Zee helps a hare, and then hares help him

Somewhere Along The Western Shorelines=

Flint has left the mountain, but he didn't leave prepared to really go anywhere and he was not expecting a cold windy day either. The sand and salty water blowing around is not helping him much at all.

Zee has traveled before; therefor he knows most of what he needs and doesn't need. His needs always was simple; a hooded cloak, a small knapsack of supplies, his walking staff and he keeps a sword on his back. He glances over the large expand of water and watches the waves, “Well ya seen de ocean Zee, now wot?" He has yet to see the hare.

Flint frowns as he shivers a little, as another large gust of wind blows against him he groans as salt covered sand gets into his eyes and he soon learns rubbing them only makes it worse.

Zee looks around the shoreline as it is easy to see fairly far in good weather.

Flint grumbles as the wind blows a bit too hard, plus it’s cold and the salty sand and water mix in the air is partway blinding him from seeing too much right now.

A couple rats have decided to venture out onto the shores, that and they were kicked out of the bar in the nearby village so why not look for trouble they can cause on the beach, and seeing the lone hare only makes them grin as they whispers to one another and walk over to him. The taller one speaks "Ya a bit..alone arnt ya bunny?" His friend snorts."Yeah..and its windy too."

Flint stops and looks up at the two rats through stinging eyes, he reaches for his longbow as he backs up only to find he left it at home, and the frown appears, “Ya best shove off vermin I don't have blooming time." He goes to rub his eyes and pass them.

The two rats look at one another and the smaller one shrugs, but the taller one seems angry that the hare is paying them no attention,"Hey bunny we talking at ya...ya best listen." He sneers "Or pay de price." The other just laughs.

Zee chooses to come up the shore about this time and looks at the two rats and the hare as he leans on his staff, he is still cloaked for now as he walks a little closer and for now will just watch.

Flint glares best he can at the two rats, “Leave you two and not like I have much so ya out of luck if you rob me" He goes to head on down shore, he isn't sure where he wants to go but further away from these two would help.

The taller rat steps forwards and smirks "Ya have your life, that’s worth a lot to someone." The other rat laughs "Yeah..life..maybe not much longer, hehheheheh"

Flint may not have his longbow but that’s fine at least he has his...oh great no dirk either! He makes a couple fists and narrows his eyes. About the same time a large gust of wind blows sea spray and sand into his eyes and he goes to try and wipe it out but fails badly and makes it sting worse and his vison blurs badly.

The two rats just grin, let's see cutlasses vs fists...what would win! They take advantage of the fact he is blinded by the sand and wind and weapons draw go to attack him.

Flint can't see the rats so one gets a good cut on his arm and another just barely misses his hitting his neck as he leaned backwards. He brings his fist up and manages to get one of the rats in the jaw, the smaller one, but he fails to knock it out.

The smaller rat indeed is slightly dazed but then swings again with the blade, the taller rat smirks" This is fun"

Zee walks closer and stops a short distance away, his ID cloaked, "Fun? How is it fun ta harm a hare, could bring more trouble than its worth." He twirls his staff and watches them very closely now.

Flint feels the blade again cut into his arm, and one rips his tunic as he tumbles backwards, his ears droop "Oh bally great...another vermin?"

The two rats turn to see the cloaked figure. "Well well, an old beast" The taller one says, the smaller rat frowns "But...killing bunny?" His friend grins "After we take care of the old man here...then we kill the hare, what he gonna do a staff and a weaponless hare." So they go to attack."Say night night"

Zee remains calm and then a click..a turn..and wait! A raspier comes out of the staff! He angles the blade and slices forwards and across causing the taller rats head to come clean off, he looks at the smaller one " Guess he got so excited he lost his head...oh yeah me manners" He looks at the one headless rat “Good night"

The smaller rat stops in his tracks and gasps in shock, he looks at this beast with the hidden blade, a real good look and backs off “OH......"

Flint squints his eyes trying to see whats going on, but his eyes are watering from salt and sand, and hurt too much to keep open.

Zee grabs the smaller rat with surprising speed and hangs him upside down and looks right in his face “I think ya leave now, or you could easily become a head shorter as well." His voice is deep and threatening.

The rat screams and nods quickly, "Yes yes yes...oh yes!" He will wait till he is down and then run for his life with plans to never fight anything again, in fact a nice early retirement on an island far FAR away is a much better plan!

Flint goes to stand and groans, bleeding on his arm, his vision is blurred and his eyes sting, his side even stings from the rope burn few days ago. He steps forwards only to pass out and land in the sand.

Zee drops the rat and watches it go, "Wise choice..." He looks at the hare and sigh as he places the blade back in with a snap and turn and it’s just a staff again as he walks over, bends down and picks up the hare and places him over his shoulder and walks to an area he can make a campfire, or least try and make one.

Flint is easily picked up and taken to the campsite.

Zee has walked a fair distance and has in the past hour started a fairly good fire, but it not the best with the wind blowing around always trying to make it go out and the wind is only getting worse. He has also bandaged the hare's arm and looked at his side when he was checking for other wounds.

Flint groans as he comes too and goes to open his eyes and closes them right away as he goes to rub them, making them water and tear up.

Zee stands and has a canteen of water, and will help if allowed, "Don't rub em' Let me get the water to wash out that sand and salt, it may take a few moments, will you allow de help lad?"

Flint jumps at the voice and remembers it from earlier as he nods,"Fine..ya can, and its Flint."

Zee nods "Flint then" He is gentle as he goes to help wash the sand and salt from the hares eyes slowly and carefully, "Your eyes may be sore for couple days...but will be ok now." He reaches over and gets a bowl of some sort of soup like mixture and hands it to the hare"Drink.." And it smells bad and tastes bad too :P, but hey it's always helped Zee's kin in the northland.

Flint goes to drink and makes a horrible face, he manages a couple sips and shoves it away "Smells foul and tastes even worse..." He blinks a few times and looks over at Zee.

Zee shrugs "Smell bad but heal good...secret family mixture, good on cold winter nights and for wot ales ya" He then chuckles loudly and takes off his hood so the hare is less concern of who or what he is.

Flint blinks a couple more times, "Your..a..a badger." He looks around "Where the...rats go?"

Zee nods, "Yes last I checked" He grins and answers his question" The smaller rat left after his buddy lost his head over seeing me blade, neither will be back." He frowns as a large gust of wind blows out the rest of the fire and sighs “Well, that’s not good is it?"

Flint looks at the fire and sighs, or least where the fire was, a couple more gusts of wind and he shivers.

Zee frowns at the hare and takes off his cloak and places it around the hare as he looks around, “Your base or wot ever is close right?"

Flint shakes his head.."I..I can't go back thar, sort of left"

Zee raises an eyebrow “Kind left? Why ya leave for I bet it’s not so cold and windy thar as it is out here."

Flint pulls the large cloak around him as the wind gusts up again and he shields more of the sand from going into his eyes again, his eyes still sting a lot. “Better off without me, not at my best, wot"

Zee rolls his eyes, he tries to get the fire going again and decides to give up, "Stupid wind..." He looks at the hare and raises an eyebrow, “How they be better off without you?"

Flint shrugs, he has an oversize cloak around him “Just is...off me aim, out of practice, feel useless"

Felicity comes from the direction of the mountain, slowly walking and leaning heavily on her cane. She is bundled up in a thick cloak, and she has a small haversack on her back. She looks like she's searching for someone. "Uncle Flint?" She calls, not being able to see the other 2 beasts just yet.

Zee folds his arms over his chest" So, off ya aim..practice maybe, not give up and I be sure someone would miss ya..friends? family maybe?"

Flint sighs, if he hears his niece he doesn’t call out. "I..do have nieces, not sure on friends "

Felicity has finally spotted the other 2, and she comes as fast as she can. "Uncle Flint!" She stumbles slightly, then, when she's within speaking distance, she adds, "Uncle Flint, what are y'doin' out 'ere? I've been worried sick! Are you alright? Who're you?" she asks the badger in a friendly sort of way.

Zee looks at the other hare as he leans on his staff, and back to Flint “Well someone clearly worried bout ya lad" He lets the two beasts chat.

Flint looks up from where he is sitting and stands, his lower arm is bandaged and his eyes are a little watery still from the sand and salt earlier from the wind gusts. He goes to hug his niece"I....I just needed air, or maybe room ta think of weather to stay or not"

Felicity allows him to hug her, too shocked to do anything else. "Or not? Why on Earth would you leave?? Uncle Flint, I need you! Julie needs you! You're....you're the only family we 'ave left! Please! Why on Earth would you want to go?" A tear trickles down her cheeks. "Is it....is it somethin' I did? Or didn't do? Did I 'urt you or somethin'?"

Zee frowns, and walks a little ways off leave the two hares alone, maybe this reminds him too much of something else, he decides to make sure his makeshift camp is ok and most likely it won’t be as the wind gusts will only get worse and the weather colder later tonight.

Flint hates to see the tears "I...no not you lass, tis just...I tried to get back into patrolling and failed badly, I was more a danger to that mission than a help. the wildcat should of had an arrow in its chest, not the shoulder..and wot if I blooming missed and hit someone else."

Felicity goes to make her uncle stop hugging her, and then waves her paws around agitatedly. Her cane falls to the ground unheeded as she says in a tear-filled voice, "You've been missing for seasons, and we all th....thought you were d...dead, but now we know you're not, an....and n....now you're wantin'....wantin' to l....leave? It....it sh....shouldn't bloody /mattah/ if the flippin' arrow didn't do what....what you wanted! You.....you....we....I can't lose you!" she starts sobbing.

Zee speaks "Talk to her lad..trust me" He coughs a little, and grumbles as a cold gust of wind blows.

Flint frowns, he looks to the badger, "Ya don’t understand..." He looks to Felicity, "I..don't rightly know. I want to be able to protect you, help you and others...how am I supposed to....get use to being back, it’s a little..scary."

Desperately trying to stop the flow of tears, Lissie shakes her head and shouts, "Ya gotta practice and everythin' to get good enough. An' I'm not a little girl anymore; I'm a Private in the Patrol, an' I've killed beasts myself. I'm not 'elpless!" Dashing tears from her cheeks, she adds, "An' 'ow can y'protect me'n'Julia if you're not around? If you've gone off to who-knows-where, doin' who-knows-what?"

Zee listens somewhat as the two talk, but he isn’t brothering them and keeps a fair distance, he also is not feeling to great right now, yep traveling can get to you when you’re old and so can cold wind. He sits on a lone rock on the beach, no advice here just let the hares talk among themselves.

Flint reaches out to wipe a tear away if he is allowed and sighs, "Yes..a private and that’s darn...good of you, I am sorry I was not around." He nods "I..should stay, your right" He manages a smile" Stay for you and your sister."

Felicity allows him to wipe away a tear from her cheek and sniffs. "It's.....it's 'kay, not y'fault...." She then goes to hug him tightly and aims to burrow her face in his shoulder.

Zee looks over at the hares and smiles a little, he sighs a little himself, "Family...family important and is like the best treasure in life, more valuable than the rarest gold or jewels remember that..ya both."

Flint smiles, he looks over at the badger as if suddenly remembering him, “Thanks for helping me earlier as well..."

Felicity peeks at the badger. Sniffing, she mumbles, "Aye, thanks. Oi!" she backs up and goes to grab his injured arm. "What 'appened to you?? Why did y'need 'elp??"

Zee answers, "Couple rats...one got a surprise about me staff, so surprised he lost his head over it and the other ran off." He grins and coughs a little again with a frown, "Hate de cold....stupid cough, getting too old to do much anymore."

Flint nods "I..had salt and sand in me eyes, couldn’t see very good to fight them off"

Felicity looks between the other 2, then bends down and says decisively, "Alright, well, we can't let a guest stay out 'ere in the cold, 'specially aftah he's 'elped a Long Patrol member. "and you," she waves a finger under her uncle's nose, "you need to tell whoevah your commandah is that you just went out for a little walk while off duty and met a badger in need of assistance. Or somethin." She waves for them to follow her, then turns and begins to stump off towards the mountain. "C'mon, there's no time to waste, 'twill only get colder out 'ere. Let's go get some food and a nice warm berth for our new badger friend."

Zee frowns "I don’t need aid" What a liar..."I be fine lass." Coughing fit, yep just fine and dandy:P

Felicity glares at the badger. "Oh, yeah, great, and then I can tell Lord Ciocan that I left another badger, our second one in as many weeks, out to freeze to death on our shores. I don't think so! Please, Mr.--" she waits for him to supply his name so she can continue chewing him out.

Zee raises an eyebrow, “Ya left a badger out here...well your fault huh. I have no clue who this Lord ..whoever ya said-coughs- is and my name is Zee lass and I be fine, ya don’t need to mention me" Yep he is ill, not as ill as he was a couple days ok but still ill, and he is moody and grumpy now. “I’m from the blooming northlands lass..."Another large gust of wind and he wraps his arms around himself...why, well the other hare has the cloak he had on before.

Flint frowns " You’re not gonna be able to start or keep a fire going in this weather sir"

Felicity shakes her head. "No, Mr. Zee, you're the second badgah to arrive 'ere in the past 2 weeks. An' just 'cause you're from the Northlands doesn't mean that you can't catch cold. Now /are/ you going to come with us, or do I need ta go get our Badger Lord to come out 'ere and drag you back 'imself?" She doesn't know if he'll actually drag Zee to the Mountain, but it sounds good.

Zee rolls his eyes, “I’ll just tell him ta respect his elders...drag me, that’s funny lass" But he is curious “And guessing he been here 2 weeks...he should stay home."

Flint starts to say something and frowns as he wraps the cloak around himself, he goes to take it off and offer it back to the badger, "Here..it is yours after all...I need to get home"

Felicity raises her eyes to the sky as if patience could be found there. "No, Lord Ciocan's been 'ere since....um.....since July. No, the other badger is the Redwall Abbey Ambassador. But whatevah. Please just come back with us!"

Zee tilts his head, well he remembers the note that his niece was ok but he forgot almost just where she was going. He had come to see the ocean..at first."Zinnia?...." He frowns and coughs roughly as he takes the cloak and places it on and shakes his head " I am fine...sides this Ciocan wouldn't want anyone else ta..well visit I am sure"

Flint sighs "He...probably be ok with it." He is tried and needs to head inside as well, so he will be quiet the rest of the way back.

Felicity shrugs. "I'm not sure what 'er name is, but she and 2 mice came from Redwall last week. Please come back with me. I'm sure Lord Ciocan won't mind, and you don't 'ave to stay long...."

Zee seems to fight whether he will go with the hares or just make a campfire "I can find a place to camp." And another wind gust, and a frown. “May be better "

Felicity shakes her head. "'Fraid not, Mr. Zee. There is noplace where you can make a sheltered camp 'ereabouts. Trust me; I've lived 'ere my whole life. Please, just come back with me. 'Ow could sittin' out 'ere in the cold be better'n goin' to the nice warm Mountain and gettin' some free food, hmm?" Chewing him out didn't work, so maybe free food and soothing words will.

Zee says, "Well....I suppose. I could maybe stay a night" He may end up staying longer as he puts the cloak around himself better, “Fine....ya win, let’s get you two home then"

Secretly, Lissie is delighted beyond words, but on the outside she just nods and starts hobbling off towards the Mountain.

Onwards to the Mt. Itself ==

Zee follows the hares on to the inside of the mountain and looks around, "Its...interesting." The one hare he helped is most likely off to the infirm of this place so that leaves him with the hare maid.

Felicity breathes a sigh of relief when the badger enters the mountain. She's just glad that she was able to convince him to come. "Would you like to get somethin' to eat first, or go to the Infirm?"

Zee will avoid the infirm for the time being, "Food is.....good lass." He speaks quietly, yes he is in here but whether he stays or not remains to be seen.

A haggard-looking, grizzled-for-his-age young hare comes down from the sentry room. He has a saber on his belt, and a nasty scar on the back of his head. He leans casually against the wall, looking over the badger and the hare maid.

The hare maid nods a little too eagerly. "Right this way! Oh, 'ello, there," she waves her cane in a greeting at the other hare. "Just me, Private Felicity Rosinbloom, bringin' in another badgah. Nothin' to worry about, wot!"

Zee waves to the other hare, "Ello..." He looks at the hare maid "Well your full of energy..." He coughs roughly once and frowns.

Feanor nods slowly. "Very well." He seems disinclined to continue the conversation further, beyond a gruff, "Come on in, then."

Felicity smiles at the other hare. "Thankee." Turning back to the badger, she nods. "Aye, that's why I'm a Runnah. I can't stop movin'." Leaning on her cane, she goes to lead the badger down the passageway.

Zee goes to follow, he may as well after all.

A guard comes to relieve Feanor. Interesting timing. Feanor nods in thanks and heads after the badger and hare maid.

Felicity leads the way. "You'll like the food 'ere, Mr. Zee. We 'ave the best chow in the region." She leans against the wall and eyes her bandage-wrapped ankle moodily. "I think....I might need to rest a moment. Sorry. My ankle's suddenly givin' me problems..."

Zee looks at the ankle and hmms , he follows her and looks around "Well guess we will see..Redwall food is good as well lass"

Feanor nods. "I can attest to that," he says suddenly, without clarifying how. He continues to walk a few paces, then turns around.

"You'vebeentoRedwallIwannagotoRedwall!!!!" Lissie's ecstatic exclamation is high-pitched and squealy, as well as all rushed out of her mouth so it sounds like all one word. She stares at the other hare. "Y'/what/? 'Ave you been to Redwall? What's it like? Is it as magical as some o' the stories say?"

Zee blinks and coughs "Breath...lasss." He sighs and leans on the wall, you would think being out of the cold would helped him some"Yeah...Redwall tons of fun...."

Felicity blushes slightly. "Sorry." She smiles dreamily at the far wall. "May'aps I'll be able to go to Redwall someday...." She stands, her ankle feeling better now, and adds, "Are y'sure that you don't need to go to the Infirm?"

Zee frowns, ever moody when he is told to do something, well moody to most..."I just....." He allows himself to sit, which is probably best. Maybe he is more ill than he thought, he does have a fever if checked and a very bad chest cold and cough, he shivers some.."Just need some rest.....young wippr snapper hares....." And that’s all he gets out before he passes out, well...this is just great!

Feanor growls a bit. "Now the ole fogey's done it...I assume you can't make the run for a Healer, I'll do it." He lopes off.

Felicity glares at the other hare's receding back. "Rude blightah...." When the Healers come, they will do their best to take the badger to the Infirmary and help him get over his cold or flu or whatever he has.

Well Zee is in the Mountain, but looks like he will spend some time in the infirm for a few days.