Riana vs. Angela.....Redwall Abbey is doomed.
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]
Nightbreath the ermine. Angela the mouse and Riana the golden eagle. Flicktail the fox. Liam the marten. Sina the squirrel.
The Infirmary is almost deserted, most beasts having hidden themselves in the Recovery Room. Why? Because Riana the golden eagle has called dibs on the window ledges in here, and she is glaring angrily at any who come near. Her right wing is in a cast and is tied to her side to keep her from moving it, and her legs are bandaged. Angela seems to be one of the few beasts not afraid of her. Having officially taken over the duties of Master Healer now that Leon is gone for a little while, she is checking on the injured beasts in the Recovery Room, and now comes out and heads towards the huge bird, who is large enough to carry her off in one muscular, massive, taloned foot. "Ye need to let me check yer bandages, eagle." Riana hisses moodily. "Get away from me, poisoner. I don't want nor do I need your hideous....tonic things."
Nightbreath walks into the Infirmary. "Ah, Angela, good day," he says, unperturbed by the presence of the bird. He nods in greeting to the eagle, then walks over next to Angela. "Do you have a moment?" the Seer inquires.
Flicktail thought he saw a familiar ermine and enters the infirmary looking.
Angela makes a waving gesture at the Seer. "No, I don't 'ave a moment! I'm trying to change this stupid featherbag's bandages--'ey, get back!!" Riana hisses and comes down off of the window ledge, towering over the furry beasts in here. Eyes narrowed, she goes to shove the ermine back towards the fox with her good, non-injured wing. "Get back, vermin! I'm not hunting only because Redwall is a place of peace. But should you irritate me, either of you, I'll kill you and use your hides to line my nest!" The old mouse healer claps a paw to her forehead in pure frustration. "Threatenin' beasts while in the Abbey is wrong, too, y'oversized feather duster!" "Don't call me a feather duster, little mouse!!"
Nightbreath merely smiles, nodding briefly to Flicktail as he does so. "You do know I'm a Seer, right?" he inquires of Riana. "'Tis bad fortune to kill a Seer, and we aren't very good eating," he says confidently. He ducks her shove easily.
Flicktail looks up "well hello breath o night"
Riana glares balefully at the ermine. "I don't believe in luck or fortune. Why are there so many prey beasts running around in here?? I thought Redwall was a woodlander place." Angela waves her staff under the beak of the eagle, who squawks in alarm, backing up and trying to make it go away by waving her good wing at it. "You, Seer, please just move back and stop irritatin' my patient! I've never drugged a Seer afore, but there's always a first time! Go talk to the Champion 'til I'm done with 'er, okay?!" The bird grumbles and bites the staff and holds it still.
Nightbreath snorts quietly, but complies. "Very well." He steps back, as if all that was needed was to ask him in the first place.
Angela glares at him while keeping a hold of her staff, which Riana is now tugging on slightly. "Look at 'er! She can't be more'n 8 seasons old, and she's already an expert killin' machine! Why were you tauntin' 'er like that? Are ye /tryin'/ to make my job difficult? Oi, birdbrain! 'Old still or I'm gonna drug ya!" The eagle hisses angrily, but releases the mouse's staff and glares at the wall. "Fine, little mouse. Change my bandages. But none of that nasty drink stuff. I don't trust you ground-bound beast's medicines." She sounds tired. Angela sighs. "Ye need to drink some o' the medicine to fight the infection. I'll try me best to make it taste better...." and with that she goes to work, quickly and expertly replacing the bandages. She then goes to try and make the medicine more palatable for the yawning bird.
Nightbreath stays quiet, letting the healer do her work. He hums an old song to himself idly, gazing out the parts of the window that aren't obscured by bird.
Flicktail looks closer at the eagle.
Riana glares at the Champion. "Keep back, little fox. I have made many vermin like you into the lining of my nest, and I am willing to do the same with you should you bother me." Angela shakes her head as she comes over with a huge bowl of stew. "You big ormadorm, stop threatenin' beasts! 'Ere, I mixed yer medicine in with some vegetable stew. Eat it all up now, y'ear?" The eagle grumbles and begins to eat her stew cum medicine. The old Healer shakes her head and goes to pull the fox farther away from the huge bird. "Please, Flicktail, stay away from 'er. I am barely able to keep 'er from peckin' every beast that comes by, I don't need her takin' you bein' near 'er as an excuse for 'er to eat you/ We were barely able to make 'er promise to not 'unt while stayin' 'ere under our care."
Flicktail looks at the eagle getting close, very suspicious of her
Flicktail eyes the Eagle
Riana hisses and goes knock the fox over with her powerful left wing, her right one in a cast and tied to her torso. "Keep away from me, little fox. I am not in the mood for banter from prey beasts." Angela goes to tug the fox away from the huge bird. "Stay away from 'er, Flicktail!! Are ye mental?"
Flicktail oophs and shakes his head "that be one DANGEROUS burd...." he gets up "but Still I wanna go up to 'er...I wanna ask her for a feather to paint...I can paint her picture on her feather if she lets me...hey Dangerous Burd....."
The door opens to admit one Liam Grey. The marten has to take the door sideways to enter, sucking in his bulbous gut. Which is really the whole reason he is here. Liam looks practically ill from over eating at the feast. He looks practically terrified when he opens the door to see a giant eagle in the room.
Angela panics slightly and goes to yank the fox back by his tail. "Ask her from over here, y'big oaf!!" Riana hisses at him, narrowing her eyes. "What do you WANT, you irritating little prey beast?? Why don't you just go and hide like all your kind do before I eat you and turn you into a rug?" The old Healer looks desperately at the marten. "Oi, you! 'Elp me keep the Abbey Champion from 'is death!"
Flicktail isn't advancing and reassured Angela "I'm not gonna go be silly Angela...the Eagles eyes are bad I think, Foxes are not prey beast" he says from here "Marm Dangerous Burd...I need one of yer feathers so I can paint yer picture on it..a gift fer Dangerous Burd...."
The marten looks at the mouse, then the fox, then the eagle. "Are you sure you want me to do that?" Slowly Liam steps inside peering intently at the indeed Dangerous Burd. "You mind explaining to me WHY exactly there is a great big burd...bird in the abbey?" He stays as far away as he can from the eagle.
Riana narrows her eyes. "Foxes are excellent prey for golden eagles. Why would you want to paint a feather and give it to me as a gift when I could easily eat you?" Angela sighs and stares at Liam with an unreadable expression. "She has a broken wing and bite marks that look like they were inflicted by a snake of considerable size. She came requesting the Abbey's healing services, and as per the Abbey charter, we could not deny her help."
Sina has escaped her care-ers. Well, with so many other dibbuns to look after it wasn't /too/ difficult. The stairs were more of a challenge but a squirrel learns to climb, and the thrill of being somewhere she shouldn't has spurred her on. A big bird is in here- like the big bird Sina met at the feast maybe- so Sina wanted to see. Sucking on her thumbclaw she pokes her head around the door quietly.
Flicktail looks at the eagle patting Angela's paw and looking at the enormous size of Liam "I paint images on feathers great, Dangerous burd....and if I were not a good fox, foxes eat eagle....but I want to paint yer picture on a feather and then you can have it...wot other beast ever painted yer picture? a great Dangerous burd like you...." he se's Sina "well a wee lass"
"So a giant meat eating predator just shows up at your door annnnnd you let it in?" The mass of marten rubs his eyes, "Remind me to tell you guys about the wolf and the 7 goats some time." Liam peers intently at the bird for a long moment. "Wait...I know you..."
Liam rubs at his chin, wagging a finger, "Yes, yes I /have/ seen this bird before! Flying over the Ferravale...right before it dropped..." The marten gulps, "Son of a...you ate him! You /ATE/ Bandit!"
Angela goes to pick up the Dibbun as Riana laughs. "Ferravale? Ah, yes, that would be that vermin village, wouldn't it? I'm glad that you are here to bring the terror of my deeds to the Abbey. But who, pray, is this..../Bandit/? What type of beast was he? I may or may not have eaten him; I rarely ask for the names of my prey. None of them have lived to paint pictures of me," she adds, directed towards the fox.
Sina hears Liam say the bird -ate- a bandit and immediately tries to scurry under one of the cots but is grabbed by Angela. "Naaaaaaah! N' wanna be 'ated! Pu' Sina dooooowwwwn!"
Flicktail gives an odd look "Sir, I assure you if that Burd 'ad eaten BANDIT it would be sufferin' from poisoning" he looks at the Bird "so how about it...can I 'ave a big feather....surely a pretty burd like you wants 'er image captured"
The marten pulls at his ears. "I'm tellin' you! She ate Bandit! And how could /you/ forget?" Liam points an accusatory claw at the bird, "After you stripped the flesh from his bones you dropped his gutted hide onto the village square!" Liam pauses and looks behind him to the dibbun squirrel, "Oh...um..." Well didn't he just put his foot in his mouth.
Angela keeps a tight hold on the Dibbun and glares balefully at the marten. "Good job, lard bucket. No I 'ave to calm both the little one /and/ my patient down! You irritating little--and YOU!" she goes to tug on the fox's tail. "I don't think this is a good time to try and talk to 'er. Maybe you should come back tomorrow....or in a week....." Riana smiles as she remembers. "Oh, yes, the one wearing the blue thingie. I think you'll be happy to know that his death was fast and relatively painless. But again, you have failed to tell me who, exactly, this /Bandit/ was. How was he special to your village?"
"...Bones?" Sina whimpers; the little squirrel is beginning to think that her escape and venture to the infirmary was a bit of a mistake. Her little face is starting to screw up with upset while Liam accuses Riana. She clings to Angela looking as horrified as a dibbun can.
Flicktail Yips and moves to exit the infirmary if it's tail tuggin' he's out, his silken soft warm tail in her grasp
Liam shakes his head, "Bandit...Bandit was, well. I wouldn't call him a friend but, more of a fat gluttonous jerk. And the head guard of the city. We...beat heads against each other a lot." The marten rubs the back of his neck, "You know, now that I think about it, I'm ok with him getting eaten." He gestures to the healer, "Not so much ok with seeing beasts get eaten /here/ though. Just make sure you arn't healing it so it can dine on us later, ok?" Feeling slightly bad about scaring the dibbun Liam shakes his head again and moves for the exit.
Angela bares her teeth. "Yes, leave. You've caused enough damage, ye irritating little butter bucket. 'Ere, Flicktail, take the squirrelmaid, see if ye can calm 'er down." She releases the fox's tail, then goes to hand the Dibbun to him. Shooing the 3 of them out of the door she says, "Now all y'all, out!" Riana laughs again and says, "Oh, don't worry, little marten, I do not hunt woodlanders, and as long as you stay to the South of the great River Moss, you shall be safe. But remember; my territory is to the North of the bridge, and if you should be so foolish as to travel up that far, you will become fair game." Then the door to the Infirmary slams shut, blocking the sight of the fearsome bird from the trio of mammals.
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