I will love you forever

Location: Redwall Abbey: open ground

Characters Involved: Kolya Starla

Kolya is outside tonight. The stoat is quietly smoking his pipe while leaning under the tree. He's still confused about everything that's happened but he's not really done anything about anything for now.

Starla made her way out of the Abbey, her neck bandaged and her left upper arm bandaged and temporarily in a sling. She was still shaken up about the events that happened the other night. She rubbed her neck a little then gently rubbed her slightly bulging belly. She still couldn't believe her own mate tried to kill her, as well as torturing a young dibbun. Thankfully the physical damage done to the young one won't be permanent. The abbey healers had informed her that the claws would grow back as well as the teeth, Though the mental toll might not be so easily repaired.

Kolya glances up to the clear night sky before puffing out a cloud of smoke. "turned into a nice evening" he says to himself quietly before looking down to see Starla. The sling and the bandages made him panic and jump up quickly. "Starla!" he calls out as he runs over. "Are you alright? What happened?"

Starla had kept only one weapon of Kolya's, the dagger that she freed the dibbun with. Though with the abbey rules it was now in the gate house. Her eyes go wide as her mate suddenly calls her name and runs toward her, panic on her face she held up her paw ready to run if he should try to attack her again. "Don't you come near me Kolya!" She rasps out her voice distorted from the damage he had inflected to her throat when he was trying to strangle her the other night. Her face showed panic as her eyes search for a place to run, his questions of worry go unnoticed by her in her panic.

Kolya stops abruptly. "Starla...whats wrong?" he asks. "Are you alright? What happened? Who did this! tell me!" he says, but he doesn't move at all. There's a look of absolute worry on his face that has never been there like that before. "What...what happened? Please?”

Starla shook her head "Don't you 'Starla' me! she rasps her eyes starting to well up "Y-you should know what happened to me...You..." she broke off coughing and rubbing her throat as the injured throat hurting from so much sudden talking. "Your the one that d-did this to me." she croaks out as the tears begin to run down her cheeks.

Kolya's jaw hangs open as his pipe falls from his mouth, cracking in half on the ground. "I didn't do anything to you...what are you talking about?" he asks. "Starla, this isn't funny...who did this to you?"

His voice is starting to shake now, though it could be either from anger or sadness.

Starla's teary eyes stare back at him in a little anger "Yes you DID Argo! It happened the night before

last. You were missing so I went to look for you and....I found you alright Torturing an innocent dibbun, You had him tied to a chair deep inside the forest. You had pulled all of his teeth out

and peeled all the claws from one of his paws. I tried to stop you but you ATTACKED me, saying you

didn't even know me......Then when I rescued him you tried to kill me!!" she growls rasping harshly as she bent over coughing in a fit from her strained throat. You don't believe me you'll find your dagger in the gate house behind the door, where I put it. The dibbun you tortured is in the Abbey infirmary." she croaks outtears flowwing freely now a mix of pain, anger, and worry all rolled into one as she turns away from him wiping her eye's.

Kolya doesn't quite believe her. "Starla..." he says slowly going over to her. "I didn't...I swear i didn't...What...How? When?" he tries to put his arms around her. "my god Starla...I didn't do it...I mean...I mean..." he slowly steps back. "What...Why...I....I must have...I...dont just wake up...in the forest...i mean...I...." he's panicking. The stoat slowly lays down on the snow covered ground, curling into a ball. "No...I didn't...I dont re-remember doing...anything...I couldn't have...I couldn't..."

Starla is in full tears now as she jerks her shoulders away when he tried to put his arms around her. She raises both paws to her face her body racked with sobs "I-it's true K-Kolya...It was l-like you were a wh-whole different c-creature." she said falling to her knees in the snow as she cried.

Kolya is now crying himself as he stays in his stoat ball. "no...it...it cant be...I'd never...ever...ever...do anything...like that...No...Its not true...it is...It has to be...I...woke up..laying on the ground...near a chair...and...horrible...horrible devices...I...must have...no...why...why!"

Starla could only shake her head too overcome with pent up worry, horror, and sadness to be able to say anything. She didn't know what to do, She still loved him dearly but the constant worry and panic that her mate would turn into the evil creature she dealt with the other night would always be fresh in her mind, She worried for him, for her own safety, and especially for their future kits. Would he turn evil and torture their own kits like that? She couldn't know.

Kolya looks up and slowly stands. "Star...Starla...I...I cant stay...I'm...s-sorry...but...If I did that...Then..everything...everything...You...our kits...You...aren't..s-s-safe..I'm...g-going to go...please be happy..please....with..without me" he then turns and sobs to himself as he heads for the entry

Starla cires and stood "No please Kolya...Please don't leave me... I..I still love you...please!" she said rushing up to him and trying to hug him close "Please don't abandon me I don't want you to leave me...I love you..I don't want to raise our kit alone." she pleads trying to cry into his shoulder if he would let her.

Kolya is hugged. The stoat slowly and gently pushes her away. "no...I cant...I'm...scared...if I stay..I may...hurt...or kill you...I cant live with that...please do not ask me to live with that risk, please...what...what if our kits are born...and I torture them? please, you cant ask me to stay like this..." he goes to move to the entry again.

Starla tries to cling to him still pleading "No Please Kolya...at least let me know where your going. I couldn't live without knowing where you are. I still love you..I really do. Please, I still want you to be a father to our kits. At least let me know where your going." she adds with a croak as more tears continue to stain her cheek fur.

Starla tries to cling to him still pleading "No Please Kolya...at least let me know where your going. I couldn't live without knowing where you are. I still love you..I really do. Please, I still want you to be a father to our kits. At least let me know where your going." she adds with a croak as more tears continue to stain her cheek fur.

Kolya sighs and goes to push her away. "Starla..No...I dont want...I...I dont want to be a threat to you...to our young...please..please just let...let me go! I'm begging you, please...please!" he is probably sobbing just as much as she is.

Starla stamps her footpaw in the snow "NO!...I won't let you leave without even letting me know where your going. I'd rather take my chances. You know I can fight well, if I have to I'll go armed to

see you. But I won't let you leave without letting me know where you'll be." she croaks the stern look in her eyes indicating she won't take 'No' for an answer. "You might as well tell me Kol if you don't I'll just follow you she said still with the tearful yet stern gaze

Kolya stops and looks at her. "I wont tell you...I cant...And I can out fight you on my best days...please..I cant stand the thought of you getting hurt...please..." he says before crying some more. "If...If I have to Starla...I will knock you out right now and leave...please dont make me do that..."

Starla closes her eyes looking down as fresh tears begin to fall, she had no choice it seems. She covers her face in her paws again and flops dejectedly into the snow her body shaking with sobs

"Please don't go..." she tries once more between sobs.

Kolya cant help upsetting her, and as much as its upsetting her, its upsetting him even more.

"Starla...I'm...so...so sorry..." he goes over, leaning down to press a kiss to her lips. After a moment or two he pulls slowly away. "I will love you...i will love you forever...please...raise our young to be better then I ever could..." he turns away and is gone a few seconds later.

Starla is too dejected to even notice the kiss or at least to respond to it. In fact the kiss just upsets her even more and she stood, still sobbing as she runs back to the Abbey with one more fleeting glance back to her mates departing form, still sobbing she is soon gone into the Abbey doors.