Interlude 2, and talking about loss (Talking about the Kidnapped Abbot TP)
RW Abbey: Infirmary
Several beds are lined against the red sandstone walls of the Abbey's Infirmary. An examination table, separated from the rest of the room by hanging blankets, rests against the far wall. Tucked into a small alcove is a sizeable workbench with various containers for mixing and preparing medicinal compounds. Against another wall is a desk for use by the Infirmary Keeper. A curtained off alcove behind the desk hides a locked door to the Infirmary's supplies and linens.
Exits: Infirmary [Rec]overy Room, [H]ealer's [D]ormitory, [O]pen [G]round, [Hall]
Flare the male hare. LilyMoore and Angela the female mice and Nissaya the male albino otter.
Flare is sitting up in bed, his side is bandaged and he has a small bandage on his ear. He also has a black eye, but other wise he seems mostly fine. He looks around the room from where he is on the cot and frowns, he then seems to be thinking of leaving the infirmary.
LilyMoore has been helping inside the Abbey as best as she can, and today is in the Infirm. She is walking around the room, handing out water to those who can drink it. Nissaya the albino otter healer is also here, changing the bandages on a Dibbun's paw. He is gentle and kind, and the baby mouse can be heard giggling from across the room. Angela is in here today, aswell, and she spots the look on the hare's face and hobbles over to his cot. Leaning heavily on her staff, the old healer narrows her eyes at him. "So.....how are ye feelin' today?"
Flare had started to get out of the bed and now stops and decides to try later maybe. "'Bout as well as one can after getting grabbed by a blooming stoat and being tied to a tree. Also they don't offer much food for wounded bests here..." The hare frowns about this fact.
Angela goes to gently push him back to leaning on the headboard. She smiles softly. "Aye, but you're a 'are. We rarely 'ave injured 'ares in 'ere. Are ye 'ungery now? If so, then I'll 'ave my great-granddaughter go get ye somethin' from the kitchens." Lily has arrived at the hare's bedside and holds out a glass of water to him. "Oh, yes, I'd be glad to help. What would you like?"
Flare smiles at the idea of food, he takes the glass and smiles "Thanks lass, well a small snack be right fine. Maybe some soup and salad, some pastries and a roll or two...maybe three, some cider be nice and a couple apples be lovely." He grins again as he sips the water, "Not sure how long will be here, guess till heal wot?"
The look of shock on Lily's face is comical. "You call THAT a small snack???" Angela laughs and pats her great-granddaughter's shoulder. "Ye 'ave allot to learn about 'ares, my dear. Go on; get the beast what 'e asked for." The mousemaid wanders off to do as the old healer asked, her eyes still wide with shock. The greying mouse shakes her head, then goes to check the hare's pulse. "Aye, ye'll be 'ere unless the Master Healer, Leon, or I say ye are well enough to leave. What were ye doin' wanderin' around where stoats can grab ye?"
Flare pulse is fine, his side seems to bother him some but not too much. "Looking for this white fox named Bora, last I saw him he had a bit of a lost paw problem, not blooming seen him since then. Just de stoat fellow, wot" He shrugs "Anyways me and my friend Zee were after him, by de way how is Zee anyways? I know he was hurt in the fight with the stoat."
Angela shakes her head as she checks the rest of him. "I 'aven't been able to look at 'im yet today, sorry, sonny. A bunch of beasts ignored my orders to stay inside the main Abbey building and they fell in the 'oles that are in our grounds from the attack nearly a week ago. So I've been a bit busy makin' sure they don't die." Lily returns, pushing a trolley with the food the hare asked for, plus some. She trundles it over and puts the tray with his food on it. "Here. I got you a cookie for dessert!" Her smile is reminiscent of the sun, then she pushes the trolley off and starts delivering snacks to other, more fit beasts in the infirm.
Flare nods "Well I be sure de moles will finish filling in these...well holes or maybe some beast should bally well make them." He smiles at the food and goes to eat a couple of the pastries and a couple rolls, he sips cider and then speaks "Such delicious food this place has, very fitting fer a hare indeed lass" He eats a couple more rolls and gets his bowl of soup as he dips a bit of bread into it and nibbles "I do hope what ever is causing troubles is taken care of soon, wot"
LilyMoore grins and continues passing out snacks. Angela sighs and nods. "Aye. The Abbot was kidnaped, as were about 8 other beasts. My granddaughter, Lily's mother, was part of the rescue party that went to try and find them. The tunnels were made by the kidnappers, and collapsed as they retreated back underground."
Flare frowns as he makes more food disappear that he has in front of him and washes the food down with some cider, "I say I would hate to be underground, underground be for blooming molefolks...not normal beasts. O am sure they all be ok, ya friends or you would know by now I would think and I al also sure the rest of those collapsed tunnels will be fixed soon as well."
LilyMoore has returned to the hare's bedside, munching on a cookie. Angela sighs wearily. "I agree. The dark and closed in spaces give make me feel like I'm being stifled. You're a very encouragin' beast, Mr. Hare." The young mousemaid sticks out her paw. "My name's Lily, and this is Angela. Did you really get in a fight with a stoat?"
Flare nods "I be Flare...the stoat was a bad one, then all..." He then rethinks this oddly as he seems to remember something "Well most are bad ones anyways...some are not so bad as others"
LilyMoore smiles. "It's nice to meet you, Mr. Flare." Angela smiles and goes back to her duties, deciding that her great-granddaughter has this under control. The young mouse goes to sit on the edge of the hare's cot. "Yes, I have a friend who's a stoat, and he's one of my best friends int he whole world.....even though I haven't seen him for quite a while...."
Flare listens and says "Just be careful lass, it's rare for vermin types to be a friend, they could be tricking ya lass. The one I meet briefly...well I am unsure still, but he seemed to help me and my friend Zee, least somewhat and he did fight the ones fighting us, but then he may of just wanted to be in a blooming fight"
LilyMoore listens, but doesn't seem convinced. But she is polite about it and does not argue the point. "I can see your point. Thank you for the advice." She finishes her cookie and asks, "How are you liking your stay in Redwall so far?"
Flare nods, he shrugs "Tis...fine so far, dislike the fact foxes are here, but I have promised not to harm them"
LilyMoore nods. "Most newcomers find it a bit on the stressful side, but I can assure you that our Abbey Champion, Flicktail, can be trusted. I'm not sure about some of the others, but then again, I don't know them very well." Folding her paws in her lap, she adds, "So, do you mind my asking where you're from? I've lived here my whole life."
Flare is quiet before he speaks "Northlands, lot of cold snow there and a place I rather not go back to. One the winters are hard and two...well let's just say memories rather forget"
LilyMoore's eyes widen, and she hurries to change the subject. "Oh, I'm sorry! I....I know you'll love it here in Mossflower, though. It's so pretty in the Winter and the Spring and....well, all the time! And our Autumn feast is going to be here in a few weeks, and I have a feeling that you'll really like that!"
Flare smiles at that "A feast, well no hare should ever miss that I say lass, all that food and I could help make sure its all cooked well, ya know before others eat it, sample some things and what not"
LilyMoore laughs a little. "Are hares really hungry all the time? And sorry if that's too personal a question," she adds, holding up a paw. "I'm just......curious. Sorry...." she fiddles with the opening of her apron pocket.
Flare smiles "I don't bally well know lass, we hares do eat a lot. I may go wandering after I am healed up, find a right nice place to feel...well useful maybe"
LilyMoore thinks on this for a few minutes. "Well....the Abbey hasn't had a hare at all for many seasons, I think. But if usefulness is what you're after, perhaps you should consider the Long Patrol."
Flare says, "I heard a beast mention them, they thought I was one of 'em...I never heard of them myself, but I am blooming curious"
LilyMoore smiles, happy to give him some information. "They're the group of hares that guard our Western shores. They're stationed at the mountain of Salamandastron, and are perilous. Dangerous, yet kind, they are great Warriors, all hares, lead by a Badger Lord or Lady. They are our allies."
Flare nods "Maybe I could go visit them. I fight very well and I am a good tracker. But I will stay here least till that feast, plus I really should get healed up"
LilyMoore nods. "Well, at least you're at the best place in the whole of Mossflower to be patched up. My Nana and Dad are the best in the region; they'll have you as good as new in no time at all. And the feast should be as grand as they ever have been. The food is /guaranteed/ to be superb."
Flare says, "Trust me I will stay around and be judge of that, it's me duty to I think as a good hare to help at the feast." Yes help eat the food that is "I will be at the feast, I need some fun and relaxation"
LilyMoore giggles. "Well, you are more than welcome to, Mr. Flare. Our feasts, just as our gates, are open to all who are good of heart and come here in peace." She stands up. "Would you like more cookies? I brought plenty."
Flare nods "Cookies are always good, they are delicious and can cheer one up at times"
LilyMoore skips over and grabs a plate of cookies from the trolley, which she had left by the fireplace. Walking back over to the hare, she sits back down and holds out the plate. "They're really good, aren't they?" she asks as she takes a bite out of one.
Flare takes a couple as eats one slowly and smiles as he enjoys them, "You're have to have that friar of your make more of these soon, a lot more as wounded warrior's need a good deal of delicious food to better recover don't ya know"
LilyMoore nods. "Oh, yes, he must! Even not-wounded beasts could use cookies; they're the best! They make me feel better when I'm missing my friends...." and now she takes a bite of cookie, looking very sad.
Flare looks at her "Not always good ta miss a friend, but you can think of happy times you had with them, and that they will always be with you in your heart lass. Yes it's sad and even more so if they have passed on to the dark forest but they wouldn't want you to stay sad, nope they wouldn't"
LilyMoore nods sadly and rests her cookie-filled paw in her lap. "I know...it's just hard sometimes. My friends mean so much to me, it's difficult for me to adjust when they die......I keep expecting Zork to come wheeling in some day and ask me how I am..."
Flare listens "I...have heard that name, oh yeah Zee mentioned him before couple times...sorry for your loss but he wouldn't want you to be sad, he would want you to ...well not sad and maybe even help others feel better. I be sure there is others who miss him as well, maybe more so and could use some help to get over the loss"
LilyMoore looks up at him, her blue-violet-hazel eyes filled to the brim with sadness. "But what if they won't /let/ me help them? I don't know what to do then....if they won't even talk to me or listen to me, how can I comfort them and help them feel better?"
Flare frowns slightly and seems to find that hard to answer "Well...talk to them, even if they don't talk back, ya never know they may be listening, some do take a loss very badly but deep down I am sure they would want some help to get over it. I loss a loved one and it felt like the end of the world but me friends helped me, yes I am still sad at times but ...a bit less sad than I was."
LilyMoore nods and gazes at her half-eaten cookie. "I'll.....I'll try. Thanks. And I'm sorry for your loss....."
Flare hugs the mouse, if she allows it that is, and offers a smile, "Ya welcome lass and...'tis ok, someone helped me and maybe your the someone to help another beast"
Lily does indeed allow him to give her a hug, and she takes his advice to heart and vows to try harder and not give up in her goal of helping Zinnia. Thanks for reading!
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