Trading Favors
Characters: William, Ella, Venei, Kluna
Location: Moledeep
Moledeep: Mole Hall
A large army of fierce courageous beasts, mostly warriors, stands silently in Mole Hall. Within the mass of beasts random woodlanders stand as well. Nearly all their eyes stare off toward the kitchens form the large table where they stand. Why these clay figures are all out on the table may have something to do with the sounds coming from the storage chamber.
The mini otters have escaped! Buts it's okay. The older otters have locked and or blocked any way for them to truly escape, to the outside. So they can develop their limbs more naturally. It's difficult for otters not living in a holt environment, to get that in the enclosed space of their room. But they have made due, with the cold and all.
Ella leads Venei down the hall. Ella has developed her hind legs almost completely and can run with he best of them.
Venei on the other hand, is still having trouble balancing when standing, so she resorts to running on all fours.
Ella peaks around the door into the hall, "Empties..." she giggles softly running into the room, with her sister behind her. She runs up to the table and she points to the chair, "We... Ups..." and then points to the table.
Venei blinks, "We is going on da table?"
Ella says, "...Ayes!" Like her father.
Venei frowns slightly, "Ohs k..."
Ella smiles and shoves her sister, "Good... Helps..." she points to the floor, and makes a motion of squatting, then pointing at her sister.
Venei tilts her head, "Want me tos.... sits like thises?" Ella nods.
Venei obliges.
Ella then climbs on top of Venei, "Stills..." and then she reaches up and grabs the chair, climbing on top of the seat, "Sees... Easy..." she then leans down to help get her sister.
Venei blinks up at her, before getting on her hind legs and jumping.
Ella grabs her paw, and pulls her up, "Come ons..." she then climbs on the table, "Vee! stuffs!" she giggles.
Venei blinks some more, before climbing up on the table as well, "Wow... Looks at all the stuffers!" she grins as they both walk between the figurines.
Ella walks over to the more cluttered of the group of figurines. Picking up one, "Ooo... Shinies!" The figurine itself is not very shiny. But that is the only word she knows how to describe something for 'pretty' and the like.
Venei sucks on the end of her claw, "Whats are dese tings..." "Stuffers!" "No'es... Who are days?"
Ella shrugs and puts the other back down. On its side. Before she walks over to one that looks like an otter, "Otterers!" A warrior figurine, obviously by the looks of it.
Venei is not paying attention and picks up another otter figurine. But this one is just a woodlander, "Otters..." she walks over to Ella. They both blink at the figurines they each have. How can something be same... but different.
Ella shakes her head, "No'es... Da... familular..." she ponders a bit more.
Venei shrugs a bit more laying on her back now, "They looks the same... but nots..."
Ella bangs her rudder against the table, "Gots!" when she got the answer. She then points to the warrior, "Daddies..." then points to the one in the dress, "Mommies!" she then giggles loudly.
Venei blinks at her and tilts her head, "Dads? Mums?" she then looks to the figurines. Who look very little like Aik or Fira.
Ella nods and points to the warrior, "Daddies..." then to the other, "Mommies... Sees?"
Venei scoots a little closer at the clay figures, "So... Daddies? Whys?"
Ella says, "Cause... strong's..."
Venei asks, "Then mommies?"
Ella says, "Cause... Shiny..."
Venei nods a bit as she begins to see it.
Ella places the two right next to each other so they touch, "Looks they is now together! Just likes... Mum and dads..." "Seem... Happies?"
"Yes... they does...." Venei giggles and goes to rest against her sister.
Ella just smiles at this thought tapping the warrior figure every so often. Ella taps the warrior's head, against the other ones, kissing "Heh..." "Just likes in reals life..."
Venei starts to pick up and play with 'mum' "Tea!" she chuckles, trying to mimic Fira's voice.
Ella starts to bounce around the 'dad' "Ayes... Ayes!" she giggles at her interpretation of Aik. They do this for a little bit, playing with them. Then Ella gets up suddenly, holding the figurine, "Finds us Vee?"
Venei nods slowly, "Aye... betters go back to thems... or else they will be mads..."
Ella nods and places the otter back down on the table and makes for the chair, "Vee... Hurries..."
Venei places the other otter back down, making sure that they are together, "We wills comes backs... maybe we is can keeps yous?" she smiles, before chasing after her sister. And back to their rooms.
Moledeep: Storage Chamber
Kluner is in his room. Well. Fort? I guess that would be a good example of what it is. Whatever, its in the Storage chamber. Leftover barrels and boxes have been moved to accommodate a certain midget weasel and all his belongings. Rocks. Paints. Dyes. Scrolls. Parchment. And Canvas that Kentar keeps buying for him. His own little workshop. A rope hangs down, leading up to his bed. Hanging from the ceiling, there is hammock, and there in lies the young weasel. Whistling slightly as he taps his foot paws against the string. No better way, then to lounge on a day like today.
William has been in and out of the storage chamber a few times today moving things around. The chamber had been full when he'd found Moledeep and hadn't gotten any less full as the seasons went on. The rat didn't go into the storage chamber as often as he used to and so his nephew's 'fort' occasionally gave him pause when he did notice it. The rat seems to be rearranging some things and see what might need to be thrown out.
Kluner has been whistling to drawn out the noise. Maybe it will just go away. But when the noise starts to die down, the weasel curiosity gets the best of him. He says loudly, "What'cha be doing Wills? Why you moving the stuffs around?" he looks over to him, from his perch near the ceiling.
William looks up, "Hmm? Oh I'm making room for more stuff and checking what's in here to see if it's all still useable. Not much t do in th winter with th tunnel now."
Kluner flips on the hammock to get a better look of the rat, "Room for more stuffs? Well. What are you goings to do with the others stuffs? Thats a lot of stuffs." he snorts. He then drapes his leg over the side, "But cleaning is goods! I needs to cleans my rooms any-dang-ways... but im not!" he flips back on his back.
"Really? I'm sure Kentar'd love to hear that," the rat shakes his head, it's not like the storage chamber won't get cleaned anyway. "So what have you been doing all day?" he asks focusing again on his work, "Sleeping?"
Kluner shrugs, "Pops doesn't knows. Sides... its not messy... just... cluttereds..." he nods once or twice. Trying to convince himself of his own words. He then yawns a bit, "Sleepin. Painting. The normals stuffs i do's... May go out in the snows once in awhiles. But mostly paintings stuffs"
William shrugs, "Even if he did this is also for storage can't really see him making you keep it clean by yourself." Will moves some other stuff around as he talks, "What've you been painting lately?"
Kluner snorts again, "Ah. All he will do... is complain a bit at my fort. I cleans... and we is all happies again." he flips back over on his stomach, "Not much reallies... With everything beings white... kinda hard to paint snow... Tis all white... So... Ive been painting whatever i can think ofs." he nods a few times.
William nods, "getting a colder out there too." The rat falls silent for a while as he examines things.
Kluner says, "I know its gettings colders... I knows what winters is... It snows and stuff... Things dies... trees... Nothing to draw or paint or sketched..." he sighs, "I want something... besides snows... to paint..." he flips back onto his back, and starts to rock the hammock.
William has his back to the weasel at the moment as he tests a lantern's rusty hinge. The rat grins at Kluna's complaints, "If you looked hard enough you might find something to draw or paint."
Kluner shrugs, "I draw almost anythigns i sees... Not much else to draw anymores..." he places his paws behind his head and starts to whistle lightly again.
William continues to grin as he puts the lantern away and turn back around to face the weasel, "Weeeell would you like commission then?"
Kluner cracks an eye over at Will, "Commission? What do you mean? You wants me to draws somethings?" he asks.
William nods, "Someone actually. You are the best painter I know."
Kluner scratches his tail, "Someone? Whos?" he has a faint idea of who. But just to make sure. He smiles at the compliment, but doesn't say anything. Just let them keep on rolling.
William says, "Guess."
Kluner hrms a few minutes before grabbing the rope and sliding down, to the fort. There is a bit of noise. The sounds of things being moved, and the rustle of paper, "Aha... Hrm..." he walks out from the entrance and over to Will, unrolling a piece of paper, "Is it she?" The large paper shows a picture of Amy, back... back when. Looks like the time around when Kluner first arrived here. The drawing is strictly charcoal, and it shows her sitting in the rose garden playing her old lute.
William sighs a little, "New paints and sticks ... hmm I'll have to see about that. Nearest market is across th river and I'd rather not go swimming this winter." He chews on his lip for a moment, "th other market is north ... north west past th Abbey ... what sort of paints would you want?"
William shrugs, "Suit yourself. I'm sure your dad would be more than happy t get you whatever paints you might need more of anyway. He likes t do that."
Kluner nods and stands up, "I want one... like the ones you got... but i want it to be... new...of someone... Can you make..." he reaches into his vest pocket and pulls out a folded piece of paper. He unfolds it and out falls out what looks like a tattered worn piece of cloth. A piece of sailcloth, with something drawn on it, to the trained eye. He quickly snatches it up and places it in his pocket and shows the paper to Will instead, "Can you make a thing... of her..." He shows a very well done picture of a female adult weasel. Kluner must have spent weeks on this picture, just to get it right. The beautiful weasel is standing against the railing of a ship, the ocean tossing behind her. Her smile sparkles, at whoever is drawing her. And if you looked at it long enough, who notice that her tail is long and wrapped around the railing.
William hmms, "Same as in the picture with the rail an everything or just her?" he asks after studying the picture for a while.
Kluner refolds it and holds it out for Will, if he wants to take it. For reference "Just... Just her... just like the picture... so the bit of the railing... she is leanings against... please..." Sounds like he really wants to have it.
William doesn't take the paper. "Can't make it and hold th paper at the same time. It'd get real dirty real fast. Want t go out to th kiln and get started on it?" he asks.
Kluner nods and puts the paper in his pocket, "Can we really? Like right now?" he bounces a little, "Yes yess!... Let me just get my..." and he runs back into the fort and grabs his overcoat, "Okay... lets go!" he is really excited.
William laughs, "Yes we can. Th fire isn't lit out there yet but once it gets going you won't need that coat, trust me. Come on, you think you can light the kiln's fire and while we wait on that we'll see about th clay. I have red, orange and green right now and if you want to and can wait a little longer I can put some glaze on it. I have a light grey, a black or a green glaze we could use or maybe mix em a little haven't had much luck with mixing them yet though."
Kluner smiles and bounces a little bit more, "I can lights the Fires... And glazes? I knows what they ares... I can... I can teach you how to mix them... their like... paints... the colors... If you can get thems readies... i can tells you hows to mix thems to get the rights color you is looking's for!" he chuckles as he follow Will out the door and onto the outside.
Moledeep: Worn Path
The rearranged figures on the table in the hall get a glance but the rat is too busy to fix them right now. "I know how to make the glazes and use them it's just different ones need to be fired at different temperatures so to used more than two or so I need to know what order that is and I haven't gotten to that point just yet," Will explains on the way to the kiln.
Kluner shrugs, as it makes little to no sense to him. But he is not the potter anyway, "Well then practice makes them perfect then... I can still make you the different colors... if you want too... Then you can practice firing... the... the different colors..." he enters the stall and runs over to the kiln itself, "I'll get the fire started... I Know hows..." he nods and looks around.
~ Kiln ~
.................
A wooden stall sits on the side of the path kattycorner to the smithy.
Inside is a pottery kiln made from a solid stone boulder which has been hollowed out.
A door is set on the front on hinges and inside is a stone shelf so clay projects
can be set on it rather than directly in the fire below.
Wood is piled up under the shelf inside this stone oven.
When in use the fire underneath bakes the clay items on the shelf
above hardening them into useful pottery items.
To the left of the kiln are five vats for storing clay.
Color coded fitted clay lids keep the storage pits clear of impurities.
According to the lids the pits store: Red, Orange, Brown, Green and Yellow clay respectfully.
To the right of the kiln is a wide vase or urn for storing the ashes and pottery shards from the fire.
Above of the urn's lid hangs a rope which works the bellows.
The bellows for the kiln were copied from the bellows in the smithy.
At the other end of the stall a few feet from the kiln is a potter's wheel.
Behind the wheel is a small square table with clay jars and sorted tools laid out on it.
The vase by the kiln and the clay jars on the table are decorated in oranges and reds
each with a bas-relief of moles either at work or play all around them.
................
"First you need to clean out the ashes in it and put them in the vase there, then you can start th fire," Will says pointing to the vase in question before looking over the clay vats, "What color do you want her?" he asks.
Kluner looks back over to Will then nods a few times, "Uh... yeah... Right..." and he looks for the ash shovel they keep around fire places. Then he starts to put them in their proper place, "The brown... the... the clay color..." he nods a few times. Best of the lot, he thinks.
William sighs, "Clay comes in a lot of colors around her it comes mainly in reds, oranges and browns and I'm out of brown right now. Why don't we go with red. Once it's fired it'll be close to brown anyway and we can put some glaze on it to make it more brown before we're done. How's that sound?"
Kluner finishes putting all the ash away and he is a bit covered in it, so he wipes some away, "Okay. Okay then... red is good." he just wants it a simple color. Nothing fancy or overpowering. He stacks the wood underneath the shelf and looks for a light. After a bit of searching, grunting, and perhaps some cursing, a small fire has been lit. He dusts his paws at it.
William ignores the cursing, he'll let Kentar worry about it. "Then red it is. Good job with the fire need a little practice but don't we all," he grins, "Now I'm guessing you want it near the size of the other figures I've made I'm I right?" he asks taking the lid off the vat for the red clay and sticking a paw in.
Kluner goes over and plops down at anywhere he can put his bum, as he watches Will start, "Yes. Just... Just like them." he nods a few times, and takes out the picture to look at it.
William nods, "Ok. Just wanted to be sure." He scoops up some clay and replaces the lid with his clean paw before walking over to the wheel. He throws the clay onto the wheel and sits down. He doesn't usually use the wheel for this kind of work but the clay is out here and it gets him out of the tunnel for a while. He doesn't start up the wheel as it's not needed, he could have just used the table instead but he wants to keep it clean if he can. He looks over to Kluna puzzled as he starts to mold the clay, "What're you doing over there? I need you over here so I can see if I'm making her right. Should be something t sit on by the table there, if not th floor over here is just as good as where you're at."
Kluner goes over and plops down at anywhere he can put his bum, as he watches Will start, "Yes. Just... Just like them." he nods a few times, and takes out the picture to look at it.
William nods, "Ok. Just wanted to be sure." He scoops up some clay and replaces the lid with his clean paw before walking over to the wheel. He throws the clay onto the wheel and sits down. He doesn't usually use the wheel for this kind of work but the clay is out here and it gets him out of the tunnel for a while. He doesn't start up the wheel as it's not needed, he could have just used the table instead but he wants to keep it clean if he can. He looks over to Kluna puzzled as he starts to mold the clay, "What're you doing over there? I need you over here so I can see if I'm making her right. Should be something t sit on by the table there, if not th floor over here is just as good as where you're at."
Kluner starts to rubs his tail before blinking up at the rat, "OH... Uhh.. Yeah..." he gets up and goes over near the wheel and sits on the floor, watching him work for a bit before going back to the picture. He smiles faintly at it. He then blinks and looks back at him, watching him.
William smiles molding the clay into a vaguely beast-like shape before looking back over to Kluna, "Hold th picture up for me please," he asks.
Kluner is silent for a minute before blinking up at the rat, "Oh... uh... okay..." he holds up the picture up to him. Making sure that he can see all of it
William stares at the paper as the figure in the picture slowly takes form under his paws. His eye only leaves the paper on occasion to check his work, he wants to get a good feel of the beast he's sculpting.
Kluner holds the picture up to him, "Is... Is she hard to sculpt?" he asks, "I spent a long time on drawing... her..." But he wanted to make sure she was perfect, "I hope it will turn out well. I know you can do it..." he smiles.
William says, "Not too much harder than anyone else but I haven't made one from a picture before. Should be fine though, the basics are the same either way."
Kluner nods a few times, "Okay then... I hope she likes it..." he nods a few more times, then falling silent. Still just holding the picture up to him
William is puzzled as he thought he was making this for Kluna but he chooses not to ask turning from the picture back to the clay.
Kluner wraps his tail around his arm as his arms are getting a little tired from holding the picture up. So he drops his paws a little, "It will be nice to have... I try to remember, as much of I can, of her..." he sighs.
William nods a little not liking where this conversation is going. "Go get the bellows started. They're over by th fire and pump em so th fire will get hot faster but don't stand in front of th kiln when you do it. Soon as I'm done we'll fire her it'll take an hour or so. While we wait we can go get something t eat," the rat says nodding toward the kiln.
Kluner nods a few times, putting the drawing on the floor. He stands, and skips over to the bellows, to the side of the boulder. Making sure to stand out of the way of the front. He reaches up and pulls on the rope, pumping air into the fire, and it gets up with a 'Froosh'. Heat exudes from the kiln, before dying back to normal. Kluner eyes it for a minute before doing again. Then waiting... then doing it again... and again...
Once he's finished and the fire is hot enough Will removes the figure from the wheel and puts it into the kiln. He cleans off the wheel and quickly washes his paws in a icy bucket of water. The rat grins at Kluna asking, "Want t go inside? It'll be at least an hour til we can add th glaze if you still want to and then it'll need to be fired again. We can maybe raid th kitchen while we wait."
Moledeep: Kitchen
The rat and weasel enter the tunnel and Will heads off toward the kitchen. Kluna can follow if he wants.
Kluner does follow. He has nothing better to do, "I wonder where mom is. She is usually in here..." he looks around, expecting to see her any minute.
William shrugs, "Not like she lives in here. She's probably around. Maybe with Chris or something." The rat isn't concerned, while Garnet is the best cook in the family he sometimes wishes she hadn't taken over the kitchen so completely.
Kluner hrms, "Maybe..." he goes over to one of the cabinets. Opens it, and pulls out a jar, "Hmm... Cookies..." Obvious secret stash that he can actually reach.
William pokes around the various things that are cooking not really paying much attention to Kluna as he's hungry and too focused to finding something to eat to worry about the weasel.
Kluner takes the jar and sits on the floor, pulling out a red cookie and nibbles on it slowly. He is fine. Though he shouldn't be eating sweets at this time. It will spoil his appetite for later. There is the light sound of scurrying around outside the kitchen.
William has found something to snack on in the pantry and for the moment is lost to sight through the pantry door.
Kluner continues to nibble on the cookie, then there is a sound, "Cookie?" Venei peaks her head out from the doorway and slowly on all fours walks toward the weasel, "Can I has one?" she asks.
William is still off in the pantry so the weasel will have to fend off the mini otter by himself for a while longer.
Kluner frowns and moves the jar away from her, "No'es... There my cookies..."
Venei frowns sadly and sits down, "Pwesse?" she asks once more.
Kluner eyes her one more time before sighing, taking out a cookie and handing it slowly to her, "Just one..."
Venei smiles and takes the cookie, "Tanks!" she giggles and slowly starts to nibble on the cookie.
Kluner smiles a bit, "...welcome..." and he goes back to his own cookie.
William returns and blinks at the appearance of cookies and a little otter. "No more cookies you two. Try an find something else to eat if you're hungry." He bends down to scruff Venei's head fur, "And where'd you come from miz silly otter?"
Venei smiles at Will and mmms at the scruff, "Illies..." she points to the doorway, "Big room! El's is in there... with the stuffs..." she nods and chuckles.
Kluner looks to Will, "But I likes cookies!" he moves the jar away from the both of them. There his cookies.
Kluner hrms and nods, "I don't want to makes moms mad... I likes cookies... I likes moms cookings..." he finishes the last of the cookie he is already eating, before closing the jar and putting it back in cabinet. He can last long enough for dinner.
Venei shakes her head, "Not the stowage chamber... the...the...hal-... hallz..." she nods a few times following the rat into the hall with her cookie in tow.
Moledeep: Mole Hall
Ella is on the table looking at some of the figurines. She does not see or hear the others enter.
William is glad Ella isn't in the storage chamber and tries hard to keep back a smile as he sees what she's gotten into. "Ella Tazan, what are you doing up there?" he asks knowing she isn't supposed to be on the table. "Shopping maybe? I'm sorry but this 'booth' is closing soon," he teases walking over to collect her from the table if he can.
Ella turns at the rat's voice, and her rudder accidentally hits one of the figurines. It slowly rocks back and forth. Before finally toppling over and crashing on the ground. Shattering into a million pieces. Her ears go back and she lays on the table, trying to be as small as possible. Venei ooos, "Els... She brokted it..." she tuts tuts.
William stares for a moment then grabs the guilty otterbabe depositing her on the floor beside the shattered pottery. "Clean it up," he growls. It's clear from his expression that this is an order and one he expects to be full filled /immediately/.
Ella ears are completely back and when she is on the ground she continues to lay on the floor looking at the broken pottery. She doesn't fully understand him, nor does she know how to clean it up.
When the rat growls, Venei becomes alarmed, and runs up between Ella and Will, "Don't be mad illies..."
Ella says quietly, "...Sorries..." and she picks up a few pieces. But she has tiny paws, and she doesn't know where to put it. Of course being confused, not knowing what to do, and having the beast that's mad at her standing over her, like an overseer. She begins to cry.
"My name is William. Not 'illies'," the rat says mocking the green-eyed otterbabe before making to lightly kick the other little otter into the pile of pot shards, "Sorry? You /know/ you/re not to be on the table or to touch things that don't belong to you," he glares down at Ella. Her crying causes him to soften his tone a little and he moves to pick her up and clean her off. He feels a little bad for being so hard on her as it /was/ an accident and he could very easily make another figure. "Nevermind," he sighs. "I'll clean it up but you do need to stay off th table," he says softly in a more pleasant tone.
When Venei is spoken to and then her sister is kicked into the pile. She growls and shows her fangs. Venei is normally a very peaceful otter. But mess with her sister. Bad omen for the rat. Her ears go back viciously, "Illies... Bad...Bad... ratty bad" she growls a little more and when the rat picks up her sister, she growls once more and gets ready to lunge at him. Bite him anywhere that she can reach. The only the that stopped her, is her sister.
Ella barks at Venei, and still puts up no fight against the rat.
Venei just growls at the rat.
William sighs and continues to dust Ella off. "Stay off the table ok, little pikefish?" he says petting his sister's head to calm her down. He's not mad anymore as he's talking nicely to her now even using his special nickname for her.
Ella looks at Will and nods, "Yeses... Wills...." she hrms as she is patted, and she leans up and places her nose quickly on his cheek. What she thinks is a kiss. From what she see other beasts do. Her ears are back to normal. She is still teary eyed. But it's getting better.
Venei watches this and at the 'kiss' her ears go back to normal and she stop growling at him.
"Thank you, Ella. Sides tables are for eating at not playing on you silly pikefish. And if there's something on th table you want you ask somebeast about it, ok? That goes for you too Venei." Will says squatting down next to his other sister as he addresses her, "Look it's ok now. I'm not mad anymore. I'm sorry I was mean." He looks to Venei for her approval.
Ella nods and noses his fur a little bit, "Yeses...No... topa... table" she nods a bit more.
Venei stares at Will a tiny frown on her face. Still unhappy with him. Though no longer in a bitey mood, "No push... El's..." still upset with that. And if he forgives her for that. She might forgive him.
William moves to hug Venei if she'll let him. "No I shouldn't have pushed Ella," he agree with the more wobbly otter. "I'm sorry. Are you still mad at me Venei?' he asks. And here he thought Ella was the more likely one of the two to be a warrior.
Venei eyes him a little bit, and lets him hug her. She doesn't say anything for a bit until, "No pushs El's... I is nots mad..." and she places her arms on him. A little otter hug, if there ever was one, "No top of table... asks frists..." she says slowly.
William nods, "Thanks. That's right. Ask me or Amy or Mum or Pa or Kentar or Garnet. Any of us."
Venei nods a little bit, "Asks the olders ones... ayes..." and she lets go going over to the pile, "I helps clean..."
Ella also as well reaches out toward the pile, "I... helps..." she hrms in the rats arms.
William puts Ella down, "You can help. ... Stay right there and don't move. I'll be right back with something we can put this in," the rat says dashing off to the storage chamber to find a small jar or something to sweep the clay fragments into.
Ella and Venei both nods going to sit next to each other waiting for the rat to return.
Venei hugs Ella tightly. Their not going to do anything anymore today.
By the time the rat returns, Kluner has entered from the kitchen with a flask of water, sitting at the table. He just sorta stays away from the otters as he drinks slowly.
William comes back with a broom and a square glass jar. He lays the jar on its side on the floor and instructs the two little otters to hold it in place vary carefully as he sweeps the debree into the jar with the broom. The rat isn't using the whole broom just the straw end of it so he has better control of where the stuff gets swept to.
The little otters follow the rats orders, by holding the jar steady.
Kluner watches for few minutes, and wouldn't say anything. But he ran out of water, "What happens?" he knows, but he wants to give the illusion of being ignorant about it.
William finishes sweeping up the clay pieces and sets the jar upright scooping up as much of the left over dust, that didn't make it in, up in his paws to add to the jar. Once this is done he wipes his paws on his trousers and sets the jar on the table. "Nothing really, " he says answering his nephew as he stands up, "Ella was on th table which she's not supposed to be and accidently broke on of th figures I'd left there. She won't be getting on the table anymore." He taps the jar, "I'm gonna take this out t th kiln and check on your figurine. Mind watching th twins for me?"
Kluner scrunch's his nose at the rat, "She broke somethings? The things..." he eyes the jar. Better not happen to his figurine... He then was going to say no to the rat. He doesn't want to watch them. That's dumb. But he thinks better of it and nods, "Okay..."
The otters go over to one of the armchair and plop down. Still not doing anything.
William smiles, "Thanks Kluna. You've been a great help today." The rat goes off to the add the contents of the jar to the ash bin in the kiln. While he's out he retrieves Kluna's figurine from the kiln and wraps it in some rags before setting aside in an out of the way place. Will returns to the hall with an empty jar and grins at the weasel, "The figure you wanted is done but if you still want it gazed we'll have t do that another day since it doesn't look like anyone else is around to watch th twins right now. I'm going to watch them and you can think about what color you want your figure painted and maybe start thinking about your end of the deal. I don't mind making you stuff for nothing but we did have a deal this time and as I've said you're the best painter I know." This being said the rat sets the jar back down on the table and walks over to the chair where his sisters are planning to sit with them maybe read them a story from one of the books in the study or whatever they want him to do.
Kluner says, "I know. I know. I know." Don't have to harp him, "I will get it done... Don't worry..." he drops down from the chair, leaving the flask on the table. He heads off to the storage chamber to start to sharpen a bunch of sticks. He is going to need them for the picture.
The little otters wait till the rat sits down near them. They crowd him, and they sit on his lap, if he lets them. They want to hear a story about their parents. And maybe this mouse in armor they sometimes talk about. Might be a good story
William does let the little otters sit on his lap, he'd hoped they would, though there isn't quite enough room for both of them. He reaches back and grabs first one then another figure off the table and then something else and hands them all to the little otters, "I think these are yours" They're the same to otter figurines the twins had been playing with plus two smaller ones which look just like the twins themselves. "Now you want to hear about Pa an Mum? Well let's see .... About three seasons back I found this place where we live and th Abbey a ways off and at Redwall Abbey I met an old otter. We went on many adventures together. On one adventures we met a very pretty lady otter named Fira. ..." And so the rat continued with a condensed and heavily edited version of the events leading up to the little otters' birth, elaborating on the parts where Aikuen or Fira had done something of note and skipping most of the negative parts, for the time being.
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