In Memory of a Friend: Or, This Was a Misunderstanding
Players involved: Joey, an otter (spoofed by Bandit), Heskra, a fox, Castus, a squirrel, Lee, an otter, Zinnia, a badger, and Longfang, an Ermine.
It was a fine day at redwall. The day could not have been better. The birds were dancing, the sun was glistening off of the abbey pond. The day was just, good all the way from begining to end. With the dying light over the mountains to the west the change in guard comes. Beasts quickly switch out, eager to end their shift and take their place at the abbey halls, stuffing them selves with some well earned Redwall famous vittles.
Joey was one such beast coming from dinner to take his shift at the gates as night watchmen. The young river otter had a certain spring in his step as he walked towards the abbey gates. He was a sleek beast, some muscle to his arms tempered by some weight to his stomach. "I can't believe it, my first nightwatch as a guard!" Joey exclaims as he takes his post. Across from him at the gate an older hare yawns. THe grey furred beast stretches in place. "Relax kid. Show the job some respect. As a guard you and only you come before the enemy. Under your watch travelers enter peacfully, or enemy spiiiieeess sneak in. It's a real honor to be a guard, so chin up, chest out and show the job a little-""Harris!" comes the cry of a small mouse rushing across the court yard, "HArris!" The mouse trips once, then gets up and moves forward again. "You're wife! The Baby is coming!" The hare twitches an eye, dropping his quarter staff, "Oh blazes oh blazes oh blazes, h-here, cover for me, I'll be right back.""
"But but but...but Harris! This is my...first...night shift..." The otter calls out as the hare leaves the young beast alone at the gate. "oh blast..."
And it seems like it'll be a lovely night too! A perfect night for a stroll through Mossflower, even if one has to do something less than pleasant at the end of it. Naturally, as is the habit of his tribe, Heskra rarely leaves the camp before the sun at least starts to go down, and now he finds himself in front of Redwall Abbey. It's his destination, but not an objective, yet even so he's dressed to impress, skull helmet covering his face and pole flail tight in paw, resting on his shoulder. The fox is hardly hostile despite his dress though, walking along the dirt path to the gates with an easy gait, rather than hiding in the trees or bushes for some kind of horrible assault on the last remaining guard. Striding up to the guard and looking down at him, Heskra pops his pipe out of his mouth and sends a bit of smoke through his nose, making it come out of the skull helmet's noseholes. "Ah'm comin' in. Open th' gate."
Longfang walks along the road, an all white ermine, even his outfit is white as he slows and comes towards Redwall. He studies the fox, "Well, this is intresting" He chuckles to himself. He has twin blades on his back as he stays off to the road and seemly watches for now."
Lee is indoors with his family. Poor Joey is on his own.
The young otter was facing the gates behind him, adjusting his tunic and the belt about his waist. "Oh? Sorry sure thing mister just as soon as you surrender your...your...your...." The otter turns, his eyes staring directly into what must be the grim reaper himself. His tail curles between his legs and his whiskers stand out on end. He continues to shiver and cower with his jaw hanging wide open.
The pipe goes back into Heskra's mouth, and soon he puffing out more foul bracken smoke into the night air, and directly into the poor guard's face. Apparently the intimidated beast doesn't inspire much gentle mercy for the fox, and he continues to glower at the otter with his piercing gaze. "Surrender my what? Speak up, waterdog!" The fox speaks rather quickly, and with an exceptionally heavy accent. There's little chance that he's originally from Mossflower.
The otter seems to lean backward. It's not like he hasn't seen vermin before. Just not like...this. Come on Joey, where is your spine? The otter manages to straiten himself, speaking assertivly, if with a stammer, "Y-your weapon. Weapons are n-not allowed in the abbey....ss-s-ir." is all the otter can say. His knees are shaking. Maladictions be apon a false diety, blast you harris for leaving me in this mess!
Casting his eye about the otter, Heskra looks to see if he's carrying any sort of weapon. An eyebrow lifts, and he lets out a harsh snort that may have passed for half of a laugh. "An' yer tellin' me 'at a whole buncha beasts in 'ere're walkin' 'bout unarmed an' waitin' t'be butchered?" Closing one eye, the other peers straight through the otter's skull. "Seems foolish t'me." He doesn't make any move to surrender his weapon though, nor does he even reference such a thing as being a possibility. Juska, right?
Longfang decides to walk over, "Surrender weapons? Gee why would one do that, like he said?" He smiles coldly as he looks at the building, bored and yawns, " Looking for info, be nice ta share hmmm??""
To his credit Joey doesn't faint when the fox peers through his skull. He doesn't even faint when the second vermin appears. He makes startled gasp THEN faints, falling flat out on his back against the already open side door on the gate.
Redwalls finest, right here.
A guard that faints... impressively pathetic. Heskra takes a few steps away from the other strange vermin, just in case the ermine should feel the need to backstab him for some unknown reason. He steps to the otter's side and crouches down, grabbing him by the collar of his shirt and pulling his upper body off the ground. Giving the otter a firm shake, Heskra shouts at him. "Up! Up! Up! Geddup, you fool!" Tempting as it is to just step over the otter, he doesn't want to be caught inside when the guard suddenly comes to and decides to sound the alarm. He hadn't SEEN his death yet... but there was no reason to tempt fate.
A squirrel's head pokes over the battlements. Castus regards the vermin strangely, tilting his head. "Hmm," he says, and then turns to whisper to someone probably standing nearby. Then he goes back to watching them, seeming more curious than frightened. "Excuse me," he calls down. "You all seem to be a little lost. This Abbey has a strict no-stinkhead policy in effect!"
Longfang starts to say something and looks up at Castus and growls, well the fox may not sound an alarm but Longfang will as he draws his twin blades and narows his eyes. "No one insults Longfang, come down here!!" He seems in just a little bit of a foul mood."
"Oy, why am I bein' disturbed at this time o' night?" Another voice drifts down from the walltop. "I was with me wife. Harris? Harris? HARRIS! WHERE ARE YE?"
The otter's eyes open slowly. The widen to the size of sauces when he sees the grim reaper coming to take him....again. "Leg'o! leg'o!" shouts as he is practically throttled, "Don't take me to the dark forrest, please! I'm too young and have too much to live for!"
Heskra quirks an eyebrow from behind his helmet, sighing and letting go of the otter, permitting him to drop to the ground with a thump if he doesn't have the intestinal fortitude to at least keep himself up. Standing back up, the fox takes yet another step away from the ermine, hissing to the other beast. "Don' get in a fight with 'em. 'ey've killed better beasts'n ye." Looking up at Castus, Heskra doesn't do anything other than flash him a longbowman's salute before addressing the otter once more. "So... ye lettin' me in, or are ye goin' t'wet yer trousers 'stead?"
Castus rolls his eyes. "Definitely a stinkhead. What's our guard doing standing *outside* the door? Rather defeats the purpose if you ask me," he remarks to whoever's on the wall beside him. "We can't let you in until you tell us what you're coming in *for!*" he calls back down to the vermin. "Redwall Abbey is a place of peace, plenty, and pretty maids for all, you see, but the whole 'for all' thing? Has some technicalities and quid pro quos! We *do* have a reputation to keep after all. We'd be more than happy to share Redwall's bounty with you if you just answer a few questions!"
Longfang growls, he looks at the armored fox and sshakes his head, "I fear no beast and neither does my lord and master if he was here." He keeps his twin blades out as he is still rather peeved tonight, he looks at the sorry excuse for a guard and shakes his head." Your a whimp"
Lee looks over the side, frowning, then replies to Castus, "OY! It weren't me idea! 'Arris did it, an' when I get me paws on that hare, I'm gonna throttle 'im. Joey is FAR too young ta be out there on 'is own." He looks down at the vermin again. "OY, YE FAT LUG, WOT D'YE WANT IN FOR?"
Flicktail arrives and takes a spot nexttp lee, being near the wall he has his weapon with him, after the attacs on Zee and some other beasts he is being cautions. he looks athe the Vermin, at Castus then at less "wot's goin on son?" he asks mearly curious
"W-wimp?" The otter blushes from where he lays on the ground. "WIMP?" Anger bolstering his lack of courage the young otter stands up, shaking his quarter staff in the air. "Yeah, you can enter as soon as you enter our questions you slimy dolts. What's so wrong about handin over your weapons eh? Are you afraid some scap is going to stab you in the back inside guarded walls? In an ABBEY? What are you both, stupid?" Realization eventually comes around that the other can insult the virmin from the saftey of the wall...Joey is here on the outside...with them...in striking distance. "That is...ahem...to say...good sirs, you are allowed to enter provided you...hand me your weapons..." he thinks for a moment, "Non pointy end first..."
More to remind Joey of what he's asking rather than to hand over his weapon, Heskra holds out the non-pointy end of his weapon... the end with the studded iron weight hanging from it that looks like it's crushed more skulls than Joey has seen seasons. "Ye sure ye want it?" Clearly the otter isn't the bright sort, so Heskra takes a moment to explain things to him. "Handin' o'er yer weapons puts ye at 'nother beast's mercy. Plain an' simple." Looking back up at the other beasts on the wall, Heskra glowers, raising his voice nice and loud so they can hear him. "Ah'm comin' t'visit somethin' 'at's mine! Open yer gates!"
Longfang blinks as he sees the fox on the wall tops and looks surrpised and smirks "Seems they already have vermin inside there, either way my weapons stay with me. I am simply looking for some beasts."
Castus drags a paw over his face. "This reminds me of when we lost that hamster," he mutters. "'Somethin'" has a lot of permutations, y'see!" Castus shouts back. "That's not exactly what we were looking for!" He turns to Lee. "I don't think they're here to do good things."
"An' I'm lookin' for yer mother, Meat'ead." He nods at Castus, frowning. "Aye, I'm inclined ta agree. An' wot 'amster are ye talkin' about? Nevermind, tell me later. Right now, we gotta figure out 'ow ta get that idiot Joey back inside without lettin' the others in..."
Flicktail blinks and looks at Lee "Son why don't you and I just go out and get im... you and i shoudl be able to keep them beasts out and get thatbrave beast.....Flicktail says, "they already think I be a vermin"
The otter peers at the flail like he is being handed a snake. With a wide toothed, nervous smile he begins back peddling for the door. "Why don't I just...talk with the head guard. See if any 'speacial' arrangment can be made for cerimonial weapons and holy artifacts and-" And like that bolts for the open door behind him. He shuts it closed behind him. Flailing his arms the beast dashes about in a circle, stops to clutch at his head and silently scream to himself, then flails his arms again as he travels up the stairs. Pausing at Lee and FLicktail the young otter calms himself, "Sirs, I respectfully inform you that I have left the guard force. Thank you for this oppurtunity. The otter then resumes his panic and dashes down the ramparts until he can find a nice quite place to curl up into a ball and tell himself the walls keep bad vermin out, the walls keep bad vermin out...
Longfang for now places his twin swords back on his back and bows "I think I will leave for now...but first a message" He stands and smiles a cold smile "Do tell Mr. Winters...either one works but I know which one be best. Tell him I said hi and that my Master says hi as well, oh he knows the name well...Bora." He chuckles "I have a guest to tend to, Master Bora has someone who has an intrest in my guest, oh and do tell Mr. Winters..I hope his pretty daughter doesmt take any walks any time soon, she may find the wrong end of my sword..that be fun, he stoped me once, then again be FUN to fight him...he is weak now and poor excuse for the warrior I remember seasons ago." With that he turns to head up the road.
Lee blinks, in surprise. "Well, Castus, Flick... It seems the problem solved itself." He squints down at the Ermine. "Oh, shaddup, will ye? We don't 'ave a Mr. Winters 'ere, go look somewhere else, Meat'ead. Tell yer mum I said Hello."
Before Heskra can even react, Joey has screamed through the door and locked it behind him. The Juska frowns, not much pleased with how his foresight failed him. If he'd been expecting that, he may have been able to bully his way through the door and force the abbeybeasts to eject him, something easier said than done. As it is, he plants the end of his flail in the ground and rests his weight on it, using it as a third leg. Looking back up, he decides to taunt the other beasts... especially the out-of-place one. "An' how'd ye get in, traitor fox? Is all ye 'ad t'do was sell out yer own kin' an' give up yer title of 'vermin'? What're ye pretendin' t'be? A mouse? A otter? A vole, eh?" Digging a claw into his teeth and picking out a stray piece of woodpidgeon, the flicking it away, Heskra asks again. "Or are ye jus' actin' at bein' a coward?" The departure of the ermine is... strange, but ultimately Heskra decides that the message has nothing to do with him.
Castus almost snorts at the word 'brave.' Almost. "Well, that does leave the fox to get rid of. I ah, I have a few ideas, but they're not really, um, 'traditional...'" He turns to Lee and whispers to him.
Flicktail seems no less confused "I must say that ..Joey did you say is name was? he sure moves VERY fast...." he looks at Castus "I take it you mean that OTHER fox...not me
Lee cocks his head toward the squirrel, listening, then grins, wickedly. "Oh dear, ye are evil, Castus but I love the way ye think. Quick, we must work fast..." He drops his voice to a low whisper, so that only the others on the wall can overhear, "I need some strong beasts. Castus has a most devious plan..."
Flicktail blinks bemused, and seems left out at this point...watching trying notto mess up any plans
Keen as Heskra's ears are... he can only hear the beasts above him muttering. He squints at up at them, but doesn't move, having no idea what they're planning. Instead he calls back up at the beasts overhead, particularly at Flicktail. "Ye ain't answering me? Too high an' mighty t'speak t'yer own kin'?"
Castus gestures for Flicktail to keep talking. "Well, he had a question for you, Champion! Go ahead and answer, it's only polite." He scampers back down the stairs momentarily, waving for a few Abbeybeasts to follow him.
Lee looks over the side again, "I'm lookin' for yer mum, too, snot'ead, give me a moment, will ye?" Then he is off down the steps after Castus, making a beeline for the kitchen, which is almost deserted for the night.
Flicktail looks a bit nervous, he doesn't like being cruel to any beast, and doesn't know what this fox may have done...still he trusts Castus and his son and calls down "You are only m kin if you mean no other beasts harm...the rules are fer every beast Sir, and you already know the Abbey reputation for peace...entry is only allowed if you leave yer weapons...amd cam have them back when y leave.....I am called Flicktail....I would like to greet you as a friend if you kin earn our trust...
On the other hand, Heskra much prefers to speak plainly to other beasts. He's not much a fan of pretending that he likes someone, and is more than happy to act manipulative or cruel if he decides that the beast he's talking to doesn't deserve civility. "A traitor askin' fer trust? Don' make me laugh! Yer awful keen t'disarm somebeast who ain't eager t'trust ye. Ah've got somethin' t'be done inside 'ere, an' it ain't goin' t'hurt ye none, traitor. Ye goin' t'let me in or no?"
Castus comes hurrying back with Lee across the grounds, a large clayware pot jostling in their arms, some liquid sloshing around in it. Castus has an irrepressible grin on his face. "For the record," he says to Lee as they struggle back up the stairs, "I don't feel bad about this at *all.*"
Lee laughs, maneuvering carefully back up the steps. "Did ye see Lacota's face, though? 'Ye better bring that pot back, or I'll poison ye both!' Flair for the dramatic, eh?" Once back at the walltop, the otter can't resist peering down at the "guest" again. "I found yer mum, snot'ead. Care ta see 'er?"
Flicktail looks confused still..but he does Trust Lee and Castus completely "The rules are for every beast...no You cannot come in....I have warmth here, and a family and a full tummy....disarm or leave"
(Heskra can hear laughing, and it's not something he particularly cares to hear when he's trying to get into somewhere he's barred access to... but there it is all the same. He wonders what they're plotting. It doesn't seem to be lethal... still no foresight. "A Juska's ne'er fully disarmed, lunk'ead. Ye take 'is flail from me an' Ah'm still armed 'nuff t'do ye in. 'sides..." Heskra raches for his belt and takes out a trio of arrows. "Ah'm keepin' 'is. 'ey're important." After Lee's jeer, Heskra looks back up at him with a gaze that says clear as day that he'd take him apart if he were within grasp.)
Castus heaves the pot up and tilts it, spilling the mixture over the side. "Nice meeting her though! She was hot!" Because the pot had hotroot soup in it. Extra spicy, smelling of fish, and more than enough to cause mild to severe 'oh seasons my eyes' if it makes contact. Even so, not a pleasant thing to have splash near you, let alone on you.
Lee laughs again, as he assists the squirrel. He dips a finger in before it all pours out. "Mmm, Lacota outdid 'imself again. EXTRA spicy, mate. COMPLIMENTS OF THE FRIAR, SNOT'EAD!" he calls out. "PLEASE, ENJOY!"
Flicktail's eyes widen and he blinks...He heads down to the gate unsure if he will be needed there..but he hurries down.
Even before the pot is lifted up, Heskra's eyes go absolutely blank, as if he were suddenly not there. At last, it appears that his foresight had kicked in, giving him a brief flash of a warning that he could concievably go blind from these antics. With the warning pulsating through his mind, Heskra leaps backwards, managing to keep his muzzle out of the downpour, but not avoid it entirely. The hotroot soup sloshes all over the ground, splashing the fox's legs and splattering his chest with a mixture that actually makes his skin prickle. He spits on the ground. "Ye'd better not e'er leave 'at abbey! Ah'm goin' t'be waitin' fer ye if ye do!"
Castus blows a raspberry down at the fox. "Yeah, right! If we're outside the Abbey, it'll be because we're looking for *you*, brushtail! Hope Abbey-food lives up to its reputation!" He turns Lee to give him a high-five.
Lee returns the high five with a laugh. "Oy, don't make me come down there an' teach ye the fine art of swordplay, Snot'ead."
The ground seems to become soft and mound up slightly like something is maybe there.
The mound of earth is not very wide.
Taking another deep breath on his pipe and filling his lungs with bracken smoke, Heskra exhales it slowly, then turns, starting to walk away. He calls back over his shoulder. "If ye decide t'come down an' not be cowards, go ahead. Ye ain't 'ough. Ye'll stay up in yer abbey safe, sound, an' cowardly."
Lee yells out, "Ye just stop right there, Snot'ead, I'll fight ye right now!" Seems the otter has a short fuse when called a coward. Castus better talk sense into him.
Castus reaches out and puts a paw on Lee's shoulder, holding it tight. "Now now, Lee. Save some of that spice for the real thing. He's headed north. S'where the reports come from. We should talk before we get in over our heads, hmm?"
Just like that, Heskra turns about, spinning to face the abbey once more, a cruel grin on his face. He calls back to the otter, "Oh will ye?! C'mon down 'en! Ah'm lookin' forwards t'it, ye waterlogged idjit!" The fox spits on the ground and kicks some dirt over the wad of drool, as clear a vermin challenge as anything.
Lee calms down, watching the fox depart. "Aye, yer right. 'E ain't worth me time, mate." He calls out, "I challenge ye, Snot'ead, next time we meet. For now, I 'ave the 'igh ground!"
Zinnia had been up late as she couldn't sleep, she now walks up to the top of the wall by Lee and Castus, "Whats...going on?"
Castus rolls his eyes. "Girls, girls, you're both pretty," he says, poking Lee insistently to take his attention away from the foxes. "Now let him be - we'll deal with him later. We *need* to *talk.*" He looks up at Zinnia as she appears. "Just vermin and woodlanders doing what we do," he answers.
Out of range of anything that could be poured at him, but likely still within throwing distance, Heskra calls back at the otter, still facing the abbey, shouting so that it's plenty hard to ignore him. "Aye, ye've plenty of 'igh groun'! Come down an' face me like a malebeast! Or would ye prefer t'stay up 'ere with th' maids an' oldbeasts? Th' ladies knittin' circle'll be missin' ye, waterdog!"
Lee grits his teeth. "Grrr... Yes, yer right, Castus, mate. I'll slit 'is throat tomorrow." He works very hard to contain his anger at the very personal attack. "Or, ye know, ye could just take 'im down with an arrow now, Castus, why don't ye? Then we talk in *peace*. 'Ello, Zinnia," he tacks on, nonchalantly.
Zinnia frowns and looks over at the vermin and then back to the abbey beasts"Well least it isn't that ermine. I rather not see that ermine again"
Lee says, "Ye JUST missed 'im, darlin'."
"Aye, there was an ermine, but he's gone now. Vermin coming around right up to the gates... bad times are coming," Castus mutters, giving Heskra a 'shoo, shoo!' motion with his paw. "We should get out there though," he says to Lee out of the corner of his mouth. "I'm tired of letting them come to us. Gotta take action. Camp Willow hasn't said anything in some time. Worries me."
Zinnia frowns, "w..what?? He was here? He didn't get in did he? Was in a white ermine with a blue arrow on his paw?"
Disregarding the 'shoo shoo' motion, Heskra offers one last chance for the Redwallers to come to their senses and make amends. "Tell ye what. If ye let me in... Ah'll forgive an' we kin forget ye did th' stupid thin's ye did! Las' chance, waterdog an' treerat!" He doesn't expect either of them to listen, but at the very least he's giving them a fair shot at /not/ making a new enemy. He'd done the same for the villages he extorted, why not the same for these beasts?
Lee nods grimly. "Well, I've got friends in Camp Willow. One of 'em paid me a visit 'ere yesterday afternoon." His voice sounds grave. "I'm afraid there's worse news..." He looks over the side, one last time. "Since ye won't leave, Mister, I will ask ye, one final time, why ye want in. I ain't got all night, an' I got stuff ta discuss wi' the treerat. Why should I believe ye won't murder us as soon as ye come in?" The otter is tired of this game, but he wants silence, and therefore is willing to hear out the fox just once.
Castus throws up his paws. "Is he *still* there?" he despairs. "The hotroot soup wasn't *that* good. One moment Zinnia." He goes to trudge down the stairs, either to actually let the fox in or grab a sword and come out swinging. It's up in the air at the moment.
Of Course Heskra isn't going to leave. Why would he leave when he's got business to take care of that no one seems willing to let him take care of? He glowers up at Lee. Much as he'd love to take him apart, he's at least giving him a chance to avoid Heskra's vow being broken due to his stubbornness. "Ah tol' ye. Ah've stuff t'do in yer graveyard. Somethin' of mine's in 'ere, an' Ah want t'see it!" He snorts, blowing another plume of smoke through the noseholes of his skull helmet. "Ye know fer th' same reason Ah do. 'cuz we'll all be armed an' none of us want t'die tryin' t'kill each other."
Zinnia frowns, she looks at Lee waiting for an answer and seems concerned,"You said the ermine was here, was it Longfang? If it was you need to know something. "
Lee looks over at Zinnia. "One second, Miss." He looks down at Heskra. "Fine! I'll let ye in! If ye promise ta do yer business in 15 minutes. I got business ta attend to. Ye must agree ta allow Castus an' meself ta escort ye to an' from the...Graveyard? Wot on earth do ye want from the graveyard?" He sounds nonplussed. "Either why, I don't trust ye, but yer an insistant beast."
The gate swings open. Castus is there, dressed to the nines in weaponry. "Welcome back to Redwall Abbey. Mind your head. Kids like to throw stuff in here." He shrugs haplessly and steps back just enough to let Heskra in.
Zinnia sighs "But..." She frowns and decides to tell him later, "I'll...talk to you tomorow Lee, I need to check on Papa before I go to bed." She heads on down and on inside the main building.
Slinging his flail over his shoulder as if it's nothing more than a simple cloth bindle, he rolls his eyes at the sight of Castus covered in weapons, striding into the abbey with no regard for for the warning to be on his best behavior. He doesn't acknowledge the squirrel as he goes to the graveyard, slipping between the gravestones and seemingly working by memory rather than reading. Upon finding the shape of the text that he remembers, the fox not knowing how to actually read "Machlah", he kneels down next to the plot and takes out the three arrows he'd packed, stabbing them into the earth so that the arrowheads point skywards.
Lee waves as Zinnia departs, then joins Castus at the gate. "To be honest, 'ad I realized 'e only wanted ta visit the graveyard, I mighta let 'im sooner..." He watches as the fox enters the graveyard, whispering to Castus, "This stays between us. Benar must *never* know."
Castus nods quietly as he watches the fox perform his strange ritual. He has an inscrutable look on his face. He seems fascinated, yet perplexed by what he sees. He says nothing to Lee, keeping the moment to themselves.
The ritual is something that apparently takes more than just stabbing arrows into the ground. After gesturing for a while towards the grave, Heskra stands up, and starts to perform a bizarre, undulating dance, all the while speaking very rapidly using some bizarre words that it's unlikely an honest abbeybeast would even hear. Every time he makes a full circle around the grave, the fox lurches down and scratches the palm of his paw on one of the arrows, leaving just a small amount of blood on each of them.
Lee is just...sorta dumbstruck, with no idea what it is he's witnessing. He doesn't dare speak, though, for fear of disturbing the moment.
Castus watches, transfixed. There's really nothing he can say to something that he's never seen before. All he knows is that it's weird. And yet there's a strange sense of honesty permutating the whole thing; that, if nothing else, stays his paw even when he sees blood drawn.
All three arrows are bloodied, and one more circle around the grave is completed before Heskra's again kneeling in front of the grave, pulling the arrows up out of the ground, then stabbing them back into the soil, point down this time, the bloodied arrowheads now hidden from view. For a time Heskra simply stays there, kneeling and muttering, then stands, sprinkling a handful of some herb he's pulled out of his sporran onto the grave. And with that, he's done. He gives the grave one more look, though this one seems to be a gaze of fondness rather than of purpose, then starts back towards the gate, apparently finished with whatever he needed to do, his pole flail once again casually over his shoulder.
Lee watches Heskra finish up. "Ah, er, ye 'ave me apologies for the misunderstandin'." He nods his head. "'E must 'ave been a great friend."
Heskra stops as Lee apologizes to him, the fox gazing back at him, still looking through the eyeholes of the fox skull that he's using as a helmet. "'e was a respons'bility of mine Ah couldn't do a thin' fer. 'e was a son of th' Juskaskor, an' sendin' 'im 'ere didn't cure 'im. Machlah died 'ere of th' White Madness. Ah owe it t' 'im t'keep the Madness in 'is body rather'n tryin' t'follow 'is soul into th' Dark Forest."
Lee nods a bit. "I see. Yer, ah... Welcome ta visit again if yer ever so inclined. I know 'ow it is ta lose a friend to the Dark Forest... More than I'd like."
Castus nods gently, as if understanding, though he honestly doesn't beyond that this was a favor for a friend. He flicks an ear at the mention of Dark Forest. "Right honorable of you," he mutters, still mindful this is a Juska he's talking to. One honorable act doesn't keep him from relaxing the paw on his long knife. Once they're outside the walls, the Abbey rules don't apply. "Lee's right, I guess. It's your friend, you can come if that's all you wish to do. But the weapons will seriously have to stay behind next time."
We'll see." Is all Heskra says on the matter of weapons being left behind. Going unarmed in a place that's historically hostile to vermin just seems... really stupid. Looking between Lee and Castus, he does at least give them some assurance of his continued goodwill. "Yer both forgiven. Ye kin step outside th' abbey without worryin' 'bout me killin' ye, so long as ye don' give me any reason t'do it. Likewise th' abbey has nothin' t'worry 'bout from th' Juskaskor. Jes' keep leavin' us alone an' we kin be peaceful 'bout each other. Aye?" Casting a critical eye about the pair of beasts, Heskra seems to be waiting for them to reaffirm the vow on their end. "Fer makin' Machlah's passin' a bit easier, th' abbey's got nothin' t'fear from us."
Lee inclines his head. "Ye 'ave me word, as a beast of honor. The Juskaskor an' Redwall will coexist peacefully." He nudges Castus to agree. "We offer goodwill to all, vermin an' woodlander alike."
Castus grunts as Lee bumps him. "Uh, yes, yes, vows, eternal friendship and all that. I promise not to kill you in a mindless frothing rage like we usually do."
The fox gives a firm shake of his head. "Not askin' fer friendship or goodwill. Jes' leave us be. Yer abbey's cursed fer vermin, an' we want nothin' t'do wi' any of it 'less we absolutely have t'do somethin' in it. Like t'night." Relighting his pipe, Heskra again begins to puff on it, sending up great plumes of smoke. "Tell yer abbot what Ah said. Ah don' want 'im t'start thinkin' 'at it'd be a good idea t'go after 'e vermin in 'e woods. Let us be, what we're doin' en't harmin' ye any." For whatever reason, the fox seems determined to keep the abbey out of Juska business as much as possible. Whatever that business is though is anyone's guess. "G'night. 'member t'tell 'e abbot." And with that, Heskra starts to leave, heading for the door and no doubt vanishing into the woodlands the second he's away from the abbey.
Lee hrms as the fox departs. "Well, I mainly meant goodwill such that I won't go killin' 'em, but that works, too." He shrugs, then goes to head back indoors to his wife.
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