The Library: The best place to find Zinnia (Salamandastron Ambassadors Log)
This ICly happens at the same time as this http://rwmuck.limitless.org/rwmuck/content/zee-helps-hare-and-then-hares... log :)
Salamandastron: Library
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Here lies the collective efforts of a few good, intellectual hares of the mountain. Over the seasons, this room, which was once little more than a storage room, has been converted into a quite functional library, filled with books of all sorts. The room is staggered with bookshelves, all crafted within the mountain, which reach very nearly to the ceiling, with only a foot or two of space above them, in most instances. And, surprisingly, the shelves are basically all full. Apparently, over the seasons, hares have donated books, and books that were previously stored elsewhere have been brought here.
Some books are older than any of the hares alive in the mountain, and, even more, some are nearly as old as the mountain, itself. These sort are usually journals and records - histories of the mountain. In fact, there is an entire section of this, in a corner of the room, which one can only get to by making their way through the maze of bookshelves to that corner, which is quite like a room in and of itself, closed in by walls on two sides and bookshelves on the two others. However, in the center of the main room, there are two tables set, and upon these books like, some open and some closed, despite the efforts of the librarian hare to keep them on the shelves.
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Visible Exits:
[R]ecords [R]oom [C]orner of Library
[Back] to Second Level Intersection
Zinnia the badger. DoraRose the mouse and Felicity the hare.
Zinnia has come into the library to read some of the books, or well at least a couple in one of the far off soft chairs. She also ended up falling asleep in the chair with the book in her lap and one on the floor. It's not the best sleep as she whimpers some, maybe a bad dream of some sort.
DoraRose has decided to investigate the library, mostly to get away from some recruits who admire her for being able to use her axe expertly. She quietly enters the room and softly walks over to a bookshelf. She picks up a book just as the badger whimpers. Looking around, she spots her and walks over. Sitting nearby, she waits for her friend to wake up, hoping that she'll not remember whatever it is that she's dreaming about.
Zinnia frowns in her half asleep mode and moves slightly, only to be roughly woken up by falling sideways out of the chair. Well that wakes her and her eyes slowly open as she sits up and rubs her arm, "Owwwwww" she says softly. Well least there is some soft padding by the chair.
Well, that wasn't quite what Dora was expecting. She kneels down by the Recorder, reaching a paw out, but not trying to touch her just yet. "Hey, you okay? That was a pretty rough landing." She looks and sounds genuinely worried, and she puts her book in her chair.
Zinnia blinks and looks at Dorarose and frowns, she nods slowly and stands up after a short while, "Not...not hurt" She has yet to really talk to Dorarose or Leon.
DoraRose pulls her paw back quickly and rests it on her lap. "Okay, um, good, I'm glad that you're not hurt." She stands up, brushes imaginary dust off of her leggings front, then sits down. Holding the book in her paws, she adds in a barely audible whisper, "I....I'm sorry for everything that......I said. I....I don't hate you. Sorry...." She then opens her book and starts to pretend to read it, hoping that she doesn't start crying.
Zinnia listens and catches some of what is said, "You...You don't hate me?" She asks quietly.
DoraRose closes the book and looks up at her friend quickly. "Oh, no, I don't hate you! I was just mad. I am so sorry for everything that I said. Will.....will you forgive me?" she sounds so forlorn and sad, like this question has been plague-ing her for days.
Zinnia frowns and sits down in another chair, unknown to either Leon or her, the badger maid did have some major crying time but she is unsure of how much to really say she saw or felt. She sits there quietly and then some tears start to fall down her cheeks, she is more willing to let tears come now.
DoraRose scoots forward and goes to hold the badger's paw. "Hey, it's all okay now. You're safe, we're all safe now. Do you....do you need someone....to listen to? I'm right here, if....if you need to talk." She smiles, faking happiness, but she's still really sad on the inside.
Zinnia is silent, but not for too long "I'm...s...sorry, not spoken...just been upset and...thought you hated me after, after the crows and...I..." she closes her eyes as more tears come "I ki...killed one of the crows...maybe two...n...not supposed to take a life" It was to save her friends, but it still upsets her of the fact, maybe she could of just knocked the crows and ravens out... "And u...used the hot root to make 'em...g...go away" Sobs now come..."Then got lost and..."
DoraRose goes to hug her friend, not shushing her or anything, but rather letting her just cry as much as she needs to. "It's okay, I understand. I don't think killing a beast on accident to save your friends is a break of your Order vow."
Zinnia sniffs "But...but they would think badly of me, and I almost didn't throw the hotroot...ca....'cause.." She frowns, but she did and she did it to save them, all of them.
DoraRose backs up a little and stares at the floor. "I don't think anybeast will think badly of you, and if they do, well, they're idiots. I think you're very brave." She peeks back up at the badger's face. "'Cause why?" she asks very softly and gently.
Zinnia shakes her head "Not important..." She wipes away some tears, "Just...been rough last few weeks, felt so...lost and alone, holding onto things.."
DoraRose nods slowly. "I did that after my sister died. It feels so awful, doesn't it?" She wipes a tear from her own cheek, but tries to make it look like she's just rubbing her eye.
Zinnia frowns, "But...w...watc" She sniffs "Being there when someone...close dies is....like your world is....gone."
Another tear trickles down Dora's cheek, but she doesn't seem to notice it. "Aye, especially when they're murdered and you weren't able to stop them." She sighs, then sniffs. "It's one of the worst feelings in the world, I agree.....like you're heart's been ripped out and shattered into a million pieces...."
Zinnia frowns "Your...sister you mean...prob'ally worse than." She sniffs and looks at the floor. "I...papa was fine or seemed fine 10 minutes before he...went to stand and fe...fell over" The day is still so clear in her mind, but maybe talking of it will help her as well, another big step sort of... "I ran over and he was on the ground. And not sure if he heard me or not and his eyes just closed and he went limp and...and I screamed for help and Leon was close by...b...but he couldn't...couldn't help him"
Zinnia says, "He...he was...g...gone and it was too late...I d...don't know, rest of day is blurr and...funeral is...is blurr. And I feel so...so upset that...that I avoided anyone, I...I just felt so lost and maybe you don't hate me but others might. I even slammed the door in Uncle Oz's and...and Uncle Zee's face....they prob'ally ha...hate me"
DoraRose listens, then is silent for a few minutes, probably really long minutes for the badger. She just sits there, staring at the floor, then she shifts and murmurs, "No, I don't think they hate you." she looks up at the Recorder's face and adds, "In fact, they seemed really worried about you before we left. And I know that Lily doesn't hate you. She cried herself to sleep a few times because she thought it was her fault that she couldn't get you talking."
Zinnia nods and frowns "I...had a ...small meeting and the badger Lord has the letters and stuff" That's all she says of it, least for now.
DoraRose nods and is quiet for a few minutes. "Did it go well?" she asks, not really wanting the details right now, just wanting a yes or a no.
Zinnia nods quietly, "It went....ok" She leaves it at that, she does add "He is...nice"
DoraRose smiles softly. "He seemed really nice when we came back with you. He has a whopper of a hammer..." she adds with admiration tingeing her voice.
Zinnia nods, she remembers some of the rescue but not much, "He...carried me back or maybe I leaned on him here...right?"
DoraRose nods. "Yeah, I think so. I was....um, kind of distracted at the time, so I didn't quite notice, but yeah, he helped you get here."
Zinnia nods and manages a smile, not the best but its a smile and she has only smiled a couple other times after her talk with the badger lord, "Ok...and...Dora, I am glad your still my friend and I am still yours also, as well as Leon's"
DoraRose grins and goes to hug the badger. "Me, too. I hope we can /stay/ friends forever and ever. I'm sure Lily will be happy to see that you're feeling better."
Zinnia smiles better at the hug and goes to gently return one of her own, "I...am starting to feel better but think still have a ways to go. Death is...is not easy to get over"
DoraRose accepts her friend's hug, still smiling. "Aye, 'tis. You have every reason to be sad. Just.....don't let yourself get depressed again, alright? Please?"
Zinnia nods "I...will try. Hope all is well at the abbey."
DoraRose sighs and rubs her eye as she sits back. "Yeah. I hope those....Under Marten whatevers will leave the Abbey alone. I wonder if Benar mentioned them in his letter to the Badger Lord?"
Zinnia shrugs "I...don't know, maybe...he said he read some more of it later and he may of by now read the rest."
DoraRose nods, then sighs again and sits back. Slouching down in her chair, she slides down until she's basically laying on the seat. Covering her eyes with an arm, she says dryly, "Our trip here was definitely not what I was expecting.....in a good way. I thought there'd be /more/ danger."
Zinnia eyes widen in surprise, "We...didn't need more trouble the crow and ravens and..." She closes her eyes "Wildcat and ferret were enough....." She opens her eyes "When that wildcat put the muzzle on me or started to, I...I bit his paw and then he knocked me out, I woke tied up with that muzzle on"
DoraRose peeks out at the badger and gives her a crooked grin. "You got some guts, girl. I hope you made him scream." Sighing, she recovers her eyes. "And I agree, we had way too /much/ trouble. I'm just pleasantly surprised that we didn't have /more/...."
Zinnia nods, she is quiet and nods "He did sort of yell and growl....but I didn't want the muzzle on me and...it reminded me of when I was a slave...be...before and I didn't want that again, I was afraid I never see anyone again"
DoraRose removes her arm from over her eyes and looks very seriously at the badgermaid. "Wait.....you were.....a slave once before? Did....did I know that?" she rubs the very faint scars on the side of her head and sits up. "Did I know that......?"
Zinnia shrugs, "It was...when I was a dibbun. A ...well it was a couple at first, they killed my birth father and my mom ran with me, but they found and killed her while she was protecting me...they got me a couple weeks later when I sneaked out of my home for food and had me two seasons. I managed to get away and was alone for a season...at 3 seasons old I was...alone...they found me and almost caught me again on the road between Redwall and Ferravale and that's when I meet my adopted father...meet papa...he saved me"
DoraRose continues to slowly rub her head as she listens, then slowly nods. "That.....I'm sorry. That's awful. Anybeast that would do that to a Dibbun is despicable."
Zinnia says, "Yeah....I was a season old when it happen...so yeah not the best dibbun life and...you may not of liked me if knew me at 4 seasons...I sort of...didn't trust anyone. I didn't get along with Papa at first and then, well ...I think trusted him first and then started to call him papa and he adopted me shortly after that" She smiles at the memory of that, when she was adopted.
DoraRose smiles softly. "That's a beautiful change for your story. Whenever I'm feeling sad about my baby sister, I try to think of the nice memories we made together before....." she trails off, then continues, "and it makes me feel better."
Zinnia nods "that's a good plan...like I will think of happy memories of me and Papa"
DoraRose smiles. "Exactly. And maybe you can share them with Oz and Zee when you see them next; it might help them feel better, too. And I'm sure Lily will be more than willing to listen, too."
Zinnia frowns some now "If they will still talk to me..."
"Lily will, I'm confident of that." Dora says, smiling. "And I'm sure Oz and Zee will want to, aswell." Little do they know that Zee is just downstairs....
Zinnia nods and frowns, great she is going to cry again "I...slammed the door in Uncle Zee's face...and then...he...he wasn't at the abbey later that day. He prob'ally was glad to leave after that. I didn't even listen when he said he wanted to....to talk" She coughs now and curls up to cry a little, and finally gets out..." I was...mad...didn't even ask...w...w...why he wasn't around when papa died...or what...h...happen....." And now its just sobbing.
DoraRose goes to hold her friend's paw. "I'm sure he'd be willing to talk when next you see him." She then is silent, just being there for her friend.
Zinnia sniffs, and just needs time to calm, but at least she is getting locked up feelings out more.
DoraRose waits quietly for her friend to start talking again, ready to listen.
Zinnia sits up finally and sighs "I...think will be ok now."
DoraRose smiles softly. "Okay. If you ever need to talk, I'll be here for you. You just need to find me.....and possibly save me from some young hares." Her eyes widen. "They won't leave me alone! They seem to think a female using an axe is something odd. They follow me around like I'm.....I'm famous or something. It's driving me nuts!"
Zinnia nods "Talking is...yeah helpful and maybe they just ...curious?"
DoraRose slumps back into her former laying-down position, groaning slightly. "Well, I wish they'd be curious from a distance...." The door opens again, and an auburn-furred female hare sticks her head in. The corners of her blue eyes crinkle as she smiles, and she enters the room, leaning on a cane. "Miss Zinnia? I'm Private Felicity Rosinbloom. A Recruit told me you were seen entering here a few hours ago. I'm glad you're still 'ere."
Zinnia looks at the hare maid and nods as she sits up and takes a deep breath "Yes I am here 'till Spring, as is Dorarose and Brother Leon"
DoraRose looks at the hare curiously as Felicity salutes. You're suppossed to salute to nice badgers, right? Especially if they're Ambassadors from Redwall. "I wanted to let y'know that a badger by the name of Zee 'as arrived. 'E seemed to know who you are, and said your name when I informed him that the Redwall Ambassadors 'ad arrived. I'm sorry to say that 'e's in the Infirmary, and seems to be ill."
Zinnia just stares at the hare, it's unclear if she heard her right or not... "What?" She just is silent and speaks "Maybe...misheard...name?"
Lissie fidgets slightly. She wasn't expecting that reaction. "'E said 'is name is Zee, Miss." Dora looks quickly at the badgermaid. "I'm sure he's fine."
Zinnia frowns, and silent now as she tries to think, "Why is he here? What do you mean ill? the infirm.....what happen?" So many questions.
DoraRose goes to rest a paw on the badgermaid's shoulder. "I'm sure he's fine," she says soothingly. Felicity bites a claw nervously. "I dunno. 'E 'as a cough and a fever. I just found 'im while lookin' for my uncle. I'm sorry."
Zinnia frowns, well great now she is worried but she has to try and not stay worried "Ok...keep me updated please"
DoraRose stands and stretches. "I'll go check on him now, okay, Zinnia? I'll be right back." And she leaves to do as she has promised. Felicity salutes sadly. "Aye, I'll do my best. I'm sorry, but I 'ave to go now and get back to my duties. If you need me, just send the first 'are you see to find me and I'll come as quick as I can." And she leaves. After checking on Zee, Dora will come back and let the Abbey Recorder know how he is.
Zinnia sighs and leans back in the soft chair, she then remembers her book on Lord Stonepaw and starts to read it.
This made me think of this song: [1] Thanks for reading! :)
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