Training Time

--Starts in the grasslands, in the log is Zork-badger, Bastien-mouse, and later on Lee-otter--

Zork hums and sings some sort of odd tune and stops as he sees the hare sitting by the tree stump, “Ello lad”

Bastien looks up and waves, “Hallo Zork, hope your having a jolly good day, I am not, got knocked out by a weasel, if she was a little further away maybe could of shot her with my blooming arrow but when it comes to fighting up in your face fighting, I be rather bad at it and I am head guard of Redwall, maybe I shouldn’t be’

Zork sighs and offers a paw to help him to his foot paws, “Ya just be needin’ some traini’ lad and old Zork gonna do that fer ya, wot ya say B?”

Bastien tilts his head, “B?...ummm sure, I can use a dirk, a little and well longbow very very well, not as good as me dad yet but I practice like he did in the woods.”

Zork nods “And practice be wot ya need with up close fighting.” He draws out a saber, “Here..try this, be a good hare weapon and think it belonged ta a former guard or something”

Bastien frowns, “Yeah, father’s..he had the saber and longbow, the dirk was my mom’s, her name was Honeyfern…she died when me and my sister were born, my sister died, think cause of us being born early, but I lived somehow”

Zork smiles, ”Tis ok lad, remembering de pass is ok and just means ya strong and maybe Martin wanted ya ta live and be head guard and protect the abbey”

Bastien frowns, “But I have not been too good lately at protecting’ anyone, I keep blooming failing!”, He sighs , “The weasel last night. Wot if she got in?”

Zork shakes his head, “Not true lady, ya saved Leon’s dibbuns from de rat, and ya helped defend Redwall from Marek’s horde, maybe it wasn’t in a major way but ya gave hope ta de fighters and troops know de head guard be thar ta support them and that gave others hope and courage and you showed courage staying put, last night ya showed courage by holding off de weasel till some other help came”

Bastien shrugs “Maybe so” He looks at the saber and holds it, ”Wot now?”

Zork smiles, “I teach ya ta do better at up close fightin’, if ya be willing and ya pay close attention ta me…ok lad?”

Bastien nods “I understand and I want to learn and do better, so like I said, wot now?”

Zork grins “We train, now” He draws forth his large blade, “Attack me”

Bastien blinks and angles his saber and then goes to swing after a short while.

Zork sidesteps and chuckles “Ya slow, it I be a vermin ya be dead probably. ”He goes to swing towards the hare’s neck.

Bastien ducks and brings his saber up and barely blocks the other blade and pants a little, he steps back and tries to fake a left and goes right instead.

Zork pays close attention to the hare and blocks the weapon with the large blade, “Always stay alert, always watch your foe and never take your eyes off the one your fighting lad”

Bastien snorts and swings at Zork upset, “Yeah wot if there is more than one this is useless advice!”

Zork sidesteps as a small bit of cloth is torn, he lays the sword at the hare’s neck, “Never lose ya temper in battle, yes it can be hard at times but try..or channel it ta be of use to ya…a temper in battle can kill ya, revenge be far worse..clouds de mind lad, never let revenge blind ya or anger blind ya in battle it prevents the mind from being clear” He steps back “And gets ya dead a lot quicker, you can focus better, any hate towards a vermin channel into battle energy that will help ya lad.”

Bastien sighs as he goes to try a couple other moves with Zork.

Zork parries and blocks, once or twice he will show a battle stance to the hare and help him slowly copy it and then speed it up some.

Bastien messes up a couple times and grumbles, one he gets right and smiles, he angles the blade and raises it up and swings down at Zork.

Zork shakes his head and lays his blade on the hares back , “Never over extend a thrust, your off balance and vulnerable and off balance,” He gently pushes the hare sideways.

Bastien gasps and tumbles sideway, he shakes his head “Will keep it in mind, off balance is bad in a fight”

Zork nods “Yes it would be, as for more than one fighting you, it can be tricky, but try and keep an eye on both, more than two, well…do ya best, not every often ya will have that be de case lad.”

Bastien as he gets up slowly and smiles, “Thanks for the lessons Zork, still willing to teach me other times?”

Zork grins as he puts the blade away, “Yes, maybe de morning everyday fer couple hours and if like once in de eve as well, ya still can be on duty when needed and still practice ya longbow too, no need ta get rusty on that”

Bastien chuckles, “No”

Zork lets Bastien keep the saber as he looks around and grins, “Be a good day lad, little chilly fer some, me I be use ta a lot of cold since lived in de northlands”

Bastien gets out his longbow and notches an arrow, he aims and looks down the shaft and then fires, hitting a tree 300 yards away and smiles, he jogs over and gets the arrow jogging back, “See…”

Zork grins “Impressive lad!. Your good with de bow and arrow, just keep de skill, your muscles are strong that I can see and you can use that also when needin’ ta use a dirk or saber up close, not ta worry just like with de bow..practice..practice…practice will get ya good at de blade too”

Bastien smiles, “I know, if you want to get good or stay good, practice and eat good food and exercise and take good care of yourself.”

Zork nods “Yep all good advice ta live by B!”

Bastien says, “So, back to the abbey soon getting close to lunch think wot?”

Zork chuckles, “Hares always think of food don’t they?”

Bastien frowns, “Hey anyone who is hungry will think of blooming food” He hmms “Should we practice more?”

Zork stretches, "Then we can go get lunch lad, I think ya hares would stare if ya missed a meal" He grins. "Besides thar be a thing as too much practice in a day anyhow"

-Entry Of Redwall-

Zork gets his blade and any the hare has and puts them away into the gatehouse, "Thar, so next practice can be oh...ta morrow?"

Bastien nods "Yes that sounds good, thanks"

Zork grins, "Ok then, so shall we see what thar be fer lunch then?"

Lee comes in from the road. He had been out making sure a certain something had been disposed of, and he was glad to see it had been. "G'mornin' Zork."

Bastien smiles, he likes the idea of lunch and waves to Lee, "Hallo Lee, you ok?"

Zork grins, "Hey Lee, why were ya outside, not de best place to be really. Then again me and B were out, teaching de lad how ta get better with close up fighting"

Lee says, "Ello Bastien, I be gettin' better, me shoulder just 'urts, that is all. As to why I was out, I wanted ta be sure the weasel Flick dispatched last night was disposed of. She wanted me head, y'know."

Bastien frowns, "She didn’t get in did she? I tried to make sure she didn’t get blooming in but she slammed me into the gate and I..woke up in the infirm, I was ok just knocked out cold..sorry if she, got in I tried" His ears droop.

Zork listens, "Was anyone hurt? And de weasel be dead now or guessing wrong on that?"

Lee says, "Don't ye worry yerself, Bastien. Flick an' I made sure she didn't get in. An' Zork, no beast was badly hurt, though she did punch me in the face...nearly broke me nose."

Bastien sighs as he folds his arms over his chest, "Still she managed to knock me out...I'm going inside" He walks away.

Lee says, "We better follow 'im, Zork..."

Zork sighs, "That lad need a bit more...not sure, knowing that he do well in protecting and stuff, I am gonna help him learn more up close fighting, ta help him we were in de grasslands doin' that earlier."

Lee nods. "I wish I could cheer 'im up, though."

Zork asks, "Maybe ya can later, so other than de weasel tryin ta harm ya, ya doing ok Lee?"

Lee smiles blissfully. "Aye, I am, me friend. I told Stream'eart that I love her yesterday...an' she feels the same about me..."

Zork smiles "That thar be great news, does she know de weasel was taken care of"

Lee shakes his head. "Not yet. She's gonna be livin' here now, so I made a plan ta propose ta her at the fall feast...don't tell 'er I told ye, but her mum passed...that be why she's stayin' here."

Zork nods, "Well she will be happy ere'..least hope and I can keep it a secret on ya asking her at de feast on wedding..let’s go get some food in de cavern hole"

---Log ends here as Zork and Lee go join Bastien for some lunch –