Unexpected Visitors

Characters: Kentar, Chris, Will, Amy, Bale, Robin

Location: Moledeep, Mossflower Woods

Moledeep: Dibbun's Garden

Kentar is swimming in the pond with Chris, the otters having done a good job on how to teach the young stoat to swim so far. Too bad their lessons didn't include Kentar. He knows how to swim, but really could use some lessons. He splashes at Chris, who is in one arm, while the mini-stoat splashes back, giggling wildly

Will walks into the garden from the kiln, he's been spending a lot of time working at the kiln since Kentar made it, and plops down by edge the pond, inside the rope fence. "Hey!" he calls over to the stoats dangling his legs in the water.

Kentar looks up and smiles, giving a wave before being splashed. "Hey!" he grins at the rat then splashes his son back. Both are in their usual swimming shorts, both in their usual swimming moods.

Will kicks his legs in the water a little, not really splashing. "You want t do something?" he asks the stoat.

Kentar chuckles a little and smiles. His son tries to swim away from his dad but only succeeds in getting even more wet. Kentar swims to the shore with the 'help' of his son. "Like what Will?" he asks, setting his son on the shore, but staying in the water himself.

Will says, "I don't know. Maybe go exploring or build something. .... I don't know. .... I'm bored."

Kentar chuckles and smiles a little, nodding. "We could go for a walk in the woods." he smiles.

Will nods. "Ok. You bringing Chris?"

Kentar stands and gets out of the water, shaking his head with a chuckle. "Heheh. No. I'm going to leave him with Garnet. I'll be back in a few moments." he smiles.

Will nods, "Ok. I'm going in too. I think I'll grab some food t eat on th way." The rat get up and steps though the ropes and heads off toward the tunnel with Kentar.

Moledeep: Kitchen

Amethyst has moved a chair into the kitchen from the hall and is sitting at the table eating a light snack of hard tack and cheese.

Will enters the kitchen with his pack in paw and grabs a few rolls of bread to take on the walk and fills his canteen at the kitchen pump. "Hi, Amy. Kentar an me are gonna take a walk. I'm getting some bread t eat for on our walk," he greets the blind maid as he moves around the kitchen.

After leaving Chris with Garnet, the stoat has gotten changed into some dry clothes, a black tunic and black trousers, short sword on his belt. Kentar enters the kitchens and looks around. "Hey Will. Amy." he smiles.

Amethyst had turned to face Will when he'd spoken to her and now turns again to face the stoat after he speaks. "Hello. Where're you going?" she asks the stoat having been told they were going on a walk.

Will waves a little at Kentar as he recorks his canteen and hooks it back onto his belt.

Kentar smiles a bit. "Just into the woods. We wont be long, I'm sure." he chuckles. "You ready Will?" the stoat asks, fixing an odd flask in his belt so its not crooked.

Amethyst reaches for her staff and stands up, her hard tack and cheese now gone, "Can I come?" she asks.

Will nods, "I'm ready." Then he hears Amethyst speak up. "Um .... I don't know. .... What do you think Kentar?" he looks to the stoat. He mouths "If we take her we'll have to go really slow," to the stoat barely at a whisper knowing Amy would hear him if he said louder.

Kentar laughs a little. "I don't mind you coming Amy!" he smiles before looking at to Will. "I don't mind if you don't mind." he whispers back. "Right. So. I don't mind. Are we ready to go?" he asks.

Amethyst nods a little, "Good. Sooo, I'm going."

Will nods, "Yeah, you're going with us. Not sure where we're going yet, but we're going somewhere." He heads out of the kitchen and into the hall. "Come on!" he calls back toward the other two.

Kentar smiles at Amy, and being very close to the same hight, he goes to hook his arm under hers, trying to be polite. "Shall we head off M'lady?" he grins and chuckles quietly.

Amethyst chuckles as the stoat takes her arm, "We'd better or he'll leave without us."

Kentar chuckles. "Let lets be off." He smiles before going off with Amy.

Moledeep: Mole Hall

Will stands by the entrance waiting for the stoat and rat-maid so he can go off exploring, without getting in trouble.

Amethyst enters the hall with Kentar. "I'm ready. Didn't even have to pack anything," she says smiling not quite sure if Will is there or not.

Kentar chuckles and follows Amy, his arm locked with her's as they move. "We're ready to go, Will. Shall we?" he smiles.

Will gives the pair a quick glance before opening the door. "Let's go," he says ignoring the others' silly behavior.

Kentar nods and follows the rat. "Right! Lets go!" he laughs and leads Amy off behind will.

Mossflower Woods: Bank of the River Moss

Will leads Kentar and Amethyst through the woods in along a twisting route that pops them out along the Moss River every so often. He finally stops under a some trees at the edge of a large pool that flows into the river Moss. High over head and upriver comes the deafening roar of rushing water. The falls can be seen clearly from where the trio has stopped. The waterfall beats against the remains of somebeast's wagon which is scattered across the rocks at the base of the falls. The pool is relatively still amid all the moving water and is possibly feed by some underground spring which may counter act the some of the effects of the falls and the pull of the river.

Amethyst slows when she hears the waterfall and lets go of Kentar's arm. "Returning your book or getting another one?" she calls ahead to Will.

Kentar looks around and lets go of Amy before slipping his paws into his pockets, looking around. "Wow. Nice place."

Will smiles, "Yeah, it's pretty here but come look at this," he walks along the bank up passed the falls before motioning the others over.

Amethyst frowns, "Why is he leading again?"

Kentar chuckles. "Because I wanted to lead, that's why." he laughs and goes over to Will. "What is it?" he asks.

Will points to a cave behind the waterfall looking back at Kentar to see if he wanted to go in the cave or not.

Kentar shakes his head slowly. "Nah. We'd have to swim and I don't have anything to change into."

Will nods a little in understanding. "Ok. ...... Which way do you want to go from here then?" he asks.

Kentar shrugs a little and looks around. "No idea." he says with a shrug.

Will says, "Well, we can go up river, down river or away from th river. Probably wouln't be too good an idea t try crossing th river right now."

Kentar nods a little then chuckles. "Lets go up river. Then we should get back to Moledeep. Garnet is probably having a bad time getting Chris to sleep." he chuckles quietly.

Will nods, "Ok. That'd be passed th waterfall. ....... I'll tell Amy so she won't get lost." Will heads back to where the maid is still standing and talks to her a short while explaining where they're going now. He has to talk loud to be heard over the rushing water. She nods and follows him over to were Kentar is and the three of them resume walking.

Amethyst follows Will and Kentar through the woods staying near the back of the group when not near Kentar since Will usually takes the lead, walking in front of group. She takes a deep breath as they enter a partly grown in clearing. "Nearly home," she says.

Kentar follows Will back near home. He's been on edge ever since the waterfall for some weird reason and he tries hard not to notice. "It was nice, the walk. We need to do it more often." he smiles.

Will shrugs, "Yeah. Have t do it again sometime. Maybe go somewhere else than th river." He continues to head west and walks off into a grove of trees.

Mossflower Woods: Willow Grove

Amethyst walks along side the stoat. She notices they've passed the southward turn that leads to Moledeep and are still heading west. "We'll be home soon. We want t show you something first. Look!" she exclaims waving a paw in an arc over whatever she's facing, once she catches the scent of the willow tree from a breeze that's blowing through the grove. "See it? See th big giant tree? That's were me an Will are going t have our wedding. We'll need t borrow your older son or by then maybe both your sons to help with decorations and some other stuff soon as winter's over and the snow's melted, oh and Racky too but he's not your son so I don't need t ask you if I can borrow him or not."

Kentar smiles and stops, looking around. "Wow. This place...is amazing. Its a great place for a wedding! And I'll help too! And yeah, you can borrow them." he laughs, looking around. "Wow. You two really picked a good place.

Will grins, "Thanks and yes I did." He points to the giant willow tree at the far end of the grove, "That's where me an Amy and you cause you're doing th talking are going t stand and we'll bring benches or something for everyone t sit on out here and after we'll go home and maybe have lunch and might be cake after, if somebeast'll make one."

Kentar grins widely. "Oh! I'll make the cake! I make great cake! If you...want me to make a cake of course." he chuckles quietly and smiles wide.

Amethyst smirks, "Yes. I'd originally wanted it t be in th rose garden but someone wanted to change that all the sudden for /some reason/." She shrugs, "It's nice here and given that one of the other choices should not have ever been considered at all as a choice for anything ... we went with this."

Will grins, "Of course ya can. Any kind's fine maybe with fruit or something in th middle. If we think of something we want different we'll let you know. I'm sure we could all fit under that big tree at th end so we'll just need t bring stuff t sit on over there since th ground probably will be wet by then with all th snow melting an it being spring." He turns to look back at the others, "Ready t go back?"

Kentar nods and chuckles. The stoat smiles to Will and nods. "I am. Yeah." He says before starting to walk. Although he stops and looks around, looking a little on edge for some reason. "Yeah. Back." he nods slowly.

Amethyst turns her head toward Kentar as she heads back now taking the lead position in the group, "Are you ok?" she asks. She though she heard an odd tone to the stoat's voice just then. She walks out of the grove heading east and then south to Moledeep. Amy knows this grove nearly as well as Moledeep itself and so she sees no reason to stay extra close to the other two now.

Will follows after Amy heading out of the grove and south a little ways, "Come on," he calls back to Kentar, "It's not that far."

Kentar huhs then starts off after them, nodding towards Amy. "Yeah. I'm fine. Just thought I heard something is all." He says, his guard up as high as it will go.

"What kind of something?" Amy asks. She moves to walk closer to Will, ".... we're almost home .... and this isn't th same place ....." her voice trails off as the rats keep walking. They enter the clearing that makes up Moledeep soon enough and wait by the entrance for the stoat.

Will shrugs and keep a close watch on Amy, "I don't know. It's probably nothing Kentar. Might have been a bird or something."

Kentar nods and follows along. "Yeah. Might have been." he follows and when they get to the gate of Moledeep he takes a deep breath. "Sorry. I thought there was some beast out there. I'm just paranoid I guess. Since the fox and all."

Moledeep: Entrance

Kentar nods and follows along. "Yeah. Might have been." he follows and when they get to the gate of Moledeep he takes a deep breath. "Sorry. I thought there was some beast out there. I'm just paranoid I guess. Since the fox and all."

Amethyst nods, "Understandable. Why don't we go inside and have supper. You think Chris will let me feed him?"

Moledeep: Mole Hall

Will opens the door and holds it for Amy, "Good idea. We'll eat and relax. Garnet'll be glad t see you made it back and Kluna's probably got a lot of new picture drawn by now. Come on."

Kentar comes into the hall and looks around. "I'll find Chris for you to feed him Amy, if he's awake." The stoat chuckles quietly before vanishing off to his room.

Amethyst nods and finds her way over to the table and a chair to sit down.

Will walks off toward the kitchen to fetch supper for himself and Kentar figuring Amy would eat after Chris does. "I when Kentar comes back in tell him I want him t help me clean out th fireplace after we eat. We'll need it once it starts to get cold and th sooner it's ready th better."

Only a few short moments after Will had left the hall, the doors into the hall open from outside and two, hooded figures step in. Both looking evil. One is taller then the other by a few feet, and the other one looks short enough to be no older then Amy. Both with blades drawn. Odd, red blades. "We're looking for Kentar." A deep voice growls out, seeing Amy.

Amethyst nods a little as Will leaves. "Yeah. I'll do that," she calls toward the kitchen. "I might take him in there anyway since it's smaller and there's only one exit. .... that'd be a good room for Kluna, Racky an Chris t play in so long as Chris is watched once we start having fires in there."

Will calls back out from the kitchen, "Yeah that would be good for them. Hope none of them get t staring at th fire like Zen used to. We'll have t watch em." He returns to the hall with two bowls of soup and set them down just as he sees their visitors. "Hello. Do you need something?" he asks the strange beasts forcing himself to keep his paw off his sword til he knows what sort of beasts these are.

Their faces are hidden and the only thing that can be seen is a whisker or two poking out where the hood doesn't quite cover. "Kentar. He is here. Where?" The voice asks again

Amethyst slowly stands up with the aide of her staff walks around the table to stand next to Will. "Who are you?" she asks staying close to Will's side, these beasts don't sound friendly and are more than likely armed she's sure though she can't see their weapons.

Will asks, "What do you want with my brother?"

The two beasts look down at each other and tilt their heads before looking back to Will, unsure of what to say. Kentar returns now to the hall without Chris, having found the dibbun asleep. "Sorry Amy, but." he eyes the beasts. "Who in the seasons are you?" he tilts his head but then sees the red blades. Rank. Oh lord, his past is coming back to haunt him. He casually walks up to the beast and peers inside the hood. He knows they wont attack. They just stare at each other for a few long wordless moments.

Those moments of wordlessness don't last long and are soon broken by Amy, "That's ok, Kentar." She moves a little behind Will just in case, "These whoever they are were looking for you and looks like they found you. They didn't say who they were or why they wanted you. ....... yeah. So you talk or whatever and I'll be /here/," the maid says awkwardly feeling the need to say something but having nothing really to say about this sudden intrusion into their home.

Will puts a paw on Amy's arm so as not to put it on his sword since the strangers haven't yet attacked any of them. "You know these beasts Kentar?" he asks eying the beasts in question.

Kentar stares back at the hooded figure. He doesn't reply. But a few seconds later, he balls his right paw into a fist before plowing the taller one in the nose, sending him onto his back. The smaller beast does nothing but watch as Kentar jumps on the down figure. "Ow! You haven't lost your touch." there's a pause. "Wait now. I know that voice." Kentar peers into the hood a little more as the beast under him sits up a little, the hood falling to show a slightly older then Kentar stoat.

Amethyst's ears tilt toward the sounds from the other side of Will, "Still here. Um," she tries to think of something to do to remove herself from the room, "Why don't I take these bowls back to the kitchen so they don't get cold. Good idea." She slips out from behind Will slowly and takes a bowl in each paw before stepping back behind Will and from there over to the kitchen.

Will watches Amy go into the kitchen and moves a chair in front of the door leading into it and sits down. "Soooo what's going on here?" he asks.

"Yes, you do." The other stoat grins and pushes Kentar off of him. "Bale! Its you! Haha! What are you doing here?!" he asks, launching himself into a hug with the other stoat who promptly hugs back. "Oh, well. We were in the area and decided to stop by...And. We saw you near our camp and followed you back." Bale laughs. Kentar lets go and looks to the other beast who is also now dehooded, showing that he too is a stoat. "And No. That's not. Robin, is it?" he laughs, the stoat smiling wide. "Wow, you've grown so much!" He only gets a nod before looking to Will. "Will! I'd like you to meet my older brother Bale, and his son, Robin." He smiles. They both sort of wave.

Will waves a little, "Hey. I'm Will. I kinda 'adopted' Kentar t be my big brother a while ago. And that was Amy that went into th kitchen a while ago. You two /staying long/?"

The stoats sheath their weapons and grin. "We were hoping to stay long enough to catch up with my brother!" Bale smiles before tilting his head to Will. "Then I guess that makes me your brother too, haha!" He stands and goes over to Will, trying to give the rat a big hug. Robin, the younger stoat, just watches. "Uncle..." he looks to Kentar. "Is there a place I can sleep? Been traveling all day." Kentar smiles and nods. "Sleeping hall." he points to the hall. "Pick a bed then it's yours." he laughs.

Will lets the stoat hug him if he wants but keeps alert, just in case. "You'll have a lot t catch up on then. We were just about t have supper when you two came in. I know there's enough for two more, if you're hungry," the rat says getting up and moving behind his chair to go into the kitchen. "I'll tell Amy what's going on while I get th soup.

The older stoat sets down Will and smiles. "Thanks mate!" he says before turning to Kentar who's sitting. He promptly joins him. "So Bale! Why were you out here!? The last time we saw each other was before mom and dad were killed."

"We were just exploring and we went to the abbey to see if anyone there knew you. There were one or two and said you were somewhere southish so that's where we went!" he smiles.

Will is in the kitchen a while explaining the two new stoats to Amy and filling bowls with hotroot soup. He soon returns with a tray and five bowls of hot soup as well as five glasses of water and a pile of cloth napkins and of course five spoons should any beasts want them. He sets the tray down in the middle of the table and says, "Help yourselves. I'm gonna get th pitcher of water and bring it in here." He walks back off to the kitchen for the pitcher and try and talk Amy into coming back out into the hall to eat with the rest of them.

The two stoats are getting along great, both are laughing and talking away. "Oh! Thanks Will." Kentar smiles before his brother speaks. "Aye! Thanks Willy my brother!" he laughs and smiles. Kentar says nothing as they start to dish up their food and eat. "Wow. I can't believe you're here. For how long!?" Kentar asks. Bale takes a few moments to reply. "About. A week or so." he says

"Just Will," the rat says as he sets the pitcher of water down and again leaves to get something else from the kitchen. He soon returns with some hard tack which he lays on the tray for whoever wants it before he sits down and takes a bowl and glass for himself.

"Ah. Thanks Will!" Bale corrects himself before smiling at Kentar. "Nice kid." he chuckles. "Glad there aren't any woodlanders around." Kentar pauses before shaking his head. "I'd enslave them I would. You'd help me, eh Kent?" Bale laughs again. Kentar stays quiet.

Amethyst comes out of the kitchen minus her stick since she knows the way to the table from the kitchen well enough, or thinks she does anyway. She waves at the voices, "Hello, Bale and Robin was it? Hi, I'm 'Amethyst'. Sorry about earlier .... we don't get too many visitors here." She walks toward the table not knowing that their is still a chair in the doorway, though Will had moved it about half way so he could get in and out of the kitchen more easily. Amy bumps into the chair knocking it down and in the process of trying to go either around or over it she trips and fall to the floor. "Ow. This day just keeps getting better and better doesn't it," she says aloud and mostly to herself.

Bale just eats until there's an ow. He stands up quickly and goes over to Amy, leaning down to pick her up gently. "Ah. Careful now m'dear." he chuckles quietly. "Bale, yes. Robin is gone to sleep I think." he says.

Will watches Bale even closer now, if that were possible. He's not jealous he just doesn't trust the stoat or have much reason to. "Just help her to a chair and she'll be fine. I should have moved that chair out of her way but I forgot. Nope no woodlanders here. You're staying a week you said?" He nods to himself, "My father should be back by then. He and my stepmother are visiting her family." Not a complete lie and 'family' sounds much better than 'old home' in the rat's opinion.

Amethyst is helped up and to a chair. "Thanks. I'm fine. Pass a bowl of soup over this way somebody," she calls to whoever's nearest once she's seated. Aside from a scraped knee which is just barely bleeding she's unhurt and more importantly she's hungry. She'll take a wet cloth to her knee after she eats.

Kentar slips Amy a bowl of soup and smiles. "There you are Amy." he smiles. Bale smiles at Will. "Ah! Bet your father's a big strapping rat like yourself!" he laughs before smiling and giving a wave to Kentar. "I'll see you in the morning brother! I'm going to bed!" The stoat then is gone to bed. As soon as Bale is gone, Kentar frowns in a way he's never frowned before.

Will watches the older stoat walk off to the sleeping hall, "He's big alright," he says in answer to the Bale's comment before turning to look at Kentar and he asks quietly, "What'd you think Pa'd do if he comes back before they're gone? He's no woodlander and I know he wouldn't be scared of them. and there's more of us then them if it came down to it. ........ Hope they leave before Pa an Stepmum get back."

Kentar eyes Will for a moment. "Aik would kill him I think. Bale is a slaver." he says. "Aik hates them. I think." his eye is locked on the door to the sleeping hall. "Something's wrong. They wouldn't be here without a reason. All our family is dead. It can't be to deliver news. And I know it's not for a visit. My brother and I hate each other. To show up out of the blue and be all friendly, I don't know why he'd have such a change of heart." he stands and folds his arms. "I'm going to bed Will. I am warning you. Stay away from Bale and Robin for now. And keep your sword close. I know that he'd be able to grind you into dust, but at least you'd have a fighting chance." he then goes off for his room.

Amethyst blinks, "What am /I/ supposed to do?!"

Will glances down at the bowls and glasses littering the table. "Looks like th dishes. I'll help and maybe we'll bunk with Racky tonight." he sighs, "Just in case."