and I'm ok ... more or less ... so it's fine." Yes the fox had blinded him in one eye but the removing of it had been his own doing ... not something that needed to be said though and the less he saw of that fox the better.

Aikuen nods a little bit before getting up, but he continues to tap his leg "Im going to the kitchen, anybeast want anything?" The voice is loud a decisive, like he is angry or something.

Aikuen room-pages, "NUTS!".

Orph exclaims, "Hotroot soup!"

Riverdale looks sleepily up at Aikuen. "Brother Miles s-said I, ah, shouldn't eat m-much." He smiles impishly. "How about some, ah, candied walnuts? And, ah.... Something nice to wash it down, lad."

Kentar hums and thinks for a few moments. "Zee' iffen dey' 'ave uhh..." he pauses. "Mebbeh zumm...'ot sconz, yep" he smiles. "Bitta tea' mebbah? You needa 'elp?" he asks.

Aikuen shakes his head as he heads for the Kitchen, "I got it mate!" He heads through the kitchen door. After a few minutes he returns with a large tray, carrying with his one paw, Waiter style. He places it on carefully on the table. The tray contains Two empty bowls, a large steaming jug, and kettle with four cups, a cherry scone, and a small bag. He hands the bag to Riverdale, and tosses the scone to Kentar. Then taking a seat he pours the hotroot soup from the jug, into the bowl. He then hands it to William, then he pours one for himself.

Kentar catches the scone and smiles, nibbling on it before setting it on his lap to pour the tea slowly and carefully. "Tanka, yepyep!"

Orph happily downs the contents of the bowl as quickly as possible and seeing as this dibbun has been known to down three to four bowl full of the stuff in a sitting that's fast. He pours himself seconds and not long after thirds. Four days mostly with little or no food. Hotroot soup never tasted so good and it tasted awful good to start with.

Aikuen downs one bowl, and that's is usually is all he can eat. He smiles to William, "Sorry bout you eye mate... How would an eye patch sound? I can craft one if yah like..." He pours two cups of tea, and hands one to Riverdale.

Orph looks at the otter confused or tries to but the surprised look overrides it. "H- .... What make you says that, Pa?" Yes word would get around about his missing an eye, but he'd only showed Kentar and well Darcy and the healers knew but that was different ... He'd been sure no beast knew yet, darn it. Well at least they didn't know how it had happened.

Kentar takes his tea and drinks it quick before nibbling on his scone again, looking between the two. Not his usual self though, looking a little guilty, power hungry, and maybe even a little insane looking at the moment. But he doesn't seem to notice.

Aikuen shakes his head and laughs, "I can tell by the way that you look from beast to beast in the room... Your still not used to using only one eye. Cant hide it from me, used to see it all the time when I was younger." He laughs a bit more, before shooting down the tea

Riverdale accepts the tea, careful to grab it by the rim.

"Well one of my eyes is covered up ... " He's grasping at straws here, but a part of him doesn't want to admit it.

Riverdale munches a candied walnut from the bag, and it's clear from the smile it immediately elicits that its effect is nothing short of medicinal. He goes through the contents of the bag, a walnut at a time, his expression vague, his mouth working hungrily. From time to time his thoughts obviously drift to less salubrious matters, for an occasional gulping sob shakes his feeble body; otherwise, he seems at peace.

Kentar eyes William for a moment before looking to Riverdale. "Youa okaya, zir?" he asks, quietly, worried about the squirrel. Bad news is never taken well.

Aikuen laughs a bit more, "You don't have to hide it... if you still had your other eye, you would look with your eyes still... But you were turning your whole head... so that either means that your eye died and is now wont move at all, or its no longer there. Am i wrong?"

Riverdale's mouth wavers between a faint smile and a frown. "Ah... No... Yes, thank you. I-I'm fine, lad." He holds a walnut close to his mouth. "Ah... I... Do... What did you say you're called, lad?" His mind is clearly elsewhere as he asks the question, then eats the walnut.

Kentar sighs a bit at the squirrel. "Oim' Kentar" he replies quietly still. "Youa sure yourra fine?" he asks. "Norra seem der' atta moment"

You say, "Um ... y-yes to both ...." he looks down, "... rather not say how with them here ... or at all."

Riverdale reaches into the bag and finds he's emptied it.

Riverdale presses the tea to his mouth and finishes it. He seems uninterested in answering Kentar's question.

Kentar hms. "Zir?" he asks. "Yourra sure?" he asks, setting his empty teacup aside.

Riverdale gives Kentar a distant look. "Please, lad," he says, sounding pained.

Aikuen says softly, "That's fine mate... I don't think i want to know..." He taps the table for a few seconds before he realizes what he is doing, he removes his good claw and smiles.

Kentar sighs and nods. "Sorrah" he says quietly, leaning back, wondering if Riverdale will decide not to go to the grave place, that still rather angry look on his face.

Orph glances toward the squirrel and stoat before his gaze returns to the floor, "... it wasn't the fox ... not all of it ..."

Aikuen places his good paw in front to stop William, "Please the less i know, the better... for both of us..." Once again the tapping starts, but he doesn't stop it. After a while he shakes his head, he mumbles "Stupid Country..."

Kentar sets his gaze upon Riverdale for a few moments before sighing and looking right up.

Riverdale's attention is drawn to the face of the young rat. He pores with obvious interest over William's face, though he retains enough discretion not to say anything; or perhaps he's paid enough mind to the conversation to piece together the facts.

Orph frowns. "Yeah ... you won't want t know how much a idiot your son is anyway ..." he mutters under his breath only just loud enough for the otter to hear if he's listening but too quiet for the others to hear more than likely.

Kentar wasn't listening really, just staring up into space, thinking over lots of stuff before eyeing Riverdale again.

Aikuen may be getting old but his ears are as good as ever. He becomes surprised, "What make you think that you are an idiot... and no matter what you tell me... ill never think that... Your still alive. I mean an idiot would probably got killed... and your still here... hmmm?"

Riverdale only now realizes the personal nature of the exchange between Aikuen and William, and he hastily turns to Kentar. "Well, lad... I-I'd like to pay my respects now, while the light lasts." He sniffles and tries his legs again, readying his untested muscles for the walk to Ekho's resting place.

Kentar hms and ohs, nodding, quickly standing up and going to help the squirrel. "yessah" he smiles a bit.

Riverdale uses Kentar's strength to hoist himself upright.

Orph thinks not. He just speaks, "The fox did make it so I couldn't see out my left eye, but I'm the one who tore it out after I'd got away cause it hurt an t spite him somehow ... made sense at th time ... I was mad ..." He closes his eye and bow his head, he really needs to stop doing that.

Kentar hms a bit and leans into whisper to Riverdale so that no one else can hear. "Canna carrah yah, iffen yah need" he says, though his whisper may have been just a tad loud.

Aikuen asks quietly to just William, "If he made your eye bleed in anyway, then you became blind in that eye... You did the right thing... It might had been infected... and they would have removed it here." He hears Riverdale, and leans over, "Good to have you back matey..." He then goes back to William and just stares at him, but he doesn't look angry

Riverdale's dignity is apparently a bit injured by Kentar's suggestion. "N-no, lad. Just, ah, if you would..." He reaches out a paw. "Stabilize me a bit?" He is quite a sad spectacle, but he nods wistfully at Aikuen's words. "I'll see you." To Kentar: "Lead on."

Kentar makes sure the squirrel is stable enough. "yessah" he says, smiling a bit as he leads on, slowly of course for Riverdale's sake.

Riverdale lets himself be guided out of the hall by the much stronger young fellow.

Orph keeps his eye on the floor, "... I didn't know it was a good thing and that's not why I did it. ... Kip ran off when he saw the fox an I got dragged off ... worse then before, but that bad except for the eye part ... been though that sort thing before though .... I was sure if I'd get away ... didn't bring anythin' back with me ... lost my buckler and stuff .... an th dagger you gave me before you was my Pa ..." sighs, "... couldn't help it though ... I told him and I was right ... I'm alive an that all that ever mattered ..... ya still should try t have your arm get better .... they said it wouldn't last time an it did an maybe it will again an if it don't it'd still be better than if ya didn't try any. There's a weapon and armor and such shop not to far from here an on th way to where we're goin this summer ... maybe you could get some armor like you'd wanted an ... well I need somethin but I don't have many money now .... though guess I could try an make a sling or spear ..." he looks up at the otter with the 'please buy it for me Daddy I won't ask for anything else ever again. You know I'm lying about that, right?' look.

Aikuen tilts his head, and sighs, "My dagger that I gave you is gone.... Okay... I gave it to you that's fine... Yah..." He nods mostly to reassure himself then continues, "I can make you both if you wish, though a battle spear may be a bit tall for you... Slings I can make in the hundreds at a time. All make one with the sharkskin leather that's left after i make you an eye patch. As for a blade... " He smiles evilly, "I was going to wait until after you became of age... but I think when when were on the trip is close enough. And now its my turn on the wall" He gets up from the chair and begins to limp toward the door.

Orph follows after the otter, "I probably should get back t th infirmary an three eyes aren't as good as four were, but that's not stopin' me. I like it up there with you."

Aikuen smiles "Well! Come on mate!" He heads out the door, Whistling 'Home returning' With his son following close behind.

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• Order of Redwall