Visitors for the Stoats Part Two

Characters: Aikuen, Kentar, Will

Location: Eastern Shore

Eastern Shore

It's getting on to be afternoon at the camp south of the village. Aikuen is sitting on a makeshift chair, inside the tent, next to Kentar. He has been talking to everybeast that has ever seen the stoat in the past few days. Kentar is hurt, and yet he is not telling anybeast what it is. But Aik can tell. And it erks the crud out of him. He just hopes whatever it is gets better. Fira is also in the tent, next to Aik on the other side of the stoat. She is propped up on a cot. A healer told her to stay off her footpaws. It was funny. Fira didn't find it amusing though. But she follows the orders anyway, after a bit of convincing from Aik. So she is lightly dozing, with one her paws on her belly, and the other in Aik's paw. The older otter is resting as well, head lolling back on his shoulders.

Kentar is resting on his back, now that it doesn't hurt as much. He's kept the fact his wrist hurts secret to everyone but the rats and so far, he doesn't plan on telling anyone. He rolls over to one side and then rolls to the other, muttering stuff in his sleep, sweating quite a bit. A nightmare perhaps.

Aikuen blinks and yawns, at the movement next to him. He wasn't sleeping just in case Kentar woke. Well the stoat isn't awake, but it is enough to make the otter administer to him. He looks to Kentar, and watches him for a minute before taking a cool damp cloth on a tray near him, and wipe the stoats forehead, "Come on mate... settle..." he says quietly.

Aikuen just nods, and waits for the stoat to lay back down, before placing his paw on the stoats forehead. Taking a quick temp. He nods again, "Nightmare? What nightmare?" as he wipes his forehead again.

Kentar has a bit of a fever but nothing too bad. The stoat just closes his eye and shakes his head. He doesn't want to talk about it right now. For the moment, he just takes a few deep breaths, calming himself down.

Will looks over at the stoat from where he'd been sitting on a nearby cot. Amy had gone with Garnet and Chris. "You had a bad dream? It's ok Kentar. You're fine now an with us. No matter how real it seemed it was just a dream. Nothing's gonna get you." he says seems to be parroting something he'd heard from some other beast.

Aikuen was waiting for an answer. But doesn't get it. Well, he doesn't press the issue. But he does know that it has to do with Garnet, "She is safe now... I bet you're having thoughts about losing her... " he nods. Gotten those before. Really recently too, "Like Will said. Its just a dream..." The otter shrugs and reaches for a vial, "You have a small fever... Here..." he holds it out to the stoat, "This will help reduce it..."

Kentar finally catches his breath and nods at their words, though he says nothing at all. The stoat takes the vial and drinks it down before setting it aside and rubbing over his face again. He winces slightly as he bends his bad wrist but still, says nothing about it.

Aikuen takes the vial back, and places it back on the tray before looking intently at Kentar. Ah, there it is again. What is it? He continues to eye the stoat, "What's wrong mate... you shouldn't be hurting... Tell me what it is ..." he asks the stoat for the umpteenth time. Not really expecting a direct answers. Or an answer at all.

Aikuen takes the vial back, and places it back on the tray before looking intently at Kentar. Ah, there it is again. What is it? He continues to eye the stoat, "What's wrong mate... you shouldn't be hurting... Tell me what it is ..." he asks the stoat for the umpteenth time. Not really expecting a direct answers. Or an answer at all.

Kentar looks to Aik for a few moments but says nothing. Again. Quietly he thinks, should he tell him? Should he? Yes. He should. "My wrist." he says with a sigh. "I had to bite at it to get free of the restraints. My left paw...I can't feel very much." He tries to bend his fingers but can only get three of them half way down and the others don't respond. "I'm not sure why."

Aikuen blinks. Was that an answer? The stoat speaks! Bout time. Though it was not quite what he was looking for in the way of his health. He is very glad that the stoat told him. The otter makes a quick diagnosis on the stoat. From what he told him, to what he can see in his paw, "Alright... I have an idea at what it may be... Hold your left paw, palm upward... and this is going to hurt a bit... but only for a sec..." he waits.

Kentar shakes his head slowly. "No." The stoat says. "I've been through too much pain the last while to go through any more." its true. He's reached his limit. He really, really has.

Aikuen sighs, and rubs his temples, "Kentar. I'm trying to help you. If I'm right, in what I believe is wrong with you..." he shakes his head, "You never be able to use your paw again... if I don't treat it..." but he understands. He digs around in his pouch for a vial. A vial that he normally never uses for fixes. But the stoat may need it, "What if i gave you a sleeping potion... and then worked on your paw... you wont feel a thing... I promise..." if not, he may have to get physical. He is not going to let the stoat hurt himself, by ignoring treatment.

Kentar sighs and takes the vial, but he doesn't dare drink it. He then holds out his paw and closes his eyes. "Fine." he whispers quietly, waiting for it to be done and over with.

Aikuen sighs, "I'm really sorry mate. But I'm your friend, and a healer. I'll try to get it over with as soon as possible..." even though what he is about to do is not a treatment. He is only trying to prove something. Just to make sure. He takes the paw, and grasps right above the wrist, squeezing it very tightly. He watches at the wrist, and hopes that he doesn't see, what he thinks. Please! PLEASE! "...Dammit..." he shakes his head, "...Kentar..." he holds up the squeezed paw, where blood can be seen under the surface of the skin under the fur. That's not good.

"What's not good?" Will asks. He'd been watching the otter and stoat quietly from his cot but now comes over to try and see what's wrong with Kentar's paw.

Kentar yelps quietly as his wrist is squeezed. The stoat blinks and tries to move his fingers again, only getting those three moving, only half way. "What's wrong?" He asks. He gets a worried look. "What's...wrong?" he asks again, quite firm this time. "Tell me." He's keeping back the fact that his wrist really hurts, thanks to Aik. Still hurts but he's keeping it in check for now.

Aikuen doesn't like it. He was hoping that he just bruised it. Meaning that it would heal over time. But its worse. Much worse. He looks to Will, "Will, get me a healer... Tell them that Aik sent for you, and its about Kentar..." he looks back at the stoat, and begins to wipe it with the damp cloth. That will sooth it while he tells what is happening, "Kentar... When you bit your wrist... you cut through a good amount of nerves... That's why you cant move your claws... But... If that was all, that would have healed up in a few weeks. Instead... you..." he takes a deep breath, "Bit though some of your vessels as well. The way your blood gets around your body. When I squeezed your wrist. The blood could get into your paw... but not out... and since you bit it... it bleed into you..."

Kentar blinks. He looks to his wrist and almost lets a single tear drift down his face. "Does that mean...." he takes a deep breath. "Does that mean I won't be able to use it again?" he asks. The stoat really doesn't want to have that happen. Not like that.

Aikuen takes a deep breath, and wipes that tear away, "Come on mate... Don't think like that...No. You will still be able to use it. Because you told somebeast now. If we waited. Or kept it a secret. Not only would you not be able to use that paw again. If the vessel tore. You would have died..." he says slowly. He examines the wrist, "The treatment is simple... but you have to promise me to do what i tell you to a fault."

Kentar sighs a little and nods a bit. He blinks as the otter speaks but he nods slowly to every word. "I would have died?" he asks. "Are you...serious?" he then nods. "I will. I will. I don't want to die." he blinks.

Aikuen nods slowly, and says, "Very... serious. Since you would have been bleeding uncontrollably inside yourself. Your blood pressure would have dropped. And the blood would no longer be able to flow through your body properly anymore... essentially killing you... but were not going to let that happen... We caught this now. And where going to beat it. You have to stay alive..." the healer comes in, minus a rat, "Yes? You needed me?" Aik smiles and nods, "Aye get me a leg splint. Some gauze, and heck of a lot of bandages..." odd order.

Kentar huhs and nods a little bit. He didn't want to KNOW how he would have died. He just wanted to know that he wouldn't die. "So. What are you going to do, Aik?" He asks, tilting his head slowly.

Aikuen isn't a mind reader. Have to tell him those sort of things. Plus he likes talking about stuff like that. One of his weird hobby's. He smiles and pats him on the shoulder, "As i said the treatment is simple. I'm basically going to build a cast around your paw, wrist, and a good part of your forearm. Make it completely immobile. That should heal everything right up..." he then eyes the stoat, "Now tell me. After i build it. You will not take it off. You will not move your left paw. You will not aggravate it... Are we clear?" he says sternly.

Kentar nods slowly and sighs a bit. "I promise. I promise. I don't want to die." He whispers back, that stoat seems set on the fact if he doesn't do as told, he might die for it. He doesn't want that.

Fear is a wonderful tactic in getting beasts to do things. Though Aik was not going for that. He was just explaining what would happened if he did. And yes, he might die if he does aggravate it. Though it is very very rare, "You wont die mate. With me as your healer. The only thing you should be worried about if your going to get your sugar stick at the end!" the otter laughs. The healer comes back with a tray with everything he asked for. Aik smiles at her, "Thanks..." and the healer leaves after a quick bow. Aik chuckles, "She has been eyeing Robin all day... I think she likes him..." he grins, and sets the stoats paw on the tray, "Alright lets get started. Tell me if i push a pain point..." and he slowly begins to wrap the paw in the bandage.

Kentar nods slowly and waits. Nothing yet but then he yelps, the stoat nodding quick. "Pain point..." he almost barks out. "Be careful will you, I've only got two paws." he frowns.

Aikuen rolls his eyes, "Sorry. I'm being careful... I swear i am!" he moves the bandage a little more to the right to avoid the point. And he continues on. He tries to make small talk. This will take awhile, and he doesn't really need to concentrate that much. Though he does keep his eyes on the works at hand, "So... Kentar. How are you feeling. Besides... you know... The paw and such..."

Kentar sighs a little. "I know you are." He says before shrugging. "I'm sore. I feel. Really sore. And tired. A little different then I did before I think." he says. "Not sure though." the stoat scratches his ear. "Thank you, Aik. I owe you a lot for pulling my sorry neck out of that..."

Aikuen nods, "Yep. But all that should go away by the end of the week. Until then we have potions to treat the pain..." he stops and tilts his head at him, "What do you mean you feel a little different... What did i pull you out of?" Confuse the otter? Yes you did.

Kentar nods at the first bit but then shrugs a little. "I don't know. I just feel. Different." he then rolls his eye at the otter. "You saved my life. If you hadn't have come down there and risked your own life, I'd be dead. My wife would be alone...my son would grow up without a father. You stopped that from happening. Thank you."

Aikuen nods, and then ohs, "Oh that. Well. I had too. I felt really bad for not rescuing from the...fox... And I swore to myself that i would never let that happen again. Your my best friend Kentar. And I will be glad to risk my life for yours... any day..." he smiles and nods, "As much as I don't look, or act like it... I was damn near... broken. When Robin told us you were captured... I kept it together for now..." he wipes his eye with his arm, "I do that to keep beasts spirits up..." he chuckles.

Kentar smiles softly. "I owe you my life. It wasn't so bad when I was alone when that fox got me the first time. I didn't really feel like I had much to lose. But this time. I actually thought...that the others would..." he means Garnet and Chris. "...Be alone." he says. "Thank you. Thank you so much."

Aikuen understands. He places a gauze-y paw on Kentar's shoulder, "Think nothing of it. I know how you feel. Though probably not as much as you have felt it... but i do have that fear of leaving... them alone." Fira, Will... and his old age. He sighs, and goes back to the wrapping, he is on his second layer, "I think Jasper is thanking me enough. He said he has something for me. I have no idea what it is... I hope its a sandwich... Ooo! A fishy sandwich..." he grins. Doesn't take much to please this otter.

Kentar laughs a little and nods and continues to let Aik wrap up his paw. "Yeah. Heh. Well. Jasper has always rewarded anyone for almost anything. Finding something that's lost, saving a life, making a sandwich." he grins. "Although something tells me the reward will be better then a sandwich." he laughs.

Aikuen chuckles, "Sandwiches are good! I wonder what it could be..." he starts on the third layer. And the cast is now starting to dry up and harden, "Whatever it is. I don't care... I did it, because I could...Which reminds me. I need to give Fira back her ring... I'll do that later..." he chuckles.

Kentar chuckles a little and nods slowly. "Yeah. Well. You could have left him there." he says. "But you didn't. Which is great. If you had have left him there to die, I'd probably have killed you myself." he smirks a bit.

Aikuen eyes him, "Careful Kentar... Remember who is holding your paw right now..." he smirks back at him, "Of course I brought him back. I never leave a beast behind... If I can help it..." he grins.

Kentar chuckles and nods slowly, grinning a little. "Well. Thanks. I know there would be more beasts upset over his loss then mine. So. Thanks." He smiles then yawns. "So. When are we going to be able to go home?" he asks.

Aikuen pokes the stoat, "What! We would be very upset. And you would be surprised Kenty. On how many lives you do effect..." he is almost done with the cast, "As soon as you are ready to make that journey... Let me finish, and we will see..." and he works faster.

Kentar chuckles. "I know you guys would be upset, but Jasper runs a whole village. And is really well liked by everyone. Trust me, more would miss Jasper then me, not to say I'd not be missed of course." he then nods. "Right."

Aikuen chuckles and continues to work on the cast. He finishes with a nice knot at the top, near the elbow. The bandage with the gauze, supported by the splint. Creates an excellent cast. Aik smiles and says, "Alrighty matey! Now remember what I said... and also don't put any weight on it..." He smiles, "Okay... now try and get up out of the cot, and don't use your left paw..." he reminds him.

Kentar nods slowly and chuckles a bit. "I remember, I remember." The stoat then blinks. Okay. He moves aside the blanket and sits up. He winces a lot though, his back still not entirely pain free. But then he tries to stand. That was his mistake. The stoat put just a little too much weight on his bad leg, which causes him to yelp and topple right over to the floor.

Aikuen watches him, and wishes he has hovering over him. He grimaces when he falls. He runs over and helps him up, "Oh geeze mate! Are you okay!?" and he helps him back on the cot, "Maybe we should try later..." he chuckles lightly.

Kentar has a few tears in his eyes. That really hurt. When he's helped back onto the cot, he just lays there for a few moments, before nodding. "Yeah. I'm fine. I guess." he shrugs. The stoat is just glad he didn't burst the stitches from the knife wound. "Yes. Later."

Aikuen looks over the stoat and nods, "Okay then. We well try later... yes later..." he breathes deeply. That might have been a lot worse than it could have been. The otter goes back to his seat, "Sorry about that..."

Kentar nods slowly and sighs. "Its fine, Aik. You didn't make me get up." he chuckles a little bit. "I'd have had to get up anyways, eventually, right?"

Aikuen chuckles and nods, "Well... Yah... Eventually... I just don't want you to get up more than you have too. Or before you are ready... That's all..." he sighs, and pats the stoat on the shoulder, "Maybe tomorrow..." he smiles.

Kentar nods slowly and chuckles. "Maybe tomorrow." he lays back in his bed and looks up. "I tried to tell Garnet I took my rank back the other day." he says. "Apparently I drifted off."

Aikuen smiles and leans back a bit on his seat, "You did?" he sighs, and shakes his head, "You gatta tell her soon mate... Next time you see her..." he points to Jasper, "When he retires... you will be commander of this little shindig..." he points out. He warned him, didn't he.

Kentar nods. "I will. I didn't mean to drift off." he said before shaking his head. "Not true." he says. "Not the way things work here." the stoat grins. "That only happens if Jasper was murdered. The next in command takes over. But if he retires. His son takes over." The stoat chuckles quietly. "Which means, I'm not going to be in command at all."

Kentar smirks. "Well. The way the village was run before it all burned down was this way. We actually had a leader. Sort of...like a prince or king or something. When that guy died, his son took over. Even though dad wasn't a king, that's how he came into power. And that's how Jasper came into power, except he's not my brother. That's just the way things were kept." he says. "Now, if his son was killed before Jasper retired, it would fall to me, yes."

Aikuen shrugs. It still confuses him. It still makes no since. But he is old fashioned. Living on a old military way of things, "Well... I'm still glad then... Lets hope they don't die then!" he chuckles.

Kentar laughs. "Since Jasper has a set of twins, and a daughter, I really think that will be quite hard." he smirks. "All of who are of age. All of who are quite capable of commanding this place."

Aikuen continues to shrug, his shoulders hurt, "Still. You never know... Lets just hope. And leave it at that..." he nods firmly. And places his footpaws on Kentar's cot.

Kentar nods then chuckles. "Indeed." he smiles before thinking. "I wish we never came here." he says after a while. "Jasper would still be walking. I'd be walking. Not sore or beat up or anything. Amy's legs wouldn't be broken. Even though from what she said, she'll be better off later." he says.

Aikuen nods slowly, "Well... You would have never known that you would have been captured... I mean it has been great up to the point... of that... And those things just happen. You couldn't have controlled it. It just happens..." he frowns a bit, "Though I'm surprised Amy didn't say that her legs were like that. If she asked, i would have set them back... when i first met her. Its no problem. But i always assumed it was a birth defect... Oh well. It'll all work out now..." he smiles.

Kentar nods a little and smirks. "But in order to have set them, you'd have had to break them." he laughs a little bit before snuggling under his blankets. "Yeah. I guess." the stoat looks around a little bit then sighs. "Aik. I have something I need to ask you."

Aikuen snorts, "Well yah... But she would have been able to walk correctly a long time ago. She would probably not let me break them anyway... Cause she is like that..." he hmmms. But the hmmm turns into a question, "Er? What is it Kentar?"

Will has returned at last, no telling where he disappeared to. "If you hadn't been here me an Amy woulda stayed at th inn long as we could an then headed home. And if we were lucky enough t stay til Amy's able t walk again we'd been here til Winter an then we'd have t walk back home in th snow. Amy doesn't like snow much. But this Winter is already gonna be better than th last one for me cause I have boots now and I know how t light a fire and of course I got a sword and all of you with me." Will wasn't going to comment on Amy's legs but, "You shouldn't assume things sometimes," he says to the otter, "You could be wrong."

Kentar looks up to Aik and sighs. "Look. I think this has sort of shown us all that I'm not a good a fighter as I used to be. You know. Before Garnet. I failed to protect her when we got captured..." He obviously feels HORRIBLE about it. "I want you to train me. In everything you know how to do...when I'm all better." he says. He then looks to the rat who just came in, chuckling a bit. "Yeah. I guess." The stoat smiles softly.

Aikuen tilts his head at Kentar, "You want me to what?" he blinks, "You want me to train you?..." he blinks and looks away. Looking at anything else. Anything. He thinks about it, and blabs out "Umm... Sure..." he nods, a bit more firmly "Sure... Ill teach you..." what has he gotten himself into. He looks to Will and chuckles, "Well be out of here WAY before the first snowfall. It's still hot out!" he laughs and shrugs at the next part, "I'm not assuming... I'm being observant..." he says flatly.

Kentar smiles a little. "Thank you Aik. I know you don't really want to. But. Thank you." it really means a lot to him and it shows in his voice. "Thank you." that was whispered.

Will blinks, "Kentar, do you know what you're getting yourself into?" he asks. While Will wouldn't normally be opposed to training he's concerned as to what /kind/ of training the stoat would be getting.

Aikuen smiles, "Well yah. I'm trying to veer away from that. Ever since I got married... and now... with..." he looks to Fira. Who is still asleep. Bless her sleepy self. Aik grins at her, "But somebeast also told me... said I should teach others to protect myself and others... And that's what I'll do..." he nods, "I'll teach you whatever you are willing to learn..."

Kentar can't help but sigh. "I know, Aik, I know." he says before smiling a little. "I want to protect Garnet...myself. Chris..." he rubs over his face. "I want to learn everything you do. Every little thing. From the simple block to the...methods...of getting information from some beast." he sighs. He really doesn't want it. But he feels like he's got to get it. Then he looks to Will. "Yes, I do.

Will is a little confused. He'd like to join the stoat in being trained but the last time Aik had mentioned training to him it had been as a possible punishment. He doesn't want to upset the otter but he would like to get some real training more then the few fighting lessons he'd gotten at Camp Willow. "Um, Pa? Could I watch when you're training Kentar? Or at least some of it?" he asks. He doesn't want to know all of the things Aik can do but the fighting and survival parts should be useful though he does know a few things already.

Aikuen looks to Kentar, and shakes his head, "I'll teach you everything that you want to know... Anything. From blocking swings... to taking over the abbey... But I'm not going to teach you the... *ahem*... methods... I refuse to..." he puts his paw down on that, "I wont teach you anything if you want to learn that..." he eyes the stoat before looking to Will. He tilts his head, "You want to watch..." he looks to them both, "That's fine... Sure. You can be a student if you want..." he blinks and looks between them both, mostly at Kentar, "You want the full drill sergeant experience, or just the training?"

Kentar nods a little at Aik's words. "It's fine." he says simply. "Either is fine too. Drilling is probably the best way to learn. Always has been for me." he nods slowly. "Please. I don't care what you have to do to teach me to be as good a fighter as you..."

"So I can watch?" Will asks again not sure if the otter is only talking to the stoat or to both of them still.

Aikuen smiles at Will, "Sure. You can watch. Join in if yah want too..." he then looks back to Kentar, "We will probably do a mixture of both. Because if we did the full experience. And you survived it. You would be a lot different than you are... ever. You will be hard, and unforgiving... So a mixture... Mostly just training... And I will try to get you taught as much as I know... That I can do... You too Will... if you want too..." he sighs and takes Fira's paw. His otter sense is tingling.

Kentar thinks for a few moments and shrugs. "I don't care what happens to me. I want the best. As long as my family remains safe." he says quite simply. He's not the same now. He really doesn't think it would kill him. But then he realizes, he doesn't know what it is. "So. What is it I'd do that I might not survive?"

Will looks over at the old otter, "If you don't want me t learn too I won't Pa. I don't want t know all of it, just some of th useful parts and maybe how t climb trees without falling out onto my head." He smiles at the otters hoping the stoat's request doesn't cause problems.

Aikuen sighs, "I'm going to teach you. What I believe what you need to know... And nothing else. And nothing more..." Meaning, no drill training. Fira is slowly beginning to wake. Her otter sense it tingling as well. Aik chuckles and continues with Kentar, "Well lets say... In training.... It was built to break down beasts. Make them obedient to a fault. Completely change them. We had too... " he sighs and stands, helping Fira to her footpaws. She grins, and plants a small one on him before looking outside the tent. Aik looks to Will, "Okay. Just the useful parts..." and he chuckles, "And I'll teach you how to climb a tree... and NOT fall on your head!" he laughs, "Now if you will excuse us... wait for it... wait..." he looks excited, "This is perfect otter weather..." the sound of rain beats against the tent. He grins, "Were going out for a little walk..." The otters grin at each other, before heading out into the rain. Mainly because its raining.

But partly because Aik was getting a little off put by the conversation.

Kentar nods a little. "Alright." he says quietly. "Then a mix of both." he says simply before waving his good arm to the otters. "Have fun!" he chuckles quietly.

Will watches his parents leave and shakes his head, "Silly beasts." He'll never understand otters.

Kentar chuckles and nods slowly. "Yeah." he smiles a little. "They're funny though."

Will nods, "Yeah sometimes." He goes to sit on the floor next to the stoat's cot since all the nearby cots have been filled. "What do you think th baby will be? A boy or a girl?" he asks. He means the coming otter since that's the only baby he's aware of.

Kentar nods a little and smiles a bit before thinking. "I think a boy." He nods. "But I don't know." He chuckles.

Will looks down at the floor ears down, "Oh. ... Guess it'll be kinda like when Chris was born but a little otter stead of a stoat this time." The rat is quiet a while then looks back up at the stoat, "Kentar, Chris is yours an Garnet's son and Robin is your son and her step son an Kluna's adopted. Do you an Garent like them all th same or do you like Chris more?"

Kentar nods and laughs a little bit before nodding. "Yeah. Well. I like them all the same, but Garnet, I think likes Chris more." he chuckles.

Will's ears perk up a little then they fall back down again. "I didn't know Fira that well th first few times I met her but she was always nice and on th way here, th first time, we got t be friends more but after a while she spent most of her time with Aikuen and he with her. I like her and she's nice and one of my friends and Pa's wife so my step mother, like Garnet is t Robin. Do ... do you think she'll like the baby otter more than me? Pa says he won't and I don't think he will, not on purpose anyway. I'd ask her but she might take it th wrong way since she's expecting an all."

Kentar laughs a little bit then shakes his head. "I don't think she will, Will. She's known you for a long time. And if you were my son, I'd not like you any less then Chris. I never would. ever."

Will sighs, "Maybe. Maybe you're right but you said Garnet likes Chris more and I was just some dibbun that ran into her a few times near a bridge before we took that trip and then I'm her son all th sudden ... kinda." He lays down on his back on the floor. "It's strange. She's been my mother about as long as my last one and will probably be that t me longer than any has been, but she doesn't act like one very much. She does sometimes and with th baby coming she's got other stuff t think about and it is /her/ kid and since he's a baby he'll need lots of looking after cause he won't be able t do anything for a long time. .... *sigh* I don't know. .................................... We have a strange family. Course lot of it's my fault but could have been worse."

Kentar shakes his head several times. "Will. I promise you. She WONT love her dibbun more then you. She'll like you just the same, I promise." he smiles then yawns a little and leans back slightly.

Will sits up, "Yeah she'll probably like me th same but it'd help if I knew how that is. I know she'd try an help if something bad happened t me cause of Pa and cause I'm her friend but ...." He stands and sighs, "Would have been easier if he'd met her first and then met me."

Kentar sighs a little and nods. The stoat then pats a spot on his bed for the rat to sit if he wants. "Yeah. I know. But Will. When she married Aikuen, she became more then your friend. When she married him, she knew that you'd be her step son. And she was more then willing to let it happen. Because she loves you. As much as she'll love her own son or daughter."

Will does sit on the cot. "... it's fall now. End of this season'll make a year since my mother an cousins and her brother, their father, were killed. That was th first funeral I'd been to and I did everything, well what I could being only three." He sighs, "It's been a long time. I don't miss them as much as I used to but it still hurts sometimes. ... My ma ....... she was kinda like Pa. She loved me, I know she did. She said so. ...." He wipes at his face with his good paw as the tears start to trickle down his face. He takes a deep breath and composes himself enough to stand and blindly walk to a now vacant cot, "It's late. Good night, Kentar. I'll .... I'll see you tomorrow." He doesn't say anything more as he lays with his back to the stoat planning to stay there until sleep comes to him.

Kentar nods slowly and just waves. "Good night Will. I'm...sorry." he says quietly before laying back. He'll be up the rest of the night, thinking now.