The Salamandastron Ambassadors are under way, headed towards home...on a boat!
On Stonepaw's boat
Badgers: Xander, male.
Mice: DoraRose, female.
Hermit crabs: Mr. Dot, male? I mean, really, how are you supposed to tell what gender a crab is? O.o
Xander watches the land pass by, it's interesting to him and doesn't seem to brother him with movement, as he has been on a boat before. He has his hermit crab with him on his shoulders as they have yet to get to the River Moss, they are along the coast still.
DoraRose Strongheart has never really been on a boat before, but she seems to be enjoying it. She's not seasick or anything. She comes up beside the little badger and sits on the deck. "This is a good way to travel, huh?"
Xander looks over at her and smiles "It fun all the land go by us and w are on the water. I not think Leon like it...he keeps groaning and then he got sicks"
DoraRose smiles and nods. "It is fun, and it's alot faster. It's nice to just be floating along and not having to worry about getting hurt or...whatever." She decides to not mention that they haven't gotten attacked. "You notice lots of stuff, don't you? That's a very good thing."
Xander nods and smiles "Like sea gulls wayyyyyyyyyyyyyy over there" He points to the right where some gulls are circling for fish. "And that land is different not always sand but large rocks also"
DoraRose looks where he's pointing and says cheerily, "Wow, you sure are observant." She looks back at the shoreline. "How do you know that there are sometimes large rocks on the land? Have you been this way before?" she asks the last question very gently.
Xander shakes his head "No...but see some rocks...there one" He points to a cliff side and smiles, "And someone tell me bout Redwall , a picture in book in the library...and the one badger in my dream last night, he was funny"
DoraRose is instantly alert. A badger in a dream? "A funny badger visited you in a dream, huh? Can you tell me about it?" She asks lightly, not wanting to scare or worry the Dibbun. "I like funny beasts."
Xander nods, "He lived at the abbey...and some other one was there and he was...old like really really old and he said his name was Soot..." He frowns "I don't know the other one's name. ...I sorry" He then goes on as the hermit crab walks along the edge of the boat, "And he say abbey is nice and that I will like it and I could learn to use this big sword, but not yet..I gots to get bigger but if it's his sword how I supposed to have it...if he has it?"
DoraRose gasps a tiny bit. Could it have been Zork who visited the little badger? Nah, it couldn't be....making sure the crab doesn't fall off the Warrior smiles and says cheerily, "Well, he'll probably make sure that you get it when you're big enough. If it's a /really/ big sword, you probably couldn't lift it now, anyway. But I'm sure you will, someday."
Xander smiles "I could try, I am strong and one day might get really really tall like the badger lord is, he is way tall, even taller close up. Maybe I be a warrior one day like you is and help other beasts."
DoraRose smiles and goes to rest her paw on his head in a very motherly way. "Yes, you might, someday. But being a Warrior has more to do than being really really strong or big or tall. Being a Warrior has to do with who you are on the inside." She goes to put Mr. Dot back on the little badger's shoulder; she's really nervous about him walking around so close to the edge of the boat. "The first thing that a real Warrior learns is kindness. Then patience."
Xander looks confused, but he smiles as the crab is on his shoulder again, then asks "Inside me?" He is close to the edge but not leaning on it right now. " You is nice, is all warriors nice?"
DoraRose smiles. "Well, some beasts who aren't nice call themselves Warriors, but they're not really, they just know how to fight. But everybeast who is a real Warrior treats other beasts the way they would want to be treated." She gets into a more comfortable position and looks at the little crab. "You already have the makings of a good Warrior because you are nice to Mr. Dot." All she's seen of him is him being nice to the crab...
Xander smiles and nods "And I listen to mama and I even quiet in class...Quinten had class in library and teach some of the dibbuns there like history and things and I was very quiet but a couple others were not."
DoraRose nods. "That's good! You're off to a great start. I hope the others not listening didn't make it hard for you to learn." She can continue teaching him later.
Xander says, "Listening is important to do"
DoraRose nods again. "Yes, listening is very important to do." She smiles again. "But so is training with weapons. Would you like to start learning how to fight with swords?" Asking Zinnia for permission is so last year. Besides, she'd probably be okay with it, right?
Xander looks very very interested and nods "Yes...I be intrested, I do exercise like push up and sit ups and I climbed once by beach"
DoraRose smiles, stands and goes and gets 2 sticks, each about 3 feet in length, from the firewood pile. "I'm sure you do. I'll bet that you'll grow up big and strong, just like the Badger Lord. Here y'go," she hands him a stick. "You might want to put Mr. Dot in his box," she advises. "So he doesn't get hurt on accident."
Xander nods as he sits Mr. Dot down in a box and comes back over to get the long stick, he holds it carefully but is not to sure how to hold it just yet.
DoraRose smiles and shows him how she's holding her stick. "Can you hold it like this?" She will arrange his paws on it if necessary. "And now stand like this, but face me." She gets into an at-ready stance.
Xander studies her closely and then copies what she does and pays close attention to what ever she does.
DoraRose smiles. She has missed teaching a young one how to use a weapon. "Okay, now I'm going to start gently tapping at you, and I want you to try and block me, okay?" She goes to tap at his left leg with her stick.
Xander watches her and he goes to block it, fairly well for his age and the fact he has not done this before. But he does pay attention to movements and that's good for his age also.
"Wow, you're doing a really good job, Xander!" Dora says as she pretends to tap at his other leg, but then moves it to tap his right shoulder, instead. "Keep trying!"
Xander almost misses the shoulder, he does block the leg well. "I watch your movements..." He says quietly.
DoraRose stops and leans on the stick. "Well, that's exactly what you're supposed to do, honey! You're doing perfectly! Now you try to tap me." She gets back into the at-ready stance, prepared to give him tips as he 'hits' at her.
Xander looks at a good angle and then goes to gently tap at her left shoulder.
DoraRose blocks it because they're going slowly. "Good job! But try to not wait so long before deciding where to hit next time. At the beginning of a fight, as long as your opponent isn't swinging, it's okay to take a few moments to look, but after they've swung at you, try not to take a long time, okay?" she gets ready again. "Again! You're doing a good job!"
Xander nods and then goes to aim for her right leg and left shoulder, not to hurt as this is sparring after all.
DoraRose nods approvingly and she blocks each strike. "Good! If this was a real fight, I'd be hard pressed to keep you from hurting me! Keep going!" And so she continues to teach him, encouraging him and giving him pointers as they go along.
Xander nods and yawns, he is tried and sits down, "I am tried...." Well it is late.
DoraRose smiles and puts the sticks away. "Me, too. Let's go take a nap." She goes to lead him by the paw to his bed. She just might take a nap, too....
Thanks for reading!
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