If You're Ever in Tir Arnon Don't Ask for Tea at the Steal Talon Tavern

Location: Tir Arnon

Characters: Aikuen, William, NPC Barkeep and NPC Bartender

Tir Arnon

Just after midnight two figures emerge from the bank of the river to stand before the ruined fortress of Tir Arnon. At one point in its past, the stones used to build it may have been a very light, clean gray, but the passage of time has left them grime covered and so dark as to be nearly black. The gates are massive double door affair, heavy and well fortified. The walls jut out here, with arrow slits and barricaded windows aimed toward the gates themselves, obviously to guard against anyone coming at the gates with a battering ram. The otter and rat stare out of the inky blackness at the city hoping to find food and shelter within it’s walls. As they enter the light of the torches that flank the gate they throw strange shadows on the walls. The buzz of night insects can be heard from the direction of the river.

Aikuen trails his paw on the great gate, as they pass it. He admires at the craftsmanship of the fortress, Which seems to under disrepair. The places seems to be completely unoccupied, except for the fact of the freshly lit Torches on either side of the gate. He looks back, "So William, is this the place you was talking about?..."

"Yeah, haven't been inside it but saw some looked like a pub on the other side so I'm sure there's somebeasts in there. Maybe sort that'd be willing to part with some food and maybe offer a dry place to sleep t' two travelers." the ratling shrugs at first but after a short pause warms up to the role of poor hungry traveler. The dibbun's played this angle before with mixed results, but it has been a while and he thinks it may at least help the mood even if it doesn't get them room and board.

Aikuen nods, "Well I do hear something, sounds like a pub alright..." He eyes continue to dart around, taking in all he sees. He follows the sounds of fighting, singing, and basically all out good times at a pub.

Tir Arnon: Steel Talon Entryway

Aikuen steps through the doorway of the 'Steel Talon'. He follows his nose as he steps toward the doorway to the tavern. He peers at the sign on the door, trying to decipher the 'squiggles'. He shrugs, "Let me guess no fighting is somewhere on there aint it..." He sighs and unbuckles his sword sheath, Placing it on the desk in the corner. He then sees a register for rooms, he laughs and says "Ding! Ding! Ding! Oi Keepy!"

Orph stands beside his Pa tired, but fairly alert. He rocks back and forth on his heels as they wait, for the owner, or whatever beast who's job it is to answer the bell to come and yell at them for disturbing him in the middle of the night.

The 'Keepy' seems to poof out of nowhere, most likely sleeping behind the desk. He is an old mouse, that seems to be running out of days in his old self. He looks up at the towering otter through dusty glasses. He frowns, and says, in a voice totally unlike what he looks like, he literally barks out, "Oi, dont yah know what time it is you young wippersnapper! Tis past me bed time! Rude beasts these days..." He pushes his glasses closer to his eyes, as he stares at the otter.

Aikuen is startled at the mouse's voice! He nearly jumps back, but he controls it. He just leans closer to the old mouse and smiles, "Hello, Gramps... How are you this fine evening! Me and me son here, just wanna get a room before we pop off to the pup... I know how these things work. I sign the thing, you give me a key, we sleep, then i pay you tomorrow!" He gives a toothy smile, he leans over the register, writing his signature in his language.

The Mouse grumbles under his breath, as he leans over and pulls out a key, and places it on the table. "Heres yah dang key... Now...Wait!" He looks at the register, and espies the strange writing. He looks at the writing, then glares back at the otter, He yells "Now just wait, on cotton-picken minute! What is this mish mash! Is this supposed to some sort of joke! You gatta put your name, not just draw pretty pictures!" He huffs, as he regains his breath. He points at the fresh writing, which look like 'U' Shaped symbols.

Orph seeming a bit lost looks around before placing his belt, dagger and all, along side his Pa's sword. He holds his canteen in one paw admiring the two blades tiredly thinking happy things about his Pa as he takes a swig from his canteen. The wine's helped him a bit with his sickness, though too much may make it worse. He's been trying to not drink too much of it. He plops down while the barkeep and his Pa talk. Between the wine and the pleasure he receives from the sight of the /his/ dagger laying next to /his Pa's/ sword and knowing how the dagger had been a gift from his Pa and how much he cared for him - maybe it was the wine, but he'd let his guard down while daydreaming. If he hadn't he might have thought more on what a rat, dibbun or not, looked like to other beasts. Especially one sitting by a pair of blades and staring at them like he was.

Aikuen smiles, but inside he is just gonna flip. He still is thinking about what's been going on in the last few days, and its time to vent. He points at his signature, "This my old Friend, is my signature... If you don't like it ... or cant read it, its your own damn fault..." He pokes the old ones nose. "Now oldy, I'm gonna take this key, and i going to have a drink... you gotta problem with that! Take it up with my good friend!" He clenches his right paw, at the bones crack. He smiles again, and picks up the key and pockets it. "Have a nice night..." He heads off toward the tavern door, when he forgot something... his son... He walks back to where William is sitting, and places a comforting paw on his head. "Oi, Whats the matter..."

Orph a bit startled stiffens as he looks up, "Oh," he relaxes, "jus you. I wasn't doin' nothin' jus thinkin about things. ... I like you bein' my Pa." he smiles up at the otter. While he words are true and sound plain enough there a slight tone that implies a certain dibbun is close to earning himself a dunking in pond if he hasn't already. Thankfully he's in a good mood right now.

The Keeper is just speechless. He just seems to slink back into his cot, behind the desk. Nothing else is heard from him.

Aikuen rubs his sons head, and smiles, "Aye, and I like you being my son!... Now come on little mate! Tis drinks to be had!" This is coming from the otter, who just before threatened an old mouse. He nearly skips toward the tavern door.

Tir Arnon: Steal Talon Tavern

Aikuen steps through the door, and immediately goes to the bar, as always. He laughs and taps the table to get whoever in charge, "Oi, can i get some service around here! A few hungry and thirsty beasts, needing some nourishment!" To him its just like any other pub, except for the fact for the skeletal remains of some bird over the fireplace. Where he is from, that's just wrong... He has a weird flashback, but then goes back to tapping the bar.

Orph follows his Pa into the smokey tavern. The only real difference between this tavern and the other pubs they've been in is this one seems just a bit rougher than the others, though likely not near rough enough for the former Captain.

The bartender come over to the otter. The young ferret, sways from side to side, and his eyes come in and out of focus. He smiles drunkenly, "dats sum beutifoll music you is tapping... You should be a ...a... *Hic* music-....thing....beast..." He blinks slowly, and out of sync with the other eye.

Orph stares at the bird for a while curiously before taking a seat next to Aikuen. He's more alert than he was in the entry. "Hey, if you have rum here he'll want it," he jerks a thumb claw toward Aikuen, "but he really shouldn't have any." the dibbun laughs loudly as though he'd made a very funny joke. Yes little too much wine for the ratling.

Aikuen holds his breath, as the ferret talks to him. He smiles back, "True to wot my son said, Bring on the rum!... But only in an unopened bottle. Cause ill be saving it for later! I just need mint tea for tonight..." Then under his breath, "and so does William apparently" Then more loudly, "...thanks..." He then goes to watch the patrons.

Orph nods at first, "Shame. Pa's awful fond o rum. That he is. What do ya got here?" the dibbun asks leaning forward with a smile on his face. Poor kid. It's gonna hurt when reality hits him - and the hangover too.

Aikuen nods, "Aye, i said mint tea... If you don't got that, any other tea will be fine..." He just smiles, as if nothing is going wrong...

Orph glances over at Aikuen before addressing the bartender somewhat quietly, "He ain't from round here originally. They talk different there. Just give us some t' drink and if he don't like it he'll tell ya."

The bartender look at the rattling, and smiles goofily, "Well besides the ...*hic* yum... we got cordials und ales, as for food..." He goes behind the counter and retching is heard "What evers left of what ever is left, thats what we got!" He leans close as William loudly whispers to him. He nods, "Aye-e Aye-e!"

Aikuen just taps the table with his claws, Totally oblivious to Williams and the bartenders conversation. He watches the patrons, who most have gone to sleep right at the table, and he laughs mildly.

The bartender give a very sloppy salute to the little rat. He turns around, and looks a the mass of bottles racked up. After What seems to be a long thinking time, the Ferret pulls out two bottles, and places them on the table. He then grabs tow shot glasses, and places them next to the bottles. He grins, and bobs his head at the tapping.

Aikuen turns around at the bottles hitting the table. He tilts his head. strange, he thought that tea would come in a different vessel then a bottle, but he has never had it before, so what does he know. He pours the contents into the glass, then quickly shoots it down. He places the glass down, "If that's what tea tastes like... I've been missing out. Taste just like cordial!" He pours another glass, and shoots it down.

Orph hums a tune to himself while he waits. His brother taught it to him when he was small. He giggle at Aikuen, "Didn't have tea so I ask em give ya cordial instead." He pours himself a glass from the other bottle and after a few shots starts up with the song he'd been humming before. Sadly he only remembers some of the words, "Blood, hot flame, seas flowin' red, ocean wide. /Run/ from the arrows! .. fear o th' warrior from place call reh hall. Life our brethren follow th' sea ... ne'er be same ... greed brought shame curse name" he sings loudly and happily. If the words ever had any meaning the ratling either wasn't told or he forgot it.

The ferret rubs a claw in his ear again, "Ach, must be going deaf... I swore...he said tea again... Gatta stop eating... Clogging me ears..." He goes off toward the other side of the bar, rubbing his ear away.

Aikuen is just about to polish off his fourth shot, when he hears that its not actually tea. He places the glass back on the table. And leaves it alone with the bottle. He will try to get sober at some later time. He hears the strange tune, and turns toward William. "That's quite a bloodthirsty dirge yah singing there..."

Orph grins, "Brutus taught me. I don't member all the words though. It's fun. ... fear the warrior hautin rats dreams from place call re'hall! Blood an ott flame Arrow! /Run from th' arrow!/ Run! Run from em! Run from th' air-oows! Hehehe!"

Aikuen scratches his chin, Fear the warrior? Place called Re'hall? Run from the Arrows? This is not something a a dibbun should be singing and laughing about. He grabs William by the collar of his tunic, "Look like somebeast needs a dunk in a pond, or er... river... Looks like you and me are going to stop drinking... Its just... Bad...." He pulls him off the chair, and leads him outside, To meet with lady river.

Tir Arnon: Steal Talon Riverfront

You say, "Aw. I wanted t' see if ya was payin' tention. Hehehe. I got th' barkeep give me ale an you cordial. They don't got tea thur. I like thet song. My bruder singed it to me fore. I knows who th warrior they scared of is. They's scared o Martin aint they, they should be he'd chop up all the bad uns what was bad an stuff, huh. ....... Yurr think Martin like meh? From stories I member he was alays fightin' rats course he foight cats too an all kind of bad beasts. I aint like that .. well not most times hehehe."

Aikuen leads William to the waters edge. He doesn't know much about Redwall lore, but he does know enough."Aye martin, Said to fought many a beast... Always for the good of every other beast" He slowly walks into the rushing water, with William in tow.

Orph nods. "Yeah. Martin was a good beast," he looks at the river then looks over at Aikuen, "Shame Miz Cali anit ere t' do whatever you're gonna do t' me t' you cause Oi tant th' only beast what was drinkin' ... mighta had more worth drinkin' though. so when we get back I'll be seein' iffen she be willin' t' be nice an' not count the times she missed. ... course wouldn't mind iffen she did anyhow."

Aikuen is about about to go under, "Aye she might... Hold your breath matey... Till be quick!" He dives into the river, and quickly makes it to the other side, with William still in paw. Shaking excess water from his fur, he looks down at his son, "Feel better?" He doesn't wait to find out, as he quickly walks back to the Steel Talon. He needed a good night sleep.

Tir Arnon: Steal Talon Tavern

Orph would rather not ever do /that/ again - ever! He sputters and coughs some as he's dragged back toward the tavern. Once the otter is again seated at the bar and distracted enough, the dibbun slips off to their room for the night. He's sober enough that the thought causing trouble for the time being anyway is put aside til the morrow or given the hour the next morrow after it.

Tir Arnon: Tavern Guest Room

Soaked to the fur and ratling sheds his tunic and which he then wrings out and uses in an effort to dry himself. After slicking a fair amount of water out of his fur the dibbun curls up in the blankets on the bed ready for sleep and the 'day' to end. Maybe next time he shouldn't mention taverns to speed Aikuen up. Tired and damp he falls asleep. Sometime later that morning Aikuen, much drier than his son, also turns in for the night.