Reunited
Characters: Kentar, Amethyst
Redwall Abbey: Pond
Kentar has been at the abbey for a good while now, but has kept to himself mostly, hanging around the pond or orchards since they all remind him of home. He's sitting on the edge of the pond with his feet sitting in the water, lightly kicking back and forth as he hums an old song to himself.
A short gray rat with a walking stick comes down the path from the Abbey. She wears a cloak decorated with bits of bone and bird feathers. Beneath the cloak she wears a faded yellow dress. The blind rat carries a lute in one paw while her other grips the walking stick which she taps along the ground as she walks. Amy can hear the stoat and smell him as she gets closer, but doesn't say a word to him.
Kentar doesn't really notice her yet, the stoat's ear turning towards the sound but figuring its just his mind playing tricks on him. It isn't long after though does he look up and blink, smiling brightly. "Amy! Hello! Long time no see! Er...no offense." he says, trying to jump up quickly, but ends up stumbling as he does.
Amethyst smiles at the stoat, glad he isn't upset over their leaving at the moment. "Yeah has been a while. 'Ow yew an th other stoats?" she asks as she walks over closer to him. The blind rat reaches out to touch the stoat's face as if to confirm that it's really him.
Kentar smiles and lets her feel along his face before he goes to give her a big hug. "Its been way too long." he squeezes tightly before letting go and blinking a bit. "Oh, Chris and Robin are fine. Uhm. I'm not sure if my letter got to you though or not..." he says quietly, almost a little sadly.
Amethyst shakes her head. "No. Didn't get a letter. We moved around so much. Probably missed it," the rat answers. "Will's up north lookin' fer a place to stay an Oi'm ere. Clenal went off somewhere. 'E was old enough. Th other one's with Will. She'd rather follow 'er Dad around then stay at th Abbey," the rat explained as she fillied the stoat in on what her family had been up to in the last four seasons.
Kentar nods his head slowly and smiles. "That's nice.." he nods. "Hope you guys wouldn't mind an old stoat visitor sometime." he chuckles a bit before he sighs. "Amy. Uhm. About a season and a half ago I sent a letter to try and find you. It was pretty important. Garnet, uhm." he sighs. "Garnet passed away almost two seasons ago now." he whispers quietly.
Amethyst leaned on her staff as the news hit her. "Sorry t hear thet," she says quietly, "Oi should be gettin' a letter from Will by th end of th week or whenever. Oi'll know where 'e's stayin by then an could send word about Garnet an yew t im."
Kentar nods slowly. "Yeah." he glances down slowly. "Its sad. But of all the ways it could have happened, I'm glad it was this." he smiles a little bit. "Anyway...how've you been? And Will? And that daughter of yours?" he smiles, still just happy to see her again.
"Will an Wilco are up north. Will was gonna see if 'e could find work in Ferravale or someplace. Squirrel went off on his own a season back and haven't heard from im since. Oi've been keepin myself busy in th infirmary ere. Oi think some th healers don't much care fer my help," Amy says.
Kentar nods and rubs over the back of his head a little. "Yeah. That's good though. Heard lots about that place. Think its a little shady by what I've heard but hey, what do I know right?" he chuckles a little bit.
Amethyst shrugs, "Will didn't want t live ere an 'e has t go where 'e kin find work. Might do im good t be around 'vermin' an see wot's wot instead of believin' everythin' other beasts tell im."
Kentar nods a little. "Yeah. Probably. Just make sure he doesn't get himself into trouble, okay?" he nudges the ratmaid lightly with a laugh. The stoat glances around slowly and makes his way over to where his cane lays on the ground, picking it up and leaning on it. "
Kentar nods. "Yeah. I'm sure you'll find someone around here somewhere." he laughs when she stumbles, the old stoat grinning. "Maybe. I haven't been able to pick on you in sometime." he jokes.
Amethyst raises her staff as if to strike the stoat. She stands there meanicingly for a few seconds before lowering her staff and walking a little ways off to sit down on the grass. The rat pulls out her lute and strums it with a gull feather. "Any requests?" she asks as if she hadn't been just about to hit him moments before.
Kentar pretends to cower for a few moments before laughing. He tilts his head when she just settles on the grass. "Uhm. I'm not sure." he says in response as he settles down.
The rat picks out a wordless tune to practice with. "Have anymore grandstoats?" she asks her brother-in-law, to keep the conversation going.
Kentar closes his eyes to listen to the tune before he responds. "Yeah, actually. One is on the way that we know of." he chuckles a little bit. "Found out Robin and Syla will be having another one." he nods. "Thane isn't too happy about it though, but he's never happy about anything these days."
"E remember us?" she asks remembering how young the stoat dibbun had been when she'd last seen him.
Kentar shakes his head slowly. "Nope." he replies. "He was too young when you guys left. But I'd say he's about Wilco's age now. All he's heard are stories of the rats and otters who lived with us all those seasons ago."
Kentar smiles. "That's good." he nods slowly. "Thane...well, he doesn't really help much with anything. I feel a little sorry for Chris." He nods. "When Garnet died, Chris moved away and built a small cabin for himself, and Thane has since moved in too."
Amethyst frowns. "Chris-a-bell's had it rough. First otter aunties gang up on im an now his Mum's gone," Amy says only a little sorry for her nephew. "Yew hear from im any?" she asks more seriously.
Kentar glances to the pond slowly, staring at his reflection before he nods. "Aye, its been hard on him. And when the family sorta split up that also took its toll. We write every so often but on the rare once or twice I've visited, he's been...well not the same since." he replies. "He tends to visit Robin and Syla at Moledeep more than he does me. I think he's just scared."
Amethyst hmms. "Sounds familar. Things weren't too good after th otters were gone either," the rat says.
Kentar nods. "Yeah. I miss Aik. And Fira. And the twins. Well, all of the otters really. Well, actually, I miss everybody. I wish we could have all those fun times back. I'd even live through every bad moment we had if I could do it all over again." he sighs. "I'm old now Amy. I know I'm next in my family. I want another adventure. Just one more like the good old days." he nods.
Amethyst sighs. "Yer talkin' t th wrong rat, Stoat," she says. A mouse dibbun runs up holding a letter. "Miz Ame?" the little mouse asks cocking his head at the blind rat. "The Sister said t give this t you," he says beaming. The rat takes the letter and nods at the mouse. The dibbun runs off to report to the Sister and see if he can get extra desserts for being such a good helper.
Amethyst feels the letter in her paws. "Oi don't know. Oi rather like th food an such ere. Depends wot sort adventure yew want," the blind rat says. She holds the letter out to the stoat. "Read it an find out?" she suggests. She's blind, she can't read letters.
Kentar ohs and nods his head, and reaches out to take the letter. "Yeah. Its good. One of the reasons I kind of leave here now really." he chuckles a bit. "Robin's cooking leaves much to be desired." the stoat grins before looking at the letter. "Hey, its from Will!" he opens it up.
Amy's ears perk up and she turns to face the stoat so she can hear him better. "Thet was fast," she remarks cautiously.
The stoat starts to read over the letter. "Lets see. This is what he says." he clears his throat. "Arrived safely and got permission to setup a shop." he starts. "Its much larger than the one at Moledeep. Already filled it too. Has two smaller rooms and one is already setup for an office and just waiting for suggestions on the other one." he takes a moment to read ahead a little. "Office connects to the living space, but its only one room. I've thought up a way to make into more than one."
Amethyst listens intently as the stoat reads the letter to her. "How big is the room we'd be living in?" she asks frowning a bit.
Kentar hms a bit and keeps reading on. "Already has an oven and got some tables and chairs. Got a bed for us and one for Wilco. Got her bedded down in the oven for now cause its warmer and dont want to get her back in the habit of sharing with me since you'll be coming up later on." the stoat pauses to laugh. "Silly rats." he grins. "Any news from the abbey? Heard there was trouble again down there. Met with the chieftain not long after we got here and oddly enough he seems rather nice. I'm not mates with him or anything but he seems like a beast you could talk to if you needed to. I'm trying to fitin here, but its slow going. Wilco seems to be doing a bit better with those her age but I'm worried she'll learn the wrong things if she's around them too often."
"Oi'm gonna assume yew read thet wrong an my daughter aint sleepin' inside th oven. Just th usually sort of trouble thet Oi know of ere. May need t ask around before writting im though," the rat says.
Kentar smirks a bit. "Maybe. Will's writing really isn't the best." he laughs before continuing. "She doesn't agree naturally. Told her she's got too much of her mother in her. She doesn't seem to mind though. I'll write again when I have more news. Try not to cause trouble or steal anymore dibbuns."
Amethyst frowns more, "Wot's thet supose t mean?" she asks, "E wont write nothin 'e don't want jus any beast t read, but being a good ways away 'e'll write thet!"
Kentar laughs. "I don't know." he smirks a bit, shrugging a little as he folds up the parchment. "Either way, that's all he wrote." he nods before tilting his head. "So, how long are you going to be staying here, Amy?" he asks.
Amethyst nods, "Yep. Four seasons away an not much changed. Seems letters can get through or this one did at least. And th Abbey lets beasts in need in now and then if it's serious, but for th most part no beast comes in or goes out til th fighting stops or th fox an his birds get killed. Whichever comes first."
Kentar thinks. "Well they can't keep me here. I can take care of myself. Always could." he chuckles a bit. "I might not look like much anymore, but I can still fight with the best of 'em." he grins a bit. Its doubtful he is anywhere near as good as he used to be, but its clear he doesn't think anything of his age.
ou say, "Don't do nothin' foolish again, Kenty. I don't want t have t write Will an tell 'im 'is brother got hisself killed."
Kentar blinks a bit and glances over. "I'm not going fox hunting." he smirks. "Not again. I've learned my lesson from the last dozen or so times. But I mean. I was thinking of going home soon. They can't really keep an old stoat from doin' that now can they?" he asks. "I mean...I'm a stoat. Old, yes, but that has to be on my side when it comes down to other vermin, right?"
Kentar says, "Th fox has mostly crows, ravens and monitors on his side. An 'e's crazy. Not as posion happy as th last one and might die a lot better too, but things aren't at thet point yet."
The stoat nods a bit. "Well that's good. But I doubt I'd be too much of a threat to him." he smirks a bit. "Besides, if Chris is left with Thane much longer, he might go crazy."
Amethyst smiles a little. "Yew stoats could maybe move up t Ferravale. Will'll be lookin fer me ere eventually when 'e's able t come back down this way again," Amy says.
Kentar thinks for a little bit. "But what about Moledeep?" he asks, tilting his head slowly. "I mean. That's been our home for so long now. And we've been changing it too. You should visit it sometime, I don't think you'd recognize it at all!" he laughs a bit. "Rob wouldn't leave it but maybe Thane and Chris...I might. I don't think I'd mind living with you guys again." he grin before standing, cracking his back a little bit before picking up his cane. "Anyway, I'm gonna go find something to snack on. I'll see you later Amy. And it was great to see you again." he says, going to give her a hug before he makes his way to the hall.
Amethyst sighs, "I know. It was our home for a long time too, but with Aik an th otters gone Will couldn't stay there. 'E never said it, but loosin Aik was really hard on 'im. Harder than most of us, save maybe th other otters. Will'd been with Aik longer than Fira had, known 'im longer I mean. Yew know 'ow those two were."
Amethyst pulls herself to her footpaws and walks over to the stoat. "Hard enough t leave th home 'e found hisself an was always so pround of, so it seems. 'E acts happy and has for a long while, but I think it'll be a long while still. Fira's still alive, but I think 'e feels like an orphan again with th otters having moved away. I know they waited a while after Aik passed, but they still left an Will didn't like thet. Better for th otters though t be with other otters. Th twins an liddle Tag would have ended up moving anyway. Th twins spent more time away than at Moledeep by the time Aik was real old anyway," the blind rat says as she follows the stoat into the Abbey.
Kentar starts moving again with the ratmaid at his side. "Yeah. I have to go and visit them sometime. Or at least write a letter." he sighs a bit. "Amy. I'm glad you guys are back. It just wasn't the same." he whispers as they enter into the Abbey and go their separate ways for the day.
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