Graveyards and Tombstones shall not drag me down! ;) (that's the best title I could come up with. So sue me)

From Redwall MUCK Wiki


FV:Graveyard

No matter the weather anywhere else, it always seems to be foggy here, you think to yourself as you step into the graveyard of Ferravale, passing under a stone-and-iron archway with the Ferravale symbol on it. Tranquil in a stark, barren, silent way. The ground is hard-packed, with thin, yet closely bunched grass, light green, carpeting the area. There are a good many empty rows, but only the first few are occupied.

The tombstones vary; some are grand, glistening, dark marble, while others are smaller, more understated slabs of ordinary stone. The graves are relatively new and lovingly tended; no moss dulls their surface and no weeds defile the earth before them. Many graves have small offerings, of simple talismans or significant objects left before the tomstones, along with more conventional flowers.

There's a small white shed in the back, with, you notice with a shiver, stacks of blank tombstones piled against the back of the shed, blank slates awaiting the stamp of a death. Shovels are kept propped against the side, and several other tools of mortuary function are stored within.

A few significant tombstones catch your eye--

Right in the middle--'dead center', you might say, if you had a morbid, warped sense of humor--of the first row, there's a tall, elegantly engraved marker of dark marble, that reads,

DAZZLE

in large, flowing script.

Another, to its right, is unobtrusive, yet something draws your eye to it.

It's a small, sad headstone of pale grey-white granite, that reads in plain, straight lettering,

Maxx

As you look at it, you get the horrible feeling that its occupant was extremely youthful, to the point where just the thought brings tears to your eyes.

There's other stones here, but those were the two you first noticed. Make no mistake, everybeast here will be sorely missed.

Exits: [C]reepy [P]ath, [B]ack

Contents:

[Tombstone-Reseda]

[Tombstone-Oak]

[Tombstone-Maxx]

[Tombstone-Safana]

[Tombstone-Raymond]

[Tombstone-Shaz]

[Tombstone-Sorrlagg]

[Tombstone-Soarwing]

[Tombstone-Dazzle]

Jase the cat. Blisa the cat and Ferdinand the ferret.

Blisa Wyrmtamer, petite white cat, is standing beside the grave of Dazzle. Her paw is resting on the headstone of Maxx. She is quiet, and seems deeply, immeasurably sad, like darkness has filled her soul. Ferdinand the ferret guard is standing just outside the entrance to the graveyard, watching her closely. They come here very often, 3 or 4 times a week, and almost every time the feline leaves here and draws beasts being killed. They are very skilled drawings, but kind of scary, too.

Jase has wandered down the path and stops now as he soon finds just where the path from the pond ends and frowns "Oh...ok graveyard, umm sorry" He mutters and goes to back up slowly and then trips over his own tail and onto his back, he stares up at the sky as if surprised he just fell like that.

Blisa ignores the tripping cat guy. Ferdinand goes to help the healer stand up, murmuring, "It'th fine. Everybeatht ith allowed to come and vithit here. Are you alright?"

Jase nods slowly, "Thanks, who is the other cat here...wait, yeah she was in the tavern I remember now. Is she ok sir?" He does look concern for Blisa.

Blisa sits down so she can look at the 2 headstones. Ferdinand sighs and turns his gaze back to her. "Thothe are the graveth of her mother and brother. They were murdered quite a few theathonth ago. She vithitth them often. I'm not thure if the'th fine mentally, but in body the ith."

Jase listens to Ferdinand, a couple words he seems to not understand at first, he walks over to Blisa and stands behind her and is quiet. He hates to see any beast upset or sad, he decides to not speak, least right away, as he doesn't wish to disturb her.

Ferdinand shrugs and leans on the gateway. He hates graveyards. The freak him out. But he has to came and be a bodyguard. Not what he wants to do any day of the week. Blisa doesn't look at the healer. She continues to stare at the headstones as she says in a small voice that belies her adult age, "These are my mother and baby brother. They were murdered. I don't think Maxx was even a season old yet when it happened." She slowly reaches out and gently touches the infant's headstone. "I don't know if I'm really remembering what they look like, or if what I'm remembering is from a dream..."

Jase speaks now "They wouldn't want you to remain sad, and they are always alive in your heart. It is ok to miss some beast as it shows you cared for them, and we cry it shows we care as if we didn't cry it shows we didn't care and that would be wrong"

Blisa shrugs. "I'm mostly sad because.....because I can't remember them. I.....haven't been able to remember them very well since....since I got hit on the head many weeks ago, when Irinevok kidnapped me."

Jase frowns and goes to examine her, it's a force of habit, "Are you ok? You should tell someone of this, prehaps the memories will come back." He thinks on this "Or maybe better memories could replace them if some were sad memories. You could ask maybe other family of them, it could maybe help"

Blisa is perfectly fine physically, although she does have a scar on the back of her head. She sustained a slight concussion when she obtained that injury. Perhaps it's connected to her memory loss. She closes her eyes. "That's thing. I don't know if they were good memories or sad. I just.....can't remember." Ferdinand is listening closely, wishing that he knew how to help her.

Jase nods "Well, talking helps and maybe a smile." He offers his own if she cares to look at him. "Maybe give it time, you still have family and ones you care for in your life correct?"

Blisa glances up at him and manages a small smile. "My father, Scioto, is the Chieftain here. And I have friends. But Dad is the only family that I have left."

Jase smiles and tilts his head "You have a very nice smile and pretty eyes..." He then stops, oh yeah chieftain's daughter as he clears his throat, "You have him then and that's important...both my parents died, I have no one. But I try to remember good times and not bad ones and use what ever skills they taught me to help others."

Blisa blinks slightly. Nice smile? Pretty eyes? She smiles a little shyly. "Thanks...." she whispers as she stands. She is short for a beast of 9 seasons, but she pretends to not notice. "I'm sorry for your loss. How did they die?"

Jase shakes his head "Rather not discuss it right now, besides I don't wish to bring more sadness onto your heart. It was a couple seasons ago, and its the past."

Blisa smiles a little more broadly. "Thank you, but I find that listening to others helps me feel better. But if you don't want to talk about it, that's fine." Her tail tip curls up a little. His fur looks soft.... "Did I ask you where you're from when I last saw you? I' always interested in other places. I've lived here my whole life. Most places are too far to get to by walking."

Jase says, "I lived in the southlands, intresting place. I am intrested in seeing snow as I heard its here and I never seen it before"

Blisa actually gets a little excited. "Oh, you'll love it! It's so pretty and cold. It covers everything like a blanket, and it is perfectly silent when it falls. You can hear it when it's snowing 'cause there's hardly any sound!" Ferdinand smiles. The healer was just what Blisa needed to stop being so depressed.

Jase smiles more when Blisa does and laughs a little "Sounds intresting, and I do live here so I will get to see it, sounds intresting indeed to me."

Blisa is grinning, then snaps her fingers. "Oh! Did you talk to my father? Were you able to stay here as a resident healer?" Ferdinand gazes up at the sun, trying to figure out what time it is.

Jase nods "We talked a couple times and I showed him some of my skills and explained some things I am now Master Healer of your fine village and hope to remain so for many seasons"

Blisa grins and claps her paws. "How wonderful! We've been needing a new Master Healer ever since..." she glances at Reseda's grave and decides to not mention that she was murdered. After being kidnapped. The cat walks out of the graveyard. "Wanna join us for lunch? We can eat at the tavern." Whether he says yes or no, the cat and her bodyguard are headed to the tavern for food. Ferdinand is very happy that his young charge is not depressed anymore.

Jase smiles "Lunch with a very nice beast, of course" He then goesto jion them for lunch

Do I detect an attraction from the Healer towards the heir of Ferravale? We shall see, shan't we? :) Thanks for reading! :D

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