Heed The Call
Characters: Amethyst, Flicktail, Fae, Turmal, Treaglo, Jo
Location: Redwall Abbey
Redwall Abbey: Great hall
Amethyst walks into the hall from the library. Why the library? Because the rat has found that it is usually quiet and less gigantic than the busting throng that often makes up Great Hall at any given time. But for the moment the hall seems quiet .... well more quiet than it has been. The rat comes in tap taping around the floor and nearby objects with her staff/cane. As usual she makes a point to avoid the strange feeling spot in the room where the tapestry is. Naturally she can't see who all may be in the room as she crosses it to try and find a seat.
Flicktail stands up from where he was reading by the fire "ello Ms Ame" he strolls over "may oi offer me arm? Oi ave a seat for ye roight over ere."
Amethyst turns her head toward the fox's voice. She knows him more than any of the others here, not that that's saying much. Judging the Champion to be on the duller side of smart from a vermin point of view she nods, "Lead on then." She's not about to trust the Redwallers sight unseen as it were. Flicky she trusts more than the others but only so much. As their contact has been limited since she's met him.
Flicktail offers his soft furred arm and carefully guides her over to a rocking chair "Oi made this chair meself... out o good strong oak, oi hope it be to yerliking" he has pillows on the seat and back and once she is seated he moves to get some warm scones "would ye loike some stuff oi made called wintergreen suntea?
Flicktail brings out a tray of cheeses and different cordials and sets it down humming happily to himself.
Fae walks happily down the stairs and takes a seat at the table. she smiles and waves when she sees flicktail. "evening love".
Flicktail nuzzles Fae's cheek....sitting with Amethyst afterhaving escorted her to a seat.
Amethyst settles down in the rocking chair the fox had guided her to and nods at the offer of tea. "That would be fine," she says pulling her lute out to tune while she waits for the tea.
Flicktail takes the sun tea, The sent of wintergreen thick in the air "would ye oike some Honey in it Lass? perhaps a scone?
"No honey. Scone's fine," the rat answers taking the tea after setting her instrument aside.
Flicktail places the cup in her paw and guides it to the table beside her so she know where it is, being extremely polite.
Fae waves to amethyst "hello again"
Flicktail says, "Um Fae Dear..Ame kinna see"
Fae shakes her head " right, sorry i forget these things sometimes"
Flicktail smiles and snuggles next to Fae as he sits by Ame "how ye be feelin Fae" placing his paw on her tummy.
Fae grins and takes a small square of cheese. she directs her voice towards amethyst " so your a musician as well as a healer? That's interesting".
"No. I'm a healer as well as an musician and singer," the rat counters setting the fox straight. "I was a street minstrel long before I got any training in healing," she further explains.
Flicktail smiles "amethys as a beautiful voice....oi loikes ta listen to er when oi be goin ta sleep.
Fae grins and nibbles on her cheese "a street minstrel, what was that like?"
Flicktail's ears rotate as he listens to the ratwife's answer
Turmal sits in a remote corner by himself, not affecting anything else going on... he flips through /pages/ of a book, and tries his hardest not to confuse what's going on. He sees Flicktail and gives him a nod, for no particular reason.
Flicktail looks to Fae "wot ave ya been doin taday luv?."
"It was a living. I got paid doing what I do best. It was ... interesting. Kept food in my mouth and sometimes a roof over my head," Amy say answering Fae's question. The rat continues to sip her tea as Flicky distracts his wife.
Fae yawns and smiles. "I was helping out in the nursery for most of the day," she nods and projects her voice to amethyst again, "where did you learn to perform?"
Amethyst tilts an shell-like ear at the foxes' voices, "The lute I was taught by my father. Singing I don't recall. Guess it just sort of came t me."
Treaglo comes into Great Hall with a cup of tea in her paw, noting the gathered beasts and sits down with them. ""Ello, there. Just thought I'd say hi..." She turns to Flicktail and comments to him. "I need to tell you about something later..." She turns back, smiles, and sips her tea.
Flicktail says, "ello Treaglo....." he smiles and looks to Ame "ye were not raided in a vermin horde?"
Fae smiles and waves to Treaglo and nods at amethyst's response. "that's nice, you must be very talented then".
Amethyst turns her head, as if to look at the newest arrival. "You still here squirrel?" she asks with the trace of a smile showing. Then to the white fox she says, "Not sure what you're sayin'. My father was a sailor ... that'd be th polite term anyway. Some of my older brothers joined with a horde but th family was never in one when I was still living with em. .... That's not to say they left us alone, but they usually had better things t do with their time then bother us."
Flicktail says, "aye Ame..ou just didn't knw Oi grew up in a Horde, oi don't know if all foxes do".
Treaglo nods and grins at Amethyst, listening quietly.
Flicktail offers Treaglo some tea and scones.....stroking Fae's ears.
Amethyst shrugs, "I wouldn't know either. Depends on th horde I'd think. Some allow families in their ranks, others are just out for war against one thing or another. Used t be a large group of what they call vermin settled along one of the two coasts I think long time ago living almost peacefully if you can believe that."
Treaglo takes a scone sleepily from Flicktail's plate with a grateful smile, and turns to Amethyst. "You must miss your family."
Flicktail gets up "ok well oi ave to check e ground..." he leans over to nuzzle Fae "see ys soon Luv" he stands "all ye beasts keep an eye, oi ear marton's been about."
Amethyst turns to 'look' again at the squirrel. "Which one?" she asks dismissively.
Treaglo winks at Flicktail as he rises, muttering, "I'll say so..." She turns back to Amethyst with a confused look on her face. "Uh, I'm not sure...?"
Fae yawns "that sounds interesting, but it's getting late" and stands up and nuzzles Flicktail. and waves to the others as she heads upstairs.
"You mean th family that through no real fault of their own had t turn me out onto th streets where I had t learn t get by on my own? Or you mean th family that went off to buy a ship and go on a sailing holiday and left me here?" The rat smirks a bit.
Treaglo looks sympathetically at Amethyst. "'M sorry, I didn't know...but why would those who care about you leave you and go on a holiday?" She asks honestly.
Amethyst continues to smirk, "Because I told them to leave me behind and threatened them with bodily harm if they were to try and drag me along. Also I get very sea sick. I would have stayed home but Billy, that's my husband, insisted that if I had to stay behind I was going to stay here. It's not that bad though their are far less rules here than at home. For example I can drink ale if I want to and no one complains or tries to drown me for it here."
Treaglo sits back as Amehyst talks. "Oh, so it was /you/ who wanted to stay, really. Where'd they go?" She asks again, then notices Jo come in. "Oh, back so soon? ...Why're you so...dirty?" She smiles, then offers a piece of cloth to wipe himself down.
Jo accepts the cloth and starts wiping himself off, "Messin' about in the cellars."
Treaglo raises her eyebrows, then turns her attention to Amethyst for now.
"They went West toward the sea," the ratwife answers. Jo gets a head tilt when he enters, "Hello, otter." Then the rat turns back to face the squirrel as best she can.
Jo sniffs his arm and shrugs, "Do I smell that ripe?"
"You smell like you could use a swim," Amy says, "Not that it would keep you from smelling like an otter."
Treaglo tries to stifle a laugh, but fails. "Heheheehe, I'm just bein' polite y'know...come sit down." She beckons him over and plops a plate of snacks next to her on the table.
The otter takes a seat beside Treaglo and grabs a .....snack..."I know I know." He says laughingly.
Amethyst says, "Ah, one of the few things that can keep an otter from water .... food."
Jo says, "I could always eat while floating about."
Treaglo stares into space momentarily, imagining it...and burst into laughter again. "Hahahahaha, that's a picture. I'd like to see you try...!"
Jo grins and looks away, "Nah, I prefer not to swim about in crumbs." He turns his gaze towards the tapestry and strokes his whiskers
Amethyst sets her teacup down on the table with a soft clink and pulls out her lute to resume tuning it as she had been before.
Treaglo slowly but surely turns her head towards Amethyst and watches her for a moment, in thought. She remembers something that the ratwife had said before..."Don't you know some good shrew songs, Amethyst?"
Amethyst pauses in her tuning, "I know a few," she says downplaying how many such songs she's memorized. "Do you have one in mind you want to hear? ... Or try and stumble through yourself?" she asks hinting that she fancies herself the better musician of the two of them.
Treaglo grins and rolls her eyes comically, landing them on Jo. 'Watch this' she mouths silently. "Well, miss I just /happened/ to have met the dear ole Guosim during my travels, and just /happened/ to learn one of their songs." She pulls out her instrument quickly and starts plucking waiting to see if Amethyst recognizes it, and begins singing cheerily, "Guosim! Guosim! Sail 'im, dip 'im, douse 'im..."
"... Ifn you see a shrew in river or stream, Who can jump like a trout and swim like a bream, Fight like a pike an sing like a lark, An paddle a boat from dawn til dark... Yer lookin at a Guosim! O Guosim! Guosim! Sail im, dip im, douse im. Ifn you see a shrew that cn cook up a stew, Brew dark beer an bake bread too, An bend is back an pull an oar, Row all day an shout fer more... Yer lookin at a Guosim! O Guosim! Guosim! Sail im, dip im, douse im. Not an otter or a waterdog, No nor a spiky ole edgeog, Even a warty toad or frog, So its three cheers for our Log a Loooooooog! Were Guosim! Guosim! Guosim!" Amy continues along with the squirrel.
Jo finishes off his snack and walks over to the tapestry, running his paw over the form of Martin. "What do ye' 'ave in store next my friend?" He shakes his head and turns around and nods at Treaglo, "It was great."
Treaglo's grin fades slowly as she puts her instrument down gently. "Prolly a bit loud, I guess." She gets up and moves towards Jo, talking quietly. "Why do you think Martin show'd us that...y'know...place?" She glances to Amethyst, who did not seem to be paying attention to them.
Jo he lowers his voice to a whisper, "I-I think for the tapestry. But I can't remember, I recall Martin saying to Hide him....but my memory is distracted."
Treaglo lets her eyes wander across the tapestry. "Something bad's gonna happen...you can feel it too, I bet."
Jo says, "Martin has brought me the shield that my father made for me seasons ago." He says this while opening a large drawer in the cabinet below the tapestry, he draws out the shield"
Treaglo looks in awe at the shield, admiring it. "I haven't been at the Abbey long at all, but I have this feeling that I need to stay, and help. With...whatever comes this way." She continues to look at the shield. "Are you a fighter?"
Jo sighs and rubs at the huge crystal stone in the middle of the shield, "I don' know, my path is a little back and forth. I think my father wants me to fight, now out of revenge for our village but for the sake of protecting others."
Treaglo nods. "'Tis a better motive, I'd say. Where's your father now?"
Jo turns and grins at Treaglo a slight sadly but he has a happy look in his eyes, "With my mother, with martin?"
Treaglo gives a understanding smile back. "I see, well they're safe and happy there. What...if I may ask, happened?" She questions timidly.
The otter sets the shield down on the table surface and faces Treaglo, "My village was burned down, my parents killed before me." He states with a firm look in his eyes
Treaglo is slightly taken-aback by the look in the otter's eyes and the words he spoke. "I'm...I...that must be hard. One day you'll see them again, though...and meanwhile, protecting the innocent who are still here is prolly important to you."
Jo nods and grins, wiping away happy tears, "Ye' know Otto?"
Treaglo smiles knowingly with her eyes. "Mhm, he's quite a nice 'un."
"Jo says, "W-well, I asked him about family and such..." He smiles widely and continues, "I asked him if he could be well... A brother to me."
Treaglo grins widely. "I always like to hear happy endings. Otto's such a homely soul, I can tell he genuinely cares for others. I'm glad you found him..." She looks down and sighs. "Er, if only I could find mine..." She mumbles.
Jo gives Traglo a quick hug and grins, "Did he wander off?"
Treaglo smiles sheepishly to herself when Jo hugs her, then looks up. "Oh, my brother? No...he was taken away from me. When we were travelin', I mean. Those rotten vermin..." She narrows her eyes angrily. "I couldn't rescue him, I was alone, but I tried. They ambushed us."
Jo frowns a little, "What was his name?"
Treaglo glances back at her beloved instrument at the table. "His name was Ruddle."
Jo asks, "how old was he?"
Amethyst starts up another song, ignoring the other two as they are her. Whatever they're whispering about is none of her business.
"A few seasons older than me. If you really want to hear the story we can sit down." She winks and waves a paw to the table.
Jo nods and heads for the table.
Treaglo sits down near Amethyst and nods to her. "I was just gonna tell Jo 'bout how I got here...though I'll try to keep it kinda short."
Amy's playing slows and after a while ends with a short flurish of notes. "Don't let me stop ya," she says at Treaglo's announcement.
Jo sits down and listens.
Treaglo folds her arms on the table and begins her story. "Well I was born way north o'here, though exactly where I'm not sure, but my grandparents' always told me I was related to the squirrels in the Northern Highlands. I lived with them, my parents, my brother, and a few other goodbeasts in a small farming village. My granddad once advised my brother to leave, and try to find a better life elsewhere- he really believed there was more to discover than our farm. So he took me when I was only a couple seasons old, with only the consent of our grandfather, and left. He didn't want to overwhelm my parents..."
Jo perks his ears and continues to listen.
Treaglo continues. "Since I was only a liddle one, we met many different families who took us in, and we learned a lot from others...that could be a whole other story. But as soon as I was old enough too travel long distances, we roamed far and wide...we taught me how to use a bow and arrow, and I worked on this instrument whenever we rested..." She indicates the stringed thing on the table. "And I even taught him to play, though he wasn't very good." She smiled sadly. "Anyway, one time a band of nasty stoats came during the night and ambushed us, bounding and gagging us. I managed to escape, and I tried rescuing him desperately, but they eventually took off under my nose with my brother Ruddle in tow. I've no clue where he went, or where he is now." She looks down, a tear wetting the fur on her arm. "And I don't know what happened to my family either, I've just no clue. I debated for a really long time whether to go back and search, but I came across Redwall and I don't really know what to do now."
Treaglo looks up at the beautiful stained glass windows, with moonlight streaming through. "I sure love this place, though."
Amethyst keeps quiet through the story. The rat nods at the squirrel's next comment. "Yeah it's not too bad here once ya get used t it." The rat picks up her teacup and stands heading off toward where she recalls the kitchens to be. "I need something stronger than tea. You two want anything?" she asks as she leaves the room.
Treaglo half-smiles and replies to Jo earnestly. "...Thanks. And Otto wouldn't be a bad brother for now." Her smile widens just a bit, and she waves her teacup toward Amethyst, calling, "A little more tea for me wouldn't hurt, my favorite's peppermint!" She winks at Jo.
Jo nods and leans against the table and grins.
Amethyst returns after some time with a pot of tea and a dust bottle of something tucked under her arm. She sets the pot down on the table near the squirrel. "I think it's peppermint or it may just be mint. You'll have t pour it yourself as I'm a little busy," the rat quips struggling with the bottle's cork.
Treaglo eyes Amethyst and raises an eyebrow in amusement. "...Thanks." The squirrelmaid yawns. "Am I the only one gettin' a bit tired?"
Jo shrugs a little and yawns widely showing his canines and such
Amethyst succeeds in freeing the bottle of its cork and after rubbing some of the dust off the neck she takes a long swig of it. "He sounds tired. Give me a while and I may be able t join in."
Treaglo pours some tea for herself, then takes her cup and stands up slowly. "Well...I've had a long day, and I'm pretty tired." She pauses and looks to the tapestry, blinking, then yawns again. "I need some sleep."
Jo asks, "ye' goin' to bed now?"
Amethyst waves in the squirrel's general direction. Her fangs still around the neck of the bottle. The rat will find her room later once she's ready .... or sleep down here, dangerous as that may be once morning comes.
Treaglo looks down at Jo and nods. "Maybe you should too, y'got a lot to think about I've a feeling." The squirrel smiles sleepily, her eyes half-closed, and waves to both. "'Ave a nice night."
Jo hugs Treaglo and grins at her, "If ye' ask Otto, he should say yes. That'd make ye' me sister." He says with a grin and follows Treaglo.
Treaglo walks away with Jo, glad to have made a good friend.
"Plan to," Amy says rubbing the back of a paw over her mouth before returning to the bottle. She narrows her blind eyes at the otter's suggestion. "er ound ngh ike illy," she mutters around the glass cylinder clenched between her teeth.
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