Kentar and Will Part Two

Characters: Kentar, Chris, Will

Location: Moledeep

Moledeep: Mole Hall

Kentar is sitting alone in the hall at a table with his son in his arms, the little stoat being fed oatmeal quite easily. Seems Kentar has an easier time of feeding Chris then the otters do. The older stoat quietly hums a tune as he feeds his son, one that calms the ministoat down quite a bit it seems.

Will walks into the hall from the cellar carrying a clay box with metal crank handle on one side. When the crank is turned the wax dancing girl figurine on the top turns as well making it look like she's actually dancing. Will sets the box down on the table and looks over at the stoat, "I found some stuff in one of the bins in th smithy and ... look what I made!" the rat announces waving a paw toward the box proudly

Kentar looks down and smiles at the box. He gently sets Chris down onto the table away from the bowl of oatmeal after cleaning the young one's face. "That's great Will!" he smiles, watching nodding. "That's really good."

Will grins and turns the crank making the girl on the box, which looks an awful lot like Amy, spin around slowly. "I like it. And th bottom part can come off in case something inside it breaks." He points to the wooden bottom that can be removed, giving a beast access to the metal workings. "What you think, Chris?" he asks the baby stoat who's been staring at the strange box with the moving thing on top.

Kentar smiles and watches. "Wow. Is...Is that Amy?" he asks, the stoat smiling widely. "Well, Will! Its great...its very, very well made...you did great." he smiles. The babe just stares a little before reaching out to try and touch it.

"... maybe. .... Thanks," the rat smiles at the compliments. He notices Chris reaching for the box and moves it just close enough that the baby can grab the crank, "You want to try it, Chris?" he asks keeping a firm grip on the box so the baby can't hurt it.

Chris smiles a little and says something in 'baby' before his tiny paws grip the crank. He tries to pull but fails. He frowns and tilts his head before trying to turn it slowly.

Will chuckles at the baby's efforts, "Think ya might need some help with that."

Kentar reaches forward to help his son turn the crank. The babe giggles as he sees what's happening as it moves.

Will watches the stoats as he holds the box steady. "How's everything?" he asks, "I've been working with th kiln most of yesterday and a good part of today, haven't had much chance t see anybody too much."

Kentar shrugs a little and smiles at his son, who now reaches up to the figure. "Gaha!" he smiles. Kentar shrugs again. "OH, things are going quite well." he chuckles quietly

"No no, Chris. You just watch don't touch it," Will says eyeing the infant warily, ready to move the box away if he's not stopped. "Not for babies," he tells the little stoat.

Chris frowns a little and reaches a little more before taking the crank and turning it on his own now, slowly, but he's managing. "Teehee!"

Will smiles, "Ok, you can touch that part but not th top part. Wow, you're doing a good job, Chris."

The stoatbabe grins widely and giggles, turning it a little faster. He's got his father's strength, that's for sure.

Will smiles at the little stoat then points to the spinning figure on the box, "Look at it go!" He asks Kentar, "Garnet have a good trip?"

Kentar nods and smiles a little. "Yeah. She did. We went out to the river last night and watched the moon for a few hours, talking about the trip. She said she enjoyed it." he chuckles a little before seeing his son giggle and laugh even more at the figure moving.

The rat nods, "That's good. She's probably glad t be back home though."

Kentar nods. "Yeah. She is." he smiles. Chris gets tired of the crank then lets go, just watching Will.

Will turns the box and takes the crank making the figure twirl around for a while. "She probably missed you an Chris an Kluna an everybody. It's good t have her back."

Kentar nods a little. "It is, yes." he smiles. "I'm so, so glad she's back." he smiles widely.

Will nods. "Bet Chris and Kluna are too. Aren't ya, Chris?" he asks the baby, seems he starting to warm up to the little guy

Chris giggles wide at the mention of his mother, nodding quickly.

Will is quite a while as he continues to turn the crank on the box for Chris's amusement.

Chris grins and giggles some more. "I really think he likes it." Kentar speaks up after a few moments, laughing a little. "So Will. You like the kiln

Will looks over at the older stoat, "Yeah, I do. Thanks for making it for me."

Kentar smiles softly. "Your more then welcome Will." he smiles softly. "You'd never get a kiln without me." he smirks.

Will shrugs, "I dunno, Pa souded like he was gonna have one built sometime but if he was you beat him to it."

Kentar chuckles. "Ah, Aikuen is too lazy." he smirks. "But anyways, I'm glad you like it."

Will shrugs his shoulders, "Eh, he's been busy. And he said he'd get a wheel for th kiln so it works out. I do like it. You like that thing I made you?"

Kentar smiles and nods a few times. "Yeah. I do. Thank you Will. It was very thoughtful."

Will says, "Had t see if th kiln worked and thought I should make you something after making a kiln for me for no reason."

Kentar chuckles. "I made you the kiln because you wanted one. And because you said we needed one."

"So. I said you should take th otters with you if you ever leave and you haven't done that," the rat jokes.

Kentar laughs and grins. "But I haven't left." he smirks.

Will agrees, "I know and I don't want you to. Though if you did I doubt you'd take them with you."

Kentar laughs. "I wont leave Will. And I wont take them with me." he grins. "Sorry but I don't think I'd want otters around all day."

Will asks, ".... Have they been around any today? I haven't seen them yet but I was busy earlier ..."

Will nods, "They'll turn up sooner or later. Might be out in th pond again or in their room or something."

The rat nods again and waves at the stoats as they leave.

Kentar comes back after a little while before sitting back down. "Ah. He's sound asleep." he chuckles quietly.

Will leans back in his chair, "That's good."

Kentar nods a little. "I've never told you how nice it is to actually sit back with my brother." he chuckles quietly.

Will leans farther back in his chair, "Guess not."

Will looks puzzled, "No. Why?" He sets his chair back down, ".... You hungry?" he asks.

Kentar shrugs and shakes his head. "Was just asking. You just didn't seem in a good mood for a sec. Must be me." he chuckles before shrugging. "I guess. A little bit.

Will says, "I don't think I was, but that happens." He shrugs, "Being t hell and back again isn't easy t forget especially if yur good at remembering things ... most things. ..." he shakes his head and walks off toward the kitchen, "... too many things." He pauses and looks back at the stoat, "I-I'll see what we got in th kitchen." He leaves the hall and goes into the kichen to find something for them to eat.

Kentar watches Will go to the kitchens, tilting his to one side. He sighs a little then stands going to follow the rat into the kitchens. He figures something is up now.

Moledeep: Kitchen

Will pokes around the kitchen looking at the various leftovers and peeking into the larder briefly to see what else there is to eat before getting out two bowls. After a moment he gets out a third bowl as well

Kentar comes into the kitchens and looks for Will. When he sees him, he slowly goes over. "Will..."

The rat had been filling one of the bowls with stew when the stoat came in, he turns at the sound of his brother's voice and looks at Kentar. "What? If you don't want stew I won't put any in your bowl," he says eyeing the stoat cautiously as he approaches sensing something is off from Kentar's voice.

Kentar chuckles every so quietly. "I'd like stew, thank you. But. Is something wrong?" he asks. You said something about remembering things. You. Didn't sound very happy about it." The stoat watches for a few moments. "Do you want to talk about anything?"

Will finishes filling the first bowl with stew then sets it aside to fill the second bowl with the same. "Welcome. Nothing's wrong right now that I know of," the rat says before catching the rest of Kentar's words. "I'm good at remembering things most th time and most things. Some beasts have said being able t remember things after a long time is a good thing. Course none of them lived through what I have. And I remember it /too well/ sometimes.

It's been ... about a season now, since I came t Mossflower and a little less then that since I first met Aikuen but I can remember it like it happened a few days ago. Not /everything/ but a lot of it. I can remember what things were like before that too. Th time when it was just me out in th woods. It isn't that clear cause all th days kinda ran together back then but I remember different things about it and I remember before that ..... and most of /that/ I'd rather /not/ be able t remember."

Kentar nods a little and sits down quietly near where Will is. The stoat listens quietly. He's good at that. "Will. I know it might not make you feel better. But I remember things I wish never happened. Aikuen does too. We all have something or other to remember that we wish we didn't." he says, trying to make the rat feel better. "I know in some ways, this might be a little insulting. But I don't mean to insult you." he says. "I'm, in some ways, glad, you were alone in the woods. If you weren't. You'd never have met Aikuen. And I'd never have had a brother. Or a friend." he says. 'I'm sorry for what you went through. But good did come from it." he's not so good with words.

Will chews on his lip, "You loose your family? How old were you then? I was about three th /second time/ it happened t me. After that I was on my own for a season an a half then I found this place an th Abbey. Before I lost my family things were good but before that they were very bad, most of th time."

Kentar thinks for a few moments. "I was Seven and a half seasons when I lost my wife and unborn child. Eight seasons when I lost the rest of my family. I left. I ran. I was on my own for about two seasons when I found the abbey. You didn't lose most of your mind when you were alone. Over time, I forgot how to do the simplest of things. That was how I ended up for a while. Will. You had it much worse then I did, I know. But I want you to know, that these things don't just happen to you. They happened to all of us. I don't know what happened to Aik, but I know that something happened to him. Look at Garnet. Her family tried to kill her. Then Kluna. His mother was killed and then he was treated horribly on the pirate ship." he says. "I am sorry for what happened. I really am." he scratches his head.

Will chews on his lip a while thinking this over. "It's ok. ... well it's not really but you didn't do anything ... t me or any beast I like, so you don't need t be sorry. It's over. Hard t remember that sometimes but it /is/ over. I don't know what happened t Pa .... not all of it I'm sure but I know some of it. I know he lost his first wife and his daughter and he was a captain and later leader of some rebellion against a bad king of his island. One of his old friends, Snive by name, he didn't know Pa was th leader of th rebellion and took th job t capture th leader of th rebellion and Pa was called vermin and sent away from th island. About a season and a half ago beasts in blood red uniforms came t Moledeep looking for Pa. They were from th island. I don't know what they wanted but Pa killed them. All except th old rat Snive who he tied up an tortured in th rose garden. I woke up th next day t find a dead ferret laying by th tunnel entrance and I was mad that some beasts had come here t attack me

an Pa an Racky, no other beasts lived here then except us. I drew my dagger, this was before I met that fox an lost my dagger, and went t see what was making all that noise in th old rose garden and I didn't like what I saw. Pa wanted me t go inside but I wouldn't, didn't see any reason to though I didn't like what he was doing and that old rat was all tied up and couldn't fight back any. Aikuen was enjoying hurting Snive ya could tell ... or he was til he saw me anyway. I was mad and left to sit a ways away from them and after a while he let Snive go .... but I didn't. I ended up at th Abbey somehow I guess I ran there or 'rouge rat' did anyway. When I got my head clear again Craven th vermin hare was there putting bad tasting stuff on my mouth. He said he was long patrol and said I shouldn't be allowed in th Abbey cause I'm 'vermin', in his eyes at least. I say he's th vermin. He acts it an said bad things t Pa cause I'm his son and wanted t fight him.

And Aikuen being th stupid otter he was back then wouldn't listen and went t fight th vermin hare and nearly go himself killed! Stupid otter."

Kentar blinks. "What? He tortured some beast in the rose garden?" he blinks and takes a few deep breaths. He was nervous now. Evil or not, he didn't realize Aikuen had it in him to torture some beast. "Wow." he sort of sits back in his chair. The stoat then blinks and nods a little. "As much as we don't like it, we are vermin, Will. We don't act like it. In fact, we never act like it. But we are." he sighs. "Its. Rude still to call someone vermin, no matter if they are or not." he sits back in his chair and thinks things over. That thing about Aikuen really did surprise him. Why, he doesn't know. But it did. After a few moments of quiet, the stoat sighs and stands. "I'm going to go to bed Will. Don't bother to fill my bowl with stew. Thanks though. And Will. If you ever need to talk about anything that you remember, I am here." he smiles a little.

Will nods some, "I probably wasn't supposed to tell you about his torturing Snive. .... but he was going and Snive mighta made it out of Mossflower alive .... if I hadn't killed him. .... Pa said 'vermin' is what beasts call any beast they don't like and can't think of anything worse t call em. I don't mind being called vermin most th time I've been called it so much that it doesn't mean much when it's said t me. I use it like Pa said it's used, for beasts that are .... like that fox an Craven th hare .... and maybe th sneak that got away cause he was too stupid t ask for stuff an is friends with Sister Sunrose. I'm friends with Abbot Nic but I know I couldn't get away with stealing from th Abbey just cause of that. Course th order beast'll say 'you can't steal from th Abbey cause we give stuff away anyhow so taking from us isn't stealing in some crazy Redwaller way because we're Redwallers and can't understand his concept of stealing from th Abbey!' And some of them still wonder why I don't live there."

Kentar laughs a little then nods. "Heheh. I'm sure. Sounds like a fun place to be, Redwall." he chuckles. "Oh no. I just remembered. Flicktail. I wanted to tell him I was married. Forgot all about the fox. Oh well. I'll send a letter to the abbey at some point. Anyways. Good night Will. I'll see you tomorrow." he waves then goes off to bed.

Will nods, "Ok. .... Uh, Kentar? Could you maybe not mention t Pa that I told you about what he did t Snive? I don't think he said anything about not telling but he might have and back then it was just us an Racky and I haven't told Racky about it. He slept though it and I'm glad he did." He blinks as it seems the stoat has already left, ".... Good night," he says quietly hoping he didn't say anything that will come back to haunt him soon. Unable to do anything about it right now the rat puts the extra bowl away and takes the two bowls full of stew off to the cellar. He figures Amy might like some stew and if she doesn't he can have both.