The Travelers Return

Characters: Will, Fira, Kentar, Dunplume, Aikuen, Skuld, Garnet(spoof), Jullian(spoof), May, Henry(spoof), Flicktail, Bottlebrush, Nidlorf, Kate

Location: Dirt Road, Great Hall

Dirt Road

After having escaped the fox's den, Kentar has crawled painfully across the grasslands. He has no idea which direction he's going but all he knows is that it is better then what he had done to him. His back is covered in fresh blood as he bleeds upon the ground he's crawling on. Eventually, he reaches the road. And when he does, the stoat collapses there and pants hard, unable to bring himself to look around to see just where he is. His back is bleeding to the extent where its impossible to tell exactly what's causing it at the moment.

Dunplume has been feeding in the meadow along side the road when she sees the stoat. He came from the grasslands and appears to be dead. She flies over to land near him and hops toward him causally to see if the beast has anything of value on him.

Kentar did have things but he left them all back at the fox's den. The stoat hears something and has to look up, slowly looking towards the sparrow. He takes a deep breath and closes his eye for a few seconds. "H-help..." he scratches out, his voice sounding awful at the moment but its probably not being helped by the tight long rope around his neck.

Dunplume is a little startled when the beast she'd though was dead moves and cries out. She walks around the stoat looking him over with her beady black eyes and decides in his state he isn't much of a threat to her. She busies herself pecking at the rope to loosen it and maybe remove it so she can question this beast.

The rope is pecked off after a few minutes, the stoat taking a few easier breaths. "Oh....t-thank...you." he says quietly, his voice still scratchy and damaged. His breathing is deeper and he's just not sure at all if this is all a dream or not.

Dunplume bobs her head a bit, "Stoatworm is welcome. Red Abbey house not far. Stoatworm want go there," she chirps knowing the stoat won't be able to make it under his own power, "Dunplume help maybe?"

Kentar slowly looks at the sparrow. "help...y-y-yes." he pants out, looking north then south. "Fly...to the abbey....get...help for...f-f-for.." he ends up in a coughing fit. "Go...to...abbey....help...K-Kentar..." he says quietly.

Dunplume preens her feathers causally, "Why Dunplume help Stoatworm?"

"Pay...you...they will...please...just...." he pauses again. "Help."

Dunplume nods still a bit unsure. "Stoatworm friend to Abbeyworms?" she asks.

Kentar nods. "Friend...yes...please." he places his head on the ground. "Just...go...please...find h-h-help"

Dunplume spreads her wings and says, "Stoatworm /no/ forget pay when Abbeyworms come."

Kentar smiles ever so slightly, "Thank...you..."

Dunplume flies off toward the Abbey to find help for Kentar.

Dirt Road

The sun rises over Mossflower, and the birds are singing their morning song. Aikuen fell asleep with Will in his arms, and is still sitting. He slowly comes awake, and looks around. He smiles a little at his son, as the memory of what happened last night, fills him again. He sighs and carefully places his son, next to him on his roll. Standing up, and groggily walks to the fire, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

Fira is sat up already, in the process of waking up and rubbing the sleep from her eyes. The sight of movement gets a glance and she faintly smiles at Aik "Morning."

Skuld is off the road, out of sight for now. Occassionally, a movement in the grass will show that she might not be far off.

Will stirs after Aikuen puts him down. He rubs his face and looks around, "Mmm? Morning already?"

Aikuen smiles to Fira, "Aye, Morning..." He yawns and crosses his eyes. He shakes his head, and looks to Will, "Yep... Last time we have to camp..." He yawns again.

Will nods but stays where he is. "Th sun's barely up. .... when are we gonna pack up camp?" he asks.

Fira stretches a little but remains sitting still for now "After breakfast...unless think we could get to the abbey in time for breakfast."

Aikuen nods, "We have a biscuit left... That's it..., and some water... and anything we can scrounge... If we leave now we can make it to the abbey before lunch..." He yawns again and goes to sit next to Fira. He smiles and points south. The very top of the abbey can be seen as a tiny smudge on the horizon.

Dirt Road

A sparrow flies over the group and perches in a nearby tree upon recognizing one of the beasts below her. "Orphrat go Abbey house?" she asks pleased with her good luck.

Skuld returns, at a slow pace, looking rather happy. She stands for a moment, to see what everyone's doing, when the bird appears. This has her attention now. There's a bird! Tailtwitch

Will looks up surprised at the greeting, "Hi, Dunplume. Yes, Orphrat go Abbey house. Why Dunplume want know where Orphrat go?" The rat cares not if the others are staring at him for speaking Sparra.

Aikuen had a hard enough time learning English, so sparra is out of the question. He looks to Will then back to Dunplume, as they talk... catching a few words, but not understanding much

Fira raises a brow at the bird but she's never been good with birds, beaks don't move enough to really lip read and she assumes she's reading a little wrong when she looks at Will "Well snack on the biscuits and we'll move."

Dunplume sees the cat but she's out of range and can fly off if it gets too close. "Dunplume go Abbey house. Get help for much bad hurt stoatworm. Orphrat big eggchick now, is much good eggchick," the sparrow chips while keeping a close watch on the others.

Skuld moves closer to the bird in the tree, looking up with eyes a little bigger, more alert than normal. For now, she just stands, and watches, her tail twitching all the while.

Will questions the bird in Sparra, "What stoatworm name? Him hurt bad need go Abbey house and see healerworms. Stoatworm name Kentar? StoatKentar friend Orphrat. Dunplume nice to friends?"

Aikuen gives a squeeze to Fira, and begins to dismantle the camp. When he stops and Looks to Will, and says wide eyed, "Kentar?" and looks to the bird

Dunplume bobs her head up and down a few times, "Stoatworm say 'Get help Kentar'. Stoatworm hurt bad, have rope on neck. Dunplume make gone. Dunplume go Abbey house tell Flickyfox and Abbeyworms. What worms these with Orphrat?"

Will nods, "Good. Dunplume good warrior help friends. Make Orphrat happy. This," he points to Fira, "Fira. Fira nice friend. This," he points to Aikuen, "Father. Father name Aikuen. Stoat name Garnet. Cat name Skuld, Orphrat watch cat."

Aikuen understood that Kentar is hurt. Quickly destroying the tent and shoving it in his pack, then slings the whole thing on his back.

Dunplume nods at each as they're named for her. "Ack coo in otter have good eggchick," she tells the otter before turning back to Will. "Dunplume go Abbey house tell Abbeyworms Kentarstoat hurt bad," The sparrow is about to fly off to the Abbey.

Will exclaims, switching back to English, "Wait! Show us where Kentar is first! I'll make it worth the trouble."

Fira at least gathers enough to know that the bird knows where Kentar is and they're in a hurry. She quickly grabs her pack and spear back up again, keeping a very close eye on the others, work out what's happening.

The rat's request is unanswered as Dunplume has already flown off toward the Abbey. "Damn," the rat hisses under his breath, "Well, I guess we'll just have to go to th Abbey first then."

Skuld watches the bird go. And licks her lips. Her tail curls into an 's', as it starts to calm down. "It's gone to tell people about the stoat?" She asks, her eyes not leaving where it went. She really wasn't paying attention to what was discussed.

Aikuen looks to Will, "I guess she didn't tell you where Kentar is?..." He sighs and stands next to Fira, not seeming in any hurry again, "Aye... She may tell the abbey where he is... or he may already be there..." Hopeful thinking

Fira slowly glances between them...hmm "So...the bird knows where Kentar is?...And he might have gotten away from the fox?"

Will eyes the cat, "/She/ is going to tell th Abbeybeasts that /Kentar/ is hurt very badly and tell them where to find him." Hearing Aikuen he turns to him next, "No she didn't say where he is but she wouldn't be going to th Abbey for help if he was already there. Don't know ... he might have got away but she lives near where the fox does I think so he might not have."

"So. Kentar is very hurt... And it's gone for the troops." Skuld nods a little, finally looking back from where the bird flew. "The bird lives near the fox..?" She sounds a little surprised. And interested.

Aikuen nods, "Okay..." He sighs, as he smothers the fire, "Lets...lets keep moving...Help where we can... if we can..."

Will nods, "Yeah, I think she lives in th meadow by th grasslands but I'm not sure if she does or not ..." The rat gets his things together and once he's ready he waits for the others, "Hopefully Henry isn't th only healer working today."

Red Wall Abbey: Infirmary

Dunplume makes her way up the stairs to the infirmary clumsily intent on finding useful help for the injured stoat she left on the road. Upon entering she squawks out, "Healerworms? Healerworms, Kentarstoat need help. Him hurt bad on road!"

Udat is not one of the abbey healers, though he does glance towards the bird as she ventures into the infirmary. "I'm afraid ain't no one here but us abbey guests..." He looks around. "Abbey healers must be...preoccupied." In all the cynicism, though, he does crack a bit and furrow his brow. "What do you need?"

Dunplume is not pleased, "No Abbeyworms in Abbey house? You worm fix hurt worms?"

Udat grumbles to himself. "Newt, not worm..." He glowers at the bird. "Listen carefully, featherbrain, if you call me worm, I'll conveniently forget I'm an apothecary and you'll receive no aid for your...friend." He starts gathering up his own things, some pouches and a light travelpack. "Deal?"

Dunplume would have guessed 'lizard' but being unsure she hadn't specified species. "Newt help?" she asks having little choice since he seems to be the only one around that can be spared.

Udat is already adjusting how his pack sits on his shoulder as he starts for the door. "Yes." Very curt... "Lead on, I'll follow.

Dunplume nods and makes her way back down the stairs, birds were not meant to use stairs and it shows.

Udat would offer some remark or another, but eh...he's just along for the ride, right? Besides, the awkwardness amuses him.

Dunplume leads the liz- er newt down the stairs, though the Great Hall and out of the Abbey to the dirt road. She flies over head leading the way southward toward the nearly dead stoat.

Dirt Road

Aikuen places his arm around Fira, and lightly directs her in a southern direction. He chuckles and says, "I think today is going to be a good day... Going to be back home... And Kentar might be alive!" He speeds up his gait, forcing Fira to follow along.

Garnet cries happily and follows along willingly, Will also follows.

Fira is happy enough to follow along, head south with Aik "Well if the bird's looking for help he must have been alive last time she saw him...and she seemed in a rush and she's a bird so can go pretty fast, can't have seen him that long ago...so yeah, alive" she grins faintly. Logical thinking helps all.

Dirt Road

Udat glances up as the bird takes flight... "Really now? Do I look like I have wings." He grunts and follows southward.

"Birds can move fast..." Skuld mutters, to herself, sort of drifting to the back of the group. Then, louder, "Will the bird be going, too, to help Kentar?"

Dunplume passes over the group of two otter, a rat, a stoat and a kitten once again. She's leading a newt southward.

Will shrugs, "She getting help for him, probably a healer and Flicky too if he's around."

Aikuen ignores the cats comments and looks to the sky, "Well here is our flying friend... and what?" He looks to the newt, "...Hello?"

Udat follows behind the bird, muttering to himself with a pack slung over his shoulder... as Aikuen addresses him, the newt offers up a rather stern glare. "Yes?" He grunts softly, looking around the road. "Where is he? Or...is it a she?"

Dunplume calls down to Udat, "Kentarstoat more far."

Aikuen looks Udat up and down, "Are you the help from the abbey?" He then looks to Dunplume and understands, "Are you looking for the Stoat, Kentar! Well what are you waiting for... Follow the bird!" He glares back.

Will sighs, "She has a name." Louder he says, "We'll all follow."

Udat grunts at Aikuen. "Yes. From the abbey." Never mind the lack of a habit. "The green-habited peacemongers were unavailable, so I took it upon myself to act in my capacity as an apothecary... or would you rather someone else? I can always turn around." He looks towards Will, then Dunplume. "How much further?"

Fira blinks as the bird's back plus one newt. Guess that's the help. She glances to Aikuen and gets the gist of it all, attention quickly going back up to the bird, start following the sparrow.

Dunplume says, "No much far. Him hurt bad. Follow."

Skuld has fallen silent, watching the newt for a moment, before her eyes are taken by the bird again. Tail twitching once more. She watches as the sparrow leaves, eyes tracking the direction taken.

Aikuen quickly follows the sparrow, regardless of the newt, or the blood loss in his leg.

Udat hmphs and just follows along, eyes narrowed pointedly as he glances about at the beasts... Aikuen's bleeding? Hmm...he just notes it, for now.

Dunplume continues to slowly fly south leading the others to where she'd left the stoat.

Aikuen follows along, gritting every time his leg hits the ground. He mumbles to himself, "Live, Dangit...live" He lands on his leg wrong and what sounds like a rip comes from his leg, and he falls to the ground. He tires to get up, but cant anymore, he grunts "No... Get up..." He heaves himself up, but falls again

Will watches Udat, "Can you help him?"

Aikuen sits up and holds his bleeding knee, "Im fine... Just... Get me walking again... Its all i need." He grunts, and shows the open wound to the newt, since he cant see it from his position.

Dunplume turns back around, why have they stopped? She sees the older otter on the ground. "Aikcooenotter hurt bad?" she asks.

Fira blinks as the other otter goes down "Aik!" quickly going to crouch down next to him. The newt gets a glance when he comes over too, hopeful that he can help. She did sew it up once but she's not a healer.

Will nods at the sparrow, "Don't know. It looks bad."

Skuld hangs back, watching without much apparent interest. Her eyes flick from wounded otter to bird. And mostly focus upon the sparrow.

Udat gives Will a glare. "Would I have come if the potential was not there? I promise nothing, though." He looks back at Aikuen's knee, reaching out to push the wounded otter back to the ground. "Lie down." He runs his fingers along the injury, just feeling things, how the muscle sits, the bone... "Not broken, good." He looks at the blood color. "Should live..." He unshoulders his pack and rummages through it, pulling out a cloth and folding it. "You're not walking, though. Not without help. Hold still, this might hurt." He rolls the cloth and offers it to Aikuen. "Bite down."

Dunplume goes to perch in a nearby tree to wait.

Aikuen says through gritted teeth, "I better live... Im not gonna die of some stupid knee...though it feel like its on fire..." But he does as he is told and bits down on the cloth. He clasps Firas paw and gives it a squeeze as Udat checks him over.

Skuld wanders towards Dunplumes tree, to stand, silently, looking up. Again, her eyes are quite wide, pupils large, and her tail in constant motion.

Udat doesn't wait. No counting to three, no warning, he just pulls the chunk of wood free and drops a knee down to put pressure against Aikuen's upper leg to help staunch any sudden bloodflow. Handing the piece of wood to the otter himself (bit sadistic, perhaps?) he pulls out another strip of cloth, wrapping it and tying it around just a few fingers above the injury itself. A thick, short stick is next, getting tied into the knot so he can twist and tighten down the tournequit. Once done, another strip of cloth ties the stick in place, keeping the tournequit tight and, if done right, very, very uncomfortable if not painful. "Someone help him walk... get him to the healers in the abbey before too long. He's a good six bell-tolls or so before they'll just have to cut off that leg."

Fira holds onto Aik's paw, squeezing it likely back while she watches Udat, flinching slightly "I'll go with him, we'll get there quick as possible" she's concerned, peg leg Aik would be weird

Aikuen Almost crushes Firas paw as the wood is pulled out, and if it wasn't for the cloth, he would be shouting colorful curses to everyone. He holds out the hunk of wood, and spits out the cloth, "Damn... stick..."

Will doesn't like the look of this, "Garnet should go t th Abbey too. You don't know what sort of shape Kentar will be in when we get to him."

Udat finishes, easing up with his knee as he stands. "There...done." He reaches down to pick up some dirt, using it to coat and clot up the blood on his hands so he can brush most of it off. "Let's go see about your other friend now..."

Dunplume nods and flies off again.

Udat spits to one side as he picks up his pack and continues on his way down, following the bird as he whistles softly to himself, some rather cheerful song...

Fira is trying to ignore the pain in her paw, it'll be fine, slight bruising perhaps. Still she goes to help Aikuen back up again, just about catching Will's words "Yes, I could probably do with the help" she could manage without, she just agrees with Will, convince Garnet to come.

Will looks at Aikuen then at where the newt and sparrow had gone. "Well, we should get t th Abbey."

Aikuen is helped by Fira, and tries to place weight on his leg. Quickly pulling if off the ground he grunts, "That's not going to work..." as he leans into Fira, to support him. he shakes his head repeatedly, "Aye lets go... I don't want to lose me leg..." He shakes that though from his mind again.

Skuld looks after the bird, then looks north. She lingers there, in the road, as though not sure where she wants to go.

Fira does her best to support Aik and walk him back towards the abbey "It's not far to the abbey, I'm sure it won't come anywhere near to loosing it."

Will looks at the cat but if she doesn't come she doesn't come. He heads off with the otters and stoatmaid toward the Abbey.

Brother Jullian, bow in paw, spies the travelers from the wall and calls down to them, "So you made it back at last." He starts down the steps to the entry to hear about their trip and help with Aikuen.

The otters, if somebeast didn't know what happened, would look like there were in a very awkward three legged race. Aikuen sighs, "Were finally here..." He sighs again and gives a kiss to Fira, and and leans into her, as they walk through the gate.

Will follows close behind with Garnet.

Fira doesn't look up to Jullian, doesn't hear him for obvious reasons. She forces a smile for Aik, quickly kisses him back "Lets just get you all fixed up...I don't really remember where the infirmary is in this place"

Redwall Abbey: Entry

May and Jullian are there to greet the travelers when they come in. May starts to skip about the group asking questions before her father pulls her away. May sits down but waves at the the others and points to her new dress trying to draw their attention to her anyway. Jullian ignores May's antics since she's now sitting quietly. "How did the trip go?" the brother asks. He walks toward the Great Hall, "You can tell me on the way to the infirmary."

Aikuen, after being cleansed of all his weapons and armor at the gatehouse, follows Jullian, or more like follows Fira, because she is the one supporting him. He chuckles, "Aye... Its long... long story..." he then remember what he has to tell him, and goes quiet.

The mouse brother nods passing his bow and quiver to May who takes them to the gate house so her father doesn't have to. "You were gone nearly a month so it would be reasonable to assume you would have nearly a month's worth of tale to tell," the thin bespeckled mouse replies, not bothered by the otter's sudden quietness.

Jullian smiles at Fira, "Through the Great Hall and up the stairs, the middle floor. I'm sure Henry will be pleased to see Aikuen again."

Will scowls at the mouse, "I did what I was asked t do .... not saying more til we get t th infirm and try and find some beast that's /not/ Henry if ya can."

Aikuen groans on hearing this name, but he now grudgingly heads toward the great hall anyway. With limb loss in the mix, he doesn't care much.

Dirt Road

Dunplume leads the newt to the place where the stoat lies. She lands near Kentar, "Look Kentarstoat, look Dunplume bring newt. Newt help.

Udat is following the bird, still grumbling a bit at not being able to fly...but, ahwell. He draws up alongside the bird, eyes glancing down to take in a quick, brief assessment of the situation.

Kentar was still there, only out cold. His back was still bleeding and he's lost a lot of blood. The newt should be able to see that there are HUGE splinters dug deep into his back, as well as some sharp rocks. His left eye is missing in probably the most gruesome way, and there's a blistering brand on the side of his face, what will eventually show to be a clear 'A'. Claws are missing. Snout is messed up. And he's out cold and is barely breathing.

Udat settles himself down as he runs his scaled hand lightly over the wounds, just checking... the lesser ones are rather well ignored in favor of the more severe. He spits off to the side and starts rummaging through his pack. "So, what happened?"

Dunplume shrugs, "Dunplume not know. Him no say. Kentarstoat come from grass. From foxworm home?"

Udat mutters... "I hate foxes..." He gives Kentar a glare. "Never you mind who I am. Silly fool...what did you do?" He pulls out some bandaging. "I'm going to stop the bleeding so he can be moved. This will take the care of an actual healer, not a field medic." He starts dressing the wounds to help stop the bleeding, just applying pressure in the key spots.

Kentar grunts loudly. "Pro...t-t-t..." he tries again. "Pro...tected....f-f-friends..." he says quietly. "Fox...att...attacked...I...f-f-f...fought...off..." he breathes deeply.

Udat nods slowly. "Uh huh..." He crouches down to get a bit more at eye-level with the stoat. "You're a lucky fool, is what you are. Nothing vital looks damaged, except maybe that eye..." He finishes with the stoat's goes to help him sit upright. "Let me get a look at that...

Kentar grunts. When he's sat up, his front is bruised quite badly. "Not...." his eye looks like it has been stabbed and then, oddly enough, boiled. "Not...fool..."

Dunplume watches the stoat and newt, "Foxworm take Kentarstoat to fox home? Foxworm take many worms. Worms no come back. Him kill dead. Make all dead. Newt stay with Kentarstoat? Dunplume go tell friends find Abbeyworms."

Udat is called stupid and reaches back to tweak one of those splinters. It's a two-fold deal, one part out of spite, the other to snap the stoat back to consciousness. "Mind who you are insulting, boy. I didn't have to go out of my way to help your sorry tail." He looks at Dunplume and just nods faintly.

Dunplume flies off back toward the Abbey again.

Kentar yowls and his arm comes up to slap at the newt on pure reflex, since he doesn't have the energy to do it himself, but that pain made him panic, the stoat thinking that Udat was the fox, but he's to weak to get off a proper punch, so its just weak slaps.

Udat is, rather unfortunately, used to such things... "Ugh, I thought I'd quit working on vermin the day I left Ruingate..." He spits off to the side again. "If you slap me again, I will bite you." Valid threat? Most likely.

Kentar blinks a few times and realizes....that Udat isn't the fox. "Home...get...me...please..." he says tiredly

Udat snorts. "You are crazy if you think I'll be able to carry you on my own." He sits back and rummages through his pack again, pulling out a pouch which, in turn, has some leaves in it. "Chew on these, it will help numb the pain a bit."

Groups:

• Order of Redwall