Quinten 156 - 09 03 2009
Salamandastron: Library - Corner of the Library
- -*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-* Salamandastron *-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-
This is the cornered-off section of the library where the older, historical books of Salamandastron are kept. Two of the walls of this small room-like area are stone, and two are simply bookshelves, but as they do reach nearly to the ceiling, they serve, well enough. This is, in fact, one of the librarys corners. A small table, with two chairs, is propped in the corner, but no books are left on this table. The care of these elderly books is taken seriously, by all, and if a certain hare does not, they are likely to be dragged back here to remedy the situation, by the librarian hare.
- -*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
Talisin is in the back of the library, pouring through the records of the mountain. So far he didn't find much that would help, but there were still alot of books to go through. He holds his pipe in one paw, unlit because he figured that he would get a stern talking to if it wasn't allowed. His back is towards the opening that leads to the back corner and he occasionally taps the stem of the pipe against the book in front of him when he finds something of interest.
Quinten has been in the Records Room most of the day, he's finally decided to emerge, the hare Recorder in his shirtsleeves and trousers only. He pauses as he spies the broad back of the badger and coughs, "Good day friend, everything ok there?"
Talisin hmm's and turns the page, lost in what he was doing. This was one thing that Astrid gives him a hard time about, how he gets so involved in something that the rest of the world doesn't seem to exist.
Quinten shakes his head, the badger is clearly far away. The hare walks over and pats his arm, "Aye say, I do say Sir Badger, wot, Hare to Badger."
Talisin jumps when his arm is touched, bringing his other paw up in a fist defensively. He lets out a breath when he realizes what happened and offeres a sheepish grin, "Sorry. You kind of snuck up on me."
Quinten smiles, "Actually sah, I was calling you from the doorway." he glances at the book to find out what he is reading, "What are you searching for?"
Talisin glances at the book then back at the hare, "Just helping Astrid look for information about her family. She's sleeping right now, I guess she was up late looking."
Quinten smiles and tuts, shaking his head, "Should have come tae me sah." he holds out a paw. "Recorder Quinten, I can find anything you want in here. Give me a general time frame, name, family name and i'll see what I can dig out. Just idly browsing the books won't get you very far."
Talisin takes the hares paw and gives it a firm shake, but mindful of how hard he grips, "Talisin, just Talisin. I was never fond of titles for myself."
Quinten chuckles and nods, "Well Talisin, call me quint." he pulls a pad out of a pocket and a piece of charcoal, "so what are the details we be looking for?"
Talisin glances back at the table in thought. Then he looks back up, "Bludstripe. I believe he was the lord here at one point."
Tameus pokes his head into the library corner after hearing voices. His ears are stuck up, and one gives a little twitch outward away from the other. "'ey Quint?"
Quinten nods his head, making a note of the name and looks around, "Hello Quinten." he shakes his head. "Well you won't find that out here." he nods to Tam. "Heya Tameus." He turns back and nods, "Anything that happened in the last 30 seasons is kept int he record room. You will not find it out here in the general records." He turns and beckons Talisin to follow him. "Come along, Tam bring that book." he points at a book on a small side table, it's quite a large brass bound book too.
Talisin nods and rises, moving to put the book he was looking in away before he follows. He tucks his pipe back in the pouch on his belt, still unused.
At some point, Astrid has found her way to the library. She has just wandered in and spies Talisin and the others, and so she approaches. "Hi," she says brightly, having had a decent night's sleep. "Find anything, Tali?" She nods a greeting to the unfamiliar hare.
Tameus tilts his head a little. He takes a step, picks up the book, and follows after Quinten. "Y' know I didn' come 'ere t' do 's y' say. 've got /stuff/ t' do, Quint! ... 'ey Astrid!" He gives the new arrival a bright smile.
~Astrid~
If one was to look for one word which best describes this creature, it would have to be "big". And it's no wonder, given that the creature is a badger. Nonetheless, Astrid is merely average in size for one of her species. In appearance she is densely-built, not overly tall but broad-shouldered and wide of hip. She bears the markings typical for this region - grayish fur along her back, darker fur down her front, and a black-and-white striped face, with white-tipped ears.
She wears simple attire - brown pants, tan shirt, and a wide-brimmed, woven hat. Her footpaws are bare, pads hardened by the seasons. Her face is nothing remarkable, with a set of brown eyes, long snout, and dark brown nose. She does bear a small scar over her left eyebrow, but it is barely noticeable.
Talisin smiles and moves over to give her a hug and a kiss on the cheek before he shakes his head, "Nothing yet. But Quinten here is the recordkeeper and is going to help us," he says with a bright smile.
Quinten pauses and turns, looking up at Astrid and salutes her formally. "Ma'am... welcome to the Library. I'm recorder Quinten, I was just informing your friend here that we need to check the Records Room for information on Lord Bludstripe." he then looks down at tam. "A good leveret who wants to be a recruit, needs to learn how to take orders." he winks at Tam. "Besides I need your help with something later." he then turns and steps off towards the Record Room, "If you would follow me Ma'am, Sir.. we'll see what we can find."
"Y' need m' 'elp wit' e'erythin'," Tam points out with a chuckle, thumbing open the book he holds. "What'a y' need m' 'elp f' then?" he asks while following.
Astrid is in a good enough mood that even /Tameus/ gets a smile. "Hi, Tameus,"
she greets." She returns the kiss to Tali's cheek and gives Quinten a respectful nod. "Thank you, Quinten. What I'm looking for is... if there are perhaps any of his journals...? Or Lady Stormstripe's? But anything would be wonderful, really."
Talisin falls in step with the hare and Astrid, reaching a paw out for hers as she speaks.
Quinten smiles and wanders into the Record Room, "There is a candle burning on the window sill of Lord Bludstripe's old room. Big thing. Old Patrol tradition to keep a candle burning in that window day and night if there is a patrol missing. I lit it for Harper and mmm Miss Darcy, seemed fitting. But it needs replacing and as I'm down here helping miss Astrid here and Sir Talisin I can't get up to replace it." he takes the book off Tam and opens, leafing through it, "Mmm Lord Boar... no no too early." He turns a page, Lord Rawnblade Widestripe, no no still too early." he turns several more pages, Lord Mandoral Highpeak...." He turns a sheaf of pages and then nods, "Ah Lord Bludstripe and the Lady Stormstripe..." he nods to himself and looks at the wall. "Got the dates now..." he wanders over to the shelves and starts to move his paw along it.
Tameus's expression immediately darkens, ears pressing backward. "Guess y'll be keepin' 't lit a while," the leveret says, shooting a little scowl off to the side. "They's not comin' back."
Astrid takes a hold of Talisin's paw, walking along beside him until they reach the Record Room. She listens quietly to Quinten, glancing to the hare in surprise as she hears of this tradition. She smiles faintly, lowering her gaze. She's touched.
Talisin follows, listening. He bows his head when he hears about Harper and Darcy. He knew Darcy some, and her being gone was a sad loss. He turns to Tam and offers an apologetic look before returning his attention to Quinten.
Quinten looks down at Tam and places a paw between his ears, "They'll be back, now will you go replace the candle for me? And light it afresh? It'd mean alot to me." He stops before a glass fronted cabinet and peers at the shelves. "Ah... here we go.. Mmm Lord Bludstripe wasn't much of a one for journals.. but." he pats his pockets, looks around and hops over to his jacket, rooting around in the pockets. "Now where is that key."
Astrid looks a little crestfallen at this news, but she nods nonetheless, eyes lifting to follow Quinten around. He's a busy bee of a hare, isn't he?
Talisin glances to Astrid, then gives her paw a reassuring squeeze. He seems to be doing that alot lately. But, he'll do what he can to keep her spirits up.
Quinten moves back and unlocks the cabinet with a key, he takes out several slim paper bound volumes and then picks up a note. |Reading it he laughs and walks over to a desk, spins the book press to release the large Leather Bound tome trapped in it and plumps it down on the desk before him as he takes a chair. "So.. Ma'am. The collected Journals of Lord Bluddstripe, freshly bound and indexed. I new there was a reason there was an empty shelf there." he tapes the loose journals. "The journals of Lady Stormstripe, unbound and not indexed." he opens Bludstripes book to the back pages and leafs through it, "What are we looking for exactly?"
Astrid's face lights up when she s ees the large tome and realizes what it is. Not /much/ for journaling, but it looks like they still journaled! She returns Tali's paw squeeze happily. But this might be where things get a little tetchy. "Well... permission to look through them, mostly." Astrid smiles a little uncertainly and a little hopefully? "I would be very, /very/ careful."
Talisin can't help but smile broadly at this turn of good news for Astrid. He waits for Quinten's answer to her question though, hoping that it wouldn't be a problem.
Not much for journaling, because Quint mislaid them, the Recorder is drumming his fingers on the book. "Mmmm I'm afraid i do not have authority to let you look through them. These are the personal Journals of our Last Badger Lord, they are kept in a glass case for a reason. I'd need Colonel Zoe's permission to let you read these. I can look things up for you in them here and now if you can tell me what you are searching for? But to let you read them.. well I'd have to ask the Colonel. And she'd likely want to know what you are searching for as well." His ears droop, here it comes, he's about to go head first out the arrow slit behind him whilst the HUGE looming badgers steal his books. They doo kinda fill the room.
Astrid's short, badger ears twitch backward, frustration briefly touching her features. She breathes out a sigh, looking at the journals longingly for a moment. It's only a /delay/, not the end of the world. Calm down, Ast. "Could you seek permission, then?"
Talisin frowns at the hare and is clearly less than happy, "Astrid is /family/, Quinten. Ask yourself, what would she stand to gain from reading them other than personal knowledge about her family?" His paw tightens slightly in hers, the only physical sign that he doesn't like how this going.
Tameus returns in time to hear this latest development. He gives Talisin a faint scowl. "'ey, if 'e says y' haft' ask Zoe, then y' haft' ask 'er." Tiny little defense for Quinten, he is.
Quinten's ear raises up and he stares at Talisin, "You are saying Miss Astrid here is family? To Lord Bludstripe and Lady Stormstripe? I'm afraid this is new information to me Talisin sir, I only just met Miss Astrid..." he glances at Astrid and frowns. "I.... still can't just hand these books over to someone I jsut met. Not without proof... but.." he glances at the book, "I can ask the Colonel," he starts to flick through the index, running his finger along R, checking for any entries mentioning relatives.
Well, the cat's out of the bag. Astrid breathes out a sigh. She glances to the side at Talisin briefly, then just. Shakes her head. "There were twins borne to them here? My mother and uncle. Jepha and Sunstripe? Stormstripe left with them after Bludstripe disappeared and was announced dead."
Talisin takes in a deep breath and lets it go, but he does nod when the hare questions her being family. "What if she looked through them with you sitting right there with her?" He gives Astrid a hopeful look, he didn't mean to ruin anything, he was just trying to help her.
Quinten peers up at Astrid from beneath his ears and riffles through the book, turning to a page. "mmm yes the date of their birth.. is recorded here.." He pulls the book listing the Badger lords towards him and checks the reference. "Sunstripe named in honour of Lord Sunstripe the Mace of ancient days. And Jepha..." He picks up one of Lady Stormstripes journals, riffles through it, puts it down, takes another and after flicking through it he turns the book around, there is a hand drawn picture, two badger babes, one to each page. "You have... some form of proof you are their descendent?" He has a horrible feeling creeping over him as he sits there.
Astrid shakes her head at this new stumbling block. Her lips press together as she tries not to look disappointed. "... No. No, I haven't. Only the bedtime stories I was told of the mountain growing up." And then she thinks to add, looking uncertain. "... I spoke with Major Jarril, at Redwall? I told him one of the stories and he confirmed the truth of it. Not that I suppose that proves anything."
Tameus pipes up, "I 'eard 'bout 'er from Jarril, too."
Talisin falls silent, he looks at Astrid, trying to keep her hopes up somehow. He steps over and puts his arm around her waist.
Tameus then adds, "'e's th' one who said she's th' nex' one. 'im an' Zoe."
What do you want to whisper?
Quinten is getting that sinking feeling. Oh yes.. we all know what time it is now. "Tam.. can you go and ask the Colonel to join us here? I think she can help us with this enquiry." Ha! Pass the buck time, 1st rule of the Military, get someone senior to you in to deal with it. "Well..." he flicks through the journal and then sits back. "Lady Stormstripes journals end after this one... she left them here when she left the mountain...." He glances at Talisin and back at the bound volume, turning it to a page near the beginning. He frowns and stands up. "Actually... there is... something... mm go and get the Colonel please Tam."
Astrid's paw rests over top of Talisin's and she leans back, for the support. And then she glances at Tameus. Consternation! "I wish you'd stop telling beasts that."
Tameus grins at Astrid, arms spreading a little. "'m not th' firs' one who said 't!" He shakes his head at Quinten. "She's busy, I think."
Talisin continues to hold her. He tilts his head to the side when the hare looks at him, then seems to think of something, "What is it?"
Astrid's ears have laid back. Her eyes shift to Quinten, next. "I don't want to make a /fuss/... I just wanted to look at the journals and... and look around. Just to see where my mother was borne. That's all. Can you just ask the Colonel's permission? You don't have to bring... /her/. Here. No need to trouble her." No more hares! Ack!
Quinten frowns and flicks his ears. "Weeeel she made me recorder fer a reason... She can dangle me from the crater later." He walks around the table and opens the door. "I'll not say... but.. please follow me. If.. Astrid is.. who i think..." he gets a small smile, "I'll be right back, I want to ask her permission to show you Lord Bludstripe's rooms..." He bows... and slips out. Oh look... he accidentally left the journals on the table.
Talisin gives Astrid a look, then starts to move with Quinten, "You wanted -me- to follow?"
Tameus quirks his brows quizzically as he steps out of the way.
You say, "Oh no Sir Talisin, please all of you wait there. I'll be right back.""
Look! He did! Astrid wrings her paws together in front of her and then steps forward, out of Talisin's embrace. She just. Steps up to them. And looks at the open page, hovering her paw just over the surface of it, not quite touching. She is an obedient thing!
Talisin watches the recorder leave, then he looks at Astrid, "It's clear..."
The open Page shows a drawing of Lord Bludstripe's chambers. Lady Stormstripe is in the foreground, behind her is the far wall. There is a large crack in it a jagged hole in the otherwise smooth cave wall, it looks as if it has been pulled apart slightly from the way the furniture appears to have been moved out of the way. All captured in a doodle done long ago.
The Lady looks quite beautiful, a crown of daisies around her brow, dressed in a simple dress and holding a bouquet of flowers in her arms. Smiling slightly at something she can see in front of her. A gentle, warm smile, captured eternally on paper by the steady hand of the artist's charcoal.
Astrid's eyes have welled up with tears. She's looking at her grandmother when she was /young/. "She looks like my mother," she tells Talisin, glancing back at him with a smile.
Tameus creeps over, stands on his tiptoes, and peers at this picture also. "Huh." The leveret looks at Astrid, now, thoughtfully. "So that's y'r .. gran'mum?"
Talisin returns her smile, moving over to give her a hug and look at the picture. He looks at her face, "Looks kind of like you too..."
Astrid shakes her head. "I look more like my father. Wouldn't this be easier if I was the spitting image?" And then she even smiles at /Tam/. She nods, happily. "She /is/. Mother said she was beautiful, but..."
Tameus climbs up onto a chair, and turns the book toward him. He turns the page.
Talisin nods, "I can still see a small resemblance." Then he gives her a kiss on the cheek, "I'm glad you found this...I'm happy for you."
The Next page is covered with small spidery writing, /Finished the locket today.
Gave it to Storm, she was ecstatic. It took forever to colour the tiny pictures of our children. But now she will always have them with her./ There is then a drawing of what must have been a wooden locket with two pictures inside it.
Tameus apparently doesn't care if /he/ has permission, his curiosity has taken over. He frowns at the word 'ecstatic' and taps it with his fingers. "What's 'at say?"
Ack! Astrid hardly things. She reaches out and taps Tameus' paw! A typical move that she would engage in against her troublesome sisters. "He said not to /touch/. It says 'ecstatic'."
Tameus grins briefly. "He didn' tell /me/ not t' touch 't, did 'e?" Did he? Maybe Tam has a selective memory. He flips to the next page.
The next page is just full of more writing and a carefully pressed beach leaf. /Went for a picnic today, with the twins. The Colonel did not like the idea of us going out alone. I'm sure if I had check hard enough i'd have found half the Patrol hiding in the sand. But regardless, it was a good day. We went north to that small stand of woods, where the squirrel's live and had a picnic with the children. Storm seemed at her happiest, and the twins had a lovely time of it. We stayed out and watched the sun set then I carried the twins back to the mountain./
Astrid's curiosity has gotten the better of her. Heck, she's eating this up. She reache back to find Talisin's forearm, gives it a happy pat and catches hold of it. "... Look, Tali." She sounds so /happy/.
Tameus mouths some of the words as he reads them. "So which'a th' babes 's y'r mum 'r da'?"
There is a loud "Thump" from the main Library and Quint can be heard. "Ooops, who left that there. Sorry Ma'am." There is the sound of something being picked back up and set aside. The sound of 2 sets of paws approaching the Record Room.
"Jepha's my mother," Astrid is answering Tameus when she hears the thump. She looks around and she quickly turns the pages back to the page it /was/ on.
Quickly but /carefully/. She holds her finger up to her lips, to Tameus. Shhh.
Meanwhile, Zoe's voice can be heard. "It's all righ', Quinten. Just be careful. What'd you say 'er name was again...?"
The door opens and Quinten walks in, leading the Colonel, "Astrid ma'am, she claims to be Lady Stormstripe's Grand daughter." he stops and eyes the book then gives a long sly glance at Astrid, Oh yes, he knows who was looking at things. "Here she is. Miss Astrid, may I present Colonel Zoe, head of the Long Patrol. Colonel Zoe, this is Miss Astrid."
Tameus lifts his brows and keeps his mouth shut.
Astrid looks. A little star struck. She does the only thing she can think to do in the Colonel's presence - she drops a little curtsy, sans-skirts. It's an odd sight to see from a badger. "... I'm sorry to trouble you, ma'am." The Colonel is eyeing the young badger maid curiously. Talisin next gets a glance. She nods to them both. "... You have the look of her, a bit," is all she says, at first. And then to Quinten. "You wanted to show her the Badgah Lord chambahs. I think that should be fine."
Quinten inclines his head to the Colonel, "Yes Ma'am.. She knows enough. I figure if she be the one she'll know what to do." He tucks the journals away in the glass fronted cabinent and locks them. Pulls on his jacket and holds the door open. "Would you care to follow me Miss Astrid?"
Salamandastron: Badger Lord's Room
- -*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-* Salamandastron *-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-
The chamber you step into looks as if it was clawed into the very rock of
the mountain. A high, craggy celing and bare walls give the room a
decidely spartan look, fitting of a warrior. The bed is actually a large
stone slab, heavily strew with large pillows, big enough to accommodate
the Badger Lord Bludstripe and his wife, the Lady Stormstripe. A table
sits on one side of the room, a circular oak affair surrounded by four
large chairs. On the same side is a large fireplace, over which are two
sets of wall hanging hooks, most likely for the rulers weapontry. On the
remaing side is a large window hacked from the stone, facing out over the
endless expanses of sand and sea, a portal for the Lord to watch over his
domain.
- -*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
The one to do /what/? Astrid looks harried. She worries at her lower lip, looking between the pair of hares. She breathes out a quiet sigh and just. Nods. "... Okay." She sounds like following on this rapidly spiraling out of control situation is the last thing she wants to do, but. She follows, nonetheless.
The Recorder leads Astrid, Tameus and Zoe upstairs, pushing open the door and grunting as he heas to heave it open. It is not an easy door to open being built for Badgers. There is as single tall white candle burning on the great Windosill, looking out to sea. Quinten steps to the centre of the room and smiles past Astrid at Zoe who has also followed along. "Well here we are Miss Astrid."
For once the badgers don't have to duck to enter a room. Astrid steps in before Talisin, who follows close behind. The female of the pair walks in, eyes slightly glistening as she looks all around. She steps forward, paw brushing over the table's surface. "Mum told me she and her brother used to play under the table while Grandfather worked," she murmurs. Then glances to Zoe and Quinten. "Is this the original furniture?"
Zoe nods, silently. She is keeping a careful eye on Astrid, looking thoughtful. She's almost frowning.
Quinten inclines his head, "It is yes, this room has been left how Lord Bludstripe and Lady Stormstripe left it, only the next Badger lord or lady has the right to redecorate it." His eyes flick to the table, "It is quite the sturdy table.." His eyes then drift slowly to the back wall and the crack that is partially obscured by a tapesty and a dresser.
Tameus has been here before. He was /just/ here, in fact, and a light is on the windowsill. His eyes skate there, and then to Zoe, who he goes to stand near.
The Colonel's eyes too glance towards That Wall. But she doesn't say anything more. She rests a paw on Tam's shoulder.
Astrid doesn't even glance at the wall. It's like she's specifically /not/ looking at it. She moves to the window, instead, and looks first at the candle and then out, towards the sea. She closes her eyes, breathing in the scent of the wind.
Tameus steps nearer to Zoe and leans into her a little, saying nothing.
Quinten moves on his heels, walking up to stand besides her, checking the candle and then looking down to the sea. "I like to stand here... of an evening. To watch the sea and offer thanks to the seasons. I missed this view I spent too long away."
Astrid glances to the side and down at the small hare beside her. She smiles softly, nodding. "It's a beautiful view. I could go my whole life and never see something so beautiful, again."
Quinten is.. quite frankly /tiny/ when stood next to the badger, he's a short buck as it is. "So could I... I used to dream about this view when I was out on patrol." he slowly fingers his ear, the complete one, rubbing the small silver ring in the end of it absently.
Astrid's ears dip. She slowly turns, leaning against the window frame. Clear of the candle, of course. She looks all about the room, her eyes still avoiding that crack. "Thank you for letting me see this." She sounds subdued.
Quinten reaches out a hand to touch Astrid's arm, looking up at her, "I am glad we could Miss Astrid... really I am." He bites his lip, the words he was about to say going unsaid. "It is always here..... just waiting."
Talisin more or less keeps to himself now, watching Astrid with an affectionate look about him. He really was glad that she found all of this, and hoped that she would be happy for it. He casts a glance at the colonel, then to the rest of the room. He suddenly feels somewhat out of place, being the only one that didn't really belong here, in this room. He shifts to the side of the room by the door, still giving Astrid a 'I'm happy for you' smile, even though he looks a little awkward now.
The look Astrid gives Quinten now is a little. Unsure. Her eyes flicker to that crack - the one she glimpsed in the picture - and then away. She walks over to Talisin, then, linking her paw with his. "... Okay. I've seen enough. Could we go back downstairs, now?" she asks of the two hares.
Quinten's ears pin back and he glances towards Zoe, "If you are sure Miss Astrid. Of course, is there nothing else you would like to look at before we go?"
Tameus has noticed the crack in the wall, slightly visible. He points and asks Zoe, "What's 'at?"
Talisin gives her paw a squeeze when she moves over to him, then glances at the crack in the wall when Tam points it out. He looks to the colonel, then to Astrid. His look says that everything will be alright.
The Colonel looks down at Tameus, then to the crack in the wall. Leave it to him to notice. "It's not for the likes of you and I to see, Tam." She smiles affectionately down at the leveret buck, then turns her eyes upward again. They rest briefly on the pair of badgers.
Quinten nods his head, staying by the window and that single burning candle. "Indeed, it is the place of Badger Lords... where the prophecies of the Badgers of Salamandastron lie.... or so the texts say."
A shudder runs up Astrid's spine. Her paw clenches reflexively on Talisin's. "I'm sure. Tali," and she says this in an aside to him, "let's go."
Tameus's ears dip back and he looks thoughtful. "So we c'n ne'er go in there..?"
Quinten nods his head, "Well it will be here Miss Astrid, should you wish to see the room again. And if the Colonel agrees I can make the journals availiable to you." He looks to Zoe for confirmation whilst speaking softly for Tam. "Only the Badger Lord or Lady of Salamandastron can open it.. the only hares to see it are ones invited inside by them. Otherwise no we may not enter there."
Talisin raises a brow and finally finds a voice to speak, "Prophecies?" He looks to Astrid for something of an answer, but then nods to her. If she didn't want to see it, then he wouldn't be part of the group pressuring her to.
Zoe shakes her head at Tameus. "No. 'Tis a sacred place. What Quinen says is righ'." She pats him on the arm, then nods to Quinten. "I think we c'n do that. Shouldn't be a problem." And to Talisin, "The Badger Lords have a way of seein', lad. What will come and who will stand aftah them."
Meanwhile, Astrid's rooted to the spot. She's not moving. She waits on the others, lowering her eyes.
Talisin nods to Zoe, then takes the innitative and gives Astrid's paw a slight pull. She obviously didn't want to be here any more.
Tameus nods and goes quiet again. Nothing like the Badger Lord's chamber to make a kid feel very, very small.
Quinten walks up to Astrid, tilting his head back to look at her. "It is your choice Mi'lady Astrid... this chamber is always waiting. All you need do... is pull." Bad Recorder, but then every hare in the mountain is waiting for their new leader to arrive. He glances at Talisin, "I have some books on it downstairs, maybe you will be able to read the bits in Badger script."
Oh, Quinten! Astrid gives the small hare a look that is almost frightened. But in the end, she nods. Just a little thing. And then she answers to Talisin's tug and turns, letting him lead her out. With a relieved look to his face. Get her away from these crazy hares.
This sounded deep. Deeper than the simple smith had ever known. Talisin was a simple beast, not used to such things. But he cared alot for Astrid, and would do his best to help her with this. He opens the door to the hallway and starts to lead her out towards 'safety'.
Quinten follows behind Astrid and Talisin, "As long as you are here miss Astrid, would you join me to light the candle? For our missing friends?" He stops in the hall and starts to push the door shut with a grunt of effort. "And Mister
Talisin you are welcome in the library any time. Stop by and i'll show you those books."
Meanwhile, Zoe gives them all a nod and murmurs an excuse before walking off. Odd of her!
Tameus looks after his grandmother, then back around the room. He leaves as well.
Once they are out of the room, Astrid seems to breathe easier. In fact, she takes a nice deep one, eyes briefly closing. She nods to Quinten, then. "Yes. Yes, I'd like that. Thank you. And thank you for letting me look at the journals. I don't know that I'll get much sleep tonight for reading." She looks to Tali, now, with an actual smile. "I think I'm hungry now, though. Shall we all get something to eat?"
Talisin glances at Quinten and shakes his head, "Please, just Talisin or Tali is fine. You don't have to call me Mister or anything. And I do appreciate it. I'll stop in sometime so I can learn more." He turns to Astrid and lets out a small sigh of relief. He returns her smile and nods, "That sounds nice."
Quinten smiles, folding his paws behind his back, pausing to pat Tam between the ears as he turns to leave. "Of course sir, as you say. Well I'll leave you two to go eat. I will be in the library when you are ready for those journals Miss Astrid. Master Talisin i'll get those books out too."
Oh! This is so much better. Astrid just. /Looks/ happier. She slips an arm around Tali's waist, to lead him towards the stairs. "Thank you, Quinten. Tell the Colonel thank you, as well."
Talisin responds by putting his arm around her waist, "Yes, we do appreciate everything you've done." Was it him or was she being a little more affectionate towards him? 'Hey...if I made an axe with a head shaped like -that-...it might keep it's edge longer...' and his thoughts drift for a moment before he smiles at the hare and follows Astrid.
Quinten watches the Badgers leaving, down the stairs to the level below and beyond to the dinning hall. What an interesting day. the recorder starts towards the Library. He has... things to write.
Groups:
