The Salamandastron Ambassadors Leave The Mountain! (With Long Patrol cameos)
Salamandastron: Common Area
- -*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-* Salamandastron *-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-
This is a large area designed for gathering and relaxing, where all the
beasts of the Mountain, whether green recruit or aged retiree, can come
together. A fireplace is set in one wall, its cheery blaze filling the room
with warmth, and a low, rustic chandelier spilling light across the
expanse. A variety of seating is strewn almost randomly throughout,
armchairs and couches, while a worn, patterned rug underfoot takes the
seeping chill out of the air. A pair of tables, each on far sides of the
space, stand in for the occasional shared snack, meal, or game.
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Visible Exits:
[E]nlisted [B]arracks [Out] to Level Two
[R]esidents' [Q]uarters
Mice: Leon, male. DoraRose, female.
Badgers: Zinnia, female. Xander, male. Ciocan, male.
Hares: Felicity 'Lissie', female. Adrian, male.
Hedgehogs: Stonepaw, male.
Leon has checked and even double checked his havor sack and knapsack and made sure ealier their ride with Stonepaw was still going as planned, they just have to meet the hedgehog at the docks a little later in the day.
Zinnia is doing some quick writting before they head off as she is not sure when she will be able to write again and she likes to get her thoughts out while they are fresh in her mind, she can always add more once they are on the boat andng homeward.
Xander looks..half bored and half excited. Seeing some new places and sights should be intresting but he is unsure of all that and has also ran out of question after question to ask so now he is just quiet and waiting....waiting is boring. So so boring.
Leon looks over at his friends, "Well guess we head off soon. I made sure supplies were good and Stonepaw said he have stuff also. So..all is in order I believe"
Zinnia finishes writting and closes her jornal as she puts it away "I wonder if Boaz kept a good log of events at the abbey together, I mean if not l could always ask and get more details a sort of summary of fall and winter season maybe, but I am sure he did fairly well anyways and I could make a copy of some of what I wrote that was of intrest here..maybe as I am unsure."
Leon smiles "You worry too much I am sure Brother Boaz kept records very well."
DoraRose comes into the room, mildly breathless. Hugging her axe to herself, she plops down on an armchair and smiles at her traveling companions. "You....3 ready to go?" Felicity slips into the room and rests a haversack beside the mouse, who leans back in the chair. "Oh, thank you, Lissie. How did I forget that?" Apparently, the morning of departure kind of snuck up on the Warrior....
Xander looks bored, wait did they say ready as he was laying and now sits up he been ready for a while and nods.
Zinnia chuckles as she is finishing a talk with Leon "Guess I find out when we get back..." She waves to Dorarose and nods "About as ready as we are gonna be I guess."
Leon smiles at Dorarose "I believe all is ready and the hedgehog Stonepaw said he meet us at the docks once we got to the town"
DoraRose smiles, stands, and gives the sad-looking Felicity a quick hug. "Don't worry, we'll meet again someday." Swinging her haversack onto her back, the mouse puts on her cloak, then hefts her axe again. "Good. Zinnia, would you hold Xander's paw? Do you remember the way, Leon? I get kind of confused in Halyard."
Zinnia looks around "Think I will miss this place also and I am going to make sure Xander stays beside me, not to worry on that"
Xander pouts, "I not need to hold hands, I will stay beside everyone." He walks over to Zinnia and stays by her.
Leon nods "I remember the way, its like an hour walk if remember right and the docks are fairly easy to find."
DoraRose leans over and looks the little badger in the eye. "When we get to Halyard, will you /please/ hold your Momma's paw so you don't get lost on accident? I might even need to hold her paw; it's sometimes really crowded there." She hoping to make him smile or giggle at the thought of a Warrior needing to hold someone's paw so as to not get lost. But if he doesn't, then that's okay; she'll try again later.
Zinnia says, "It may not be as crowded right now, then one never knows till they get there."
Xander tilts his head and then he does giggle at the picture he has in his mind of Dorarose needing her paw held. "She can make sure you not get lost and I can help"
DoraRose grins. "Oh, good! I'm so glad that I can rely on you! I'm sure I'll be able to stick with the group with such friends around." She stands and turns her smile to her husband and the Abbey Recorder. "Shall we go, then?"
About this time, a rumbling voice and tremor-inducing footfalls sound from the doorway. "Thought I'd find ye here," comes the thunderous greeting of the Lord of the Mountain, his large paws holding two packs in either fist. "A shame your visit got cut short, Ambassadors. Truly, it was a pleasure to house ye for th' winter." The mighty beast sets the packs down against an easy-chair as though they were nothing, although the way the chair skids across the floor indicates the contrary. "I am sorry as well to hear of your daughter, DoraRose." The big badger's countenance falls somewhat, his paws falling to rest on his belt. "Th' bloodwrath are a terrible burden to bear. Even in badgers, it is scarcely contained. To be bottled up in one so small..." He shakes his head at the thought. "Let us hope th' rumors are nay true, an' her wrath is merely childish rage. For your sake, and th' lass."
Zinnia starts to speak and then sees Ciocan enter the room and nods a greeting to him. She lets him speak to Dorarose as for now she double checks to make sure they do have all they will need.
Leon nods "Hello Lord Ciocan. We will find out once we get home it seems and hopefully have better details. We did have a bit faster way home than the way we came and should be a little safer too"
Xander looks up at the large badger and blinks, he has seen him in the halls and in the dinning room but not really close. He just watches him quietly as the older beasts talk.
DoraRose gives the Badger Lord a polite nod of greeting. "I appreciate your hospitality. I, too, hope that it is only a childish rage, but i fear that I is most likely more. I myself have the Bloodwrath, as does my brother, and our father did, aswell, and his father before him. My grandfather was actually considered a great hero because of his Berserker's Rage and battle sense; I can only hope that Lily's isn't as severe as his, or even mine." She looks at the sacks in the chair as she listens to what her husband has to say; she is obviously now very curious about what sorts of heavy things might be in those sacks.
"Berserker rage an' true Bloodwrath may be different things, lass. Tis very rare, even in badgers." Ciocan's eyes are sad as he speaks the words, his usually jovial voice slow and sorrowful. "It overtakes ye at th' very worst o' times, an' in its grip, there are neither friend nor foe; only destruction and death." The sigh that escapes his snout is a great exhalation of melancholy. "I myself have only been overcome by it once, an' I pray that experience is ne'er repeated." After a moment of contemplative silence, he points to the packs where they rest against the armchair. "I've had my hares pack some extra supplies for ye, on th' journey home. There's food, waterskins, a few flasks of cordial. Whate'er we thought ye'd find useful on th' road."
Zinnia looks at the sacks and their other supplies, well she is sure a couple strong hares, maybe 3 or 4, can help them get the stuff to the docks and then the hares can have an excuse to visit the village or just head back. [She] steps forwards "Thank you for letting us stay here Lord Ciocan, for helping us with some extra supplies I am sure they will come in handy. Prehaps we can keep in contact by sending letters sometimes as I will make sure to send a message here once we return home so that no one worries. I also thank you for your help when I first arrived here as I...was not myself" Yeah she was deeply depressed and basically lost to herself, if that makes sense. She then moves to hug him, if that is allowed. she is not sure as he could always decide to move away from the hug.
Leon looks at the sacks, hmmms hares helped, well this should be helpful as he nods his thanks. He can always find that Flint fellow to help them carry something to the docks.
Xander watches all this and looks at the sacks "They pack sweets? We gonna go on boat soon? Anything for Mr. Dot...wow what this?" Seems he found something that looks like a small pole maybe for a tent, he decides it be a cool sword but then puts it back into the sack when a passing hare stares at him and he folds his paws behind his back. Where is Mr. Dot anyways, seems the hermit crab is elsewhere and not on his shoulder, least right now, as some hare seemed to freak out seeing it...the silly hare, yep most likely a new recruit saw it......
DoraRose nods sadly. "Unfortunately, my family has been afflicted with both." She peeks inside a haversack and lets the Abbey Recorder speak. Felicity, who has been quite for the past little while, offers to help carry the haversacks; the Warrior takes her up on her offer.
The Badger Lord isn't here to write a scholarly article on the Bloodwrath; he's said his piece, and he's finished. Zinnia's movement isn't rejected, but it's not interpreted correctly; he puts out a paw toward one of her outstretched ones, catching it in a friendly clasp. "It cheers m'heart tae know this Mountain healed another badger. Go in peace, Zinnia." Drawing himself up, Ciocan takes one last approving look around, nodding to himself. "Give my regards tae Father Benar. We may send an envoy of our own before long; he'd best prepare th' pantries." With his customary booming laugh, the young Badger Lord turns and strides off down the corridor.
Zinnia smiles, she does accept the paw shake and nods. She looks to her friends and goes [makes] sure Xander doesn't get anything else out of those sacks as they be a pain to repack, she speaks "Well guess we head off then, we don't have as long of a trip this time at least"
Leon nods "It will be good to get back to the abbey, lets just hope all goes well on the way home"
DoraRose helps Felicity lift a haversack. "Do lets; I want to get home and see how my family is doing....."
Zinnia nods "I hope everyone is alright. Like Uncle Zee and Uncle..." She sighs now, yes she got to talk to Zee as he came by but she did not get a chance to talk to Oz, in fact last she saw him she...well....
Halyard Village: Dock
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Halyard Village ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The dock of Halyard Village is nothing extraordinary. Simple planking runs up
the beach a distance, beyond the point of high tide. The dock extends out
over the water a goodly distance, technically deep enough for a ship the size
of a small merchant ship to tie off. However, this is the exception rather
than the rule. Most of the ships that dock here are small fishing vessels,
carrying no more than a handful of beasts. At the very end of the dock there
is a wider platform, covered gazebo-style, with open sides.
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Visible Exits:
[Fi]shery [B]each
Contents:
The Bazaar
Ol'Mostrum
The Scarlett Fire
Dingy
Leon makes sure all is ready and they have help to the docks, he watches Zinnia, "Zinnia you ok?"
Zinnia has been quiet since they left the mountain as she has her own things on her mind, things she didn't think much on while they were there but things have a way of coming back up into one's mind and a question was never really answered as she walks silently till they get to the docks and soon finds the boat they are leaving on.
Stonepaw has been at the docks, waiting for the ambassadors and is ready to head off on his boat. It's a little small but a good size, maybe it's bigger on the inside one never knows as that part is below the water, but looks enough size for a couple badgers, a couple mice and a hedgehog, plus supplies.
Adrian had been waiting for the Redwallers at the entrance to Salamandastron, and had, as a matter of course, been assigned to escort the group safely up to Halyard. On reaching the docks, he waves. "Cheerio, an' toodle pip, wot wot. See ya good folks around, I think, and' I 'ope ta visit ya Mossflowah some day." He salutes, and turns to head off again.
Lissie has helped carry the haversacks that Ciocan had dropped off for the Redwallers, and now she goes to put them in the boat. DoraRose goes to put her axe and personal haversack in the boat, too, then hugs the haremaid. "I'll see you around, honey." Felicity nods and salutes. "Aye, I'll be waitin' until the day! 'Ave a wonderful trip, and thank you for bein' my frinds, wot!" Then she, too, goes to return to the Mountain. The mouse Warrior turns to the hedgehog and offers her paw. "My name is DoraRose Strongheart. You must be our boat captain."
Leon is ok with almost silence, well silence from Zinnia as he tries to figure it out and decides to not worry on for now as he goes to get things settled in the boat. They do have a decently long trip, well 4 days to the bridge anyways and like a half a day or day from there and they are home.
Zinnia helps get things into the boat and watches Leon head below deck and sighs "Yeah...home. I have missed home but....not so sure some will be happy to see me"
Stonepaw grins as he shakes her paw "I be Stonepaw and this 'ere she be me ship and she a fine ship too...no name but does a ship truly need a name ta be a good ship...boat...what ever ya call it lass"
DoraRose grins, taking an immediate liking to the hedgehog. "I guess not. I've never really ridden on either a ship or a boat ever before, but I'm sure it'll be great" She turns to her friend and goes to give her a quick hug. "I'm sure they'll be delighted to see you, love. Don't worry! I believe that it will all turn out right."
Zinnia allows the hug, she most likely needed a hug "I hope so...just last I saw Uncle Oz I slammed a door in his face, I avoided most every beast at the abbey and...and hardly talked, take that back I talked to no one except maybe Benar then not like I could tell the abbot no or refuse to speak to the abbot."
Stonepaw looks over at the badger and then speaks "Me boat be a fine boat, gets ye where ya wanna be in no time....." He stops and listens, he doesn't mean to listen but he does" Well I be sure things can be ok...what ever de reason was ya didn't speak to one another" Yeah maybe this is none of his business.
Adrian is standing a little ways off, watching. He's not yet started back to the mountain, not yet, at least. He draws his rapier and raises it in farewell once more.
DoraRose listens, then nods. "I think they have forgiven you, don't worry. They'll probably all be ecstatic to see you again." She then gets her axe and waves it in a salute to the hare, saying to her traveling companions, "Shall we get under way?"
Zinnia Nods "I hope so Dora...I hope so." She then makes she Xander is staying close and makes sure he gets on the boat, she will double check to make sure the badger dibbun is on the boat and safe before they take off...hey it's a new mom thing and she still needs to get use to the whole mom thing and most likely 'til get to Redwall over protective mom mode.
Stonepaw nods "I do hope ya land lovers have good sea legs..errr waterway legs...what, what ever it be cause we head off!!!!!"
After the return salute, Adrian sheathes his blade and turns, finally making his way back down the beach toward Salamandastron.
And so they're off! What adventures await them on the trip back to Redwall along the River Moss?? Tune in next time to find out!! :D
Thanks for reading!!
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