Is Zork..Drunk?

From Redwall MUCK Wiki


Zork walks in slowly, he has a fresh bandage on his shoulder but its covered by his cloak, he also has a flask of something with him and a box from the forge he sits down on a table slowly and looks around the area.

Benar is standing in the foremoles little office looking over the plans and talking away to the moles as up in the scaffolding various beasts are putting in the finishing touches.

Zork frowns, yeah he probably shouldn’t be in here right now, he clears his throat and coughs, "Hey..umm, yeah de..rings and..its stuff" He takes a quick sip of his flask and puts it away.
Benar looks around at the sound of a familiar voice and smiles, "Ah Zork, good day.."  He frowns at the bandage then the flask, "Are you ok Zork?"
Zork frowns, if it was anyone else he would hide the fact he is slightly drunk, but from Benar he won’t "No..but, I made..de..those couple days go and dis" He points to the flask, "Taday..errr afternoon.." He frowns "I won’t drink no more rights now lad..err Benar sorry"

Benar nods his head, "I see.. well try to not let it happen again Zork.... it sets a bad example having our smith walking around drunk."

Lacota approaches from the direction of the Abbey and waves. "Elder Benar, sir, just the beast I was looking for. Somebeast said I might find you out here." He stares at the inebriated badger for a few moments. "Does...he do that...often, sir?"
Zork frowns as he sits down, "Be..Benar?...I be sorry just upset at me self, I let meself lose me alertness in this fight on de road and..it could of ended badly..and I..upset de lass and she ran away..but I found her and..she"  He blinks and wipes his eyes.
Benar frowns at Zork and then nods his head, "I... see Zork.."  He waves Foremole over who pads over and takes Zork's paw, "Bur oi big 'un you sure do be bein in a statem... come oon, leds naw bother da Elder n go get ya a nice drink otta dis ere barrel."  He leads Zork off toward a large barrel to one side.

Benar then turns to the other squirrel, "No... he doesn't something has upset him it seems. Anyway hello!"

Zork understands drink and barrel and frowns, "Errr. Drink err more of it be bad right now" He looks at Benar, "Ya..I be upset.."
Lacota nods, then smiles. "Ah, hello sir. I have...well, I'm not going to beat about the bush, sir, so I'll cut to the chase. As you may or may not know...I've been kind of...er...unofficially helping in the kitchen...you know, cooking and such...the fact that your last real Friar was seasons ago rather distressed me...anyway, I only intended to, ah...you know, help out for a little while until you got a new, umm...Friar...but a few beasts, like er...Mr. Flicky, er, Flicktail, suggested I should talk to the elders about the position..."  He trails off into silence, looking embarrassed. "If I did anything wrong by commandeering your fine kitchen, please know I am dreadfully sorry..."
Foremole leads Zork along, clambering up onto a box until he is high enough to get a paw on the back of the badger's head. He encourages Zork to lean forward until he is staring into the rain but. All the water draining out of the scaffolding pipes into this... it is cold, half rimed with Ice and then SPLOOSH. Foremole shoves Zork's head under, muscles bulging in his arms as he holds him down for a count of ten then lets him up. "Zar we go gud mister, dat should sober you'm up greatly, burr oi." Benar watches and shakes his head as Foremole deals with Zork and turns to Lacota. "Flicktail... I see."  He says his tail from side to side, "The position of Friar is one of the positions held by members of the order. And technically it comes with a seat on the Elder Council. I'm not sure we can just appoint someone as Friar directly who has only just arrived."
Zork is dunked in the water and when he comes back up he gasps and coughs roughly and shivers, "C..C...COLD!" He coughs and takes a few deep breaths and shivers. "B..Benar!.." He frowns but is a bit sober now and able to speak a little better now. "Errrr"
Lacota nods, tail drooping. "Yeah, that's what I figured, and I told Flicktail that was probably the case, but he said to ask anyway..." He shrugs.
Foremole slaps Zork on the arm, "Burr oi dun ye be feelin better zur smith?" Benar taps his chin and thinks, "If you are willing to join the order.... I could see us letting you become a brother straight away if you can prove to the Abbot your sincerity in wishing to join. Then we could appoint you acting Friar to see how you do."
Zork coughs a little and nods, "I..yeah, feeling sum better." He is slowly starting to understand the mole and sighs a little still upset but least sober at the moment. "Just ta bad day..bad morning"
Lacota perks up. "Really, sir? That's the nicest thing a beast has ever offered, ever!" The squirrel looks happier than he's ever been his entire life.
Benar says, "You'll need to study up, if the Abbot is to make you a brother of the order directly you must be prepared. I'll have someone show you were everything is in the library and say next week we'll have the ceremony if you think you can be ready by then?"
Zork sighs, he listens as they talk some and doses interrupt. He waits.
Lacota nods enthusiastically. "Oh, yes sir! I'd gladly study!"
Benar says, "Very well then, next week we'll have the Abbot test you and see what he thinks."  He smiles warmly, "I am sure you will do well."  He then glances at Zork. "So my smith, what has upset you so?"
Lacota nods again, the watches the Badger.
Zork leaves his flask alone as he speaks, "I..ok you see I got into an argument with Zinnia, she followed me, told her ta go back ta de abbey, she ran off crying so I..ran after her, then Aster and two goons come by and try and grab her,..I almost didn’t get ta her in time and at first thought de cat killed her, but she was alive..Aster umm..well she was injured," He frowns.."I almost went into.." Yeah he stops there, "Anyways, I got ta check Zinnia and de cat tried to stab me from behind and would of it wasn’t fer Rorgan..I would of been..umm...well dead, Aster be dead, de arrow hit her..and Zinnia in de infirm"
Benar says, "And what... was Zinnia doing outside the abbey?"  He asks softly, folding his arms and looking at Zork, "The gate guards should never have let someone that young leave."
 Zork frowns "I don’t know..think she sneaked out with de search party...Benar I.." He frowns "I were afraid when saw her..laying thar and..see I sort of, kind of..adopted her as me daughter"
Lacota looks uncomfortable with the talk of arrows and killing.
Benar sighs and presses his hand against his temple then nods, "It is.. not your fault Zork. it is whoever let her out of the abbey... we will find out who and I will have words. This has gone on long enough, someone on the guard is not doing their job properly. Month after Month dibbuns are sneaking out of the abbey and it will end."  He steps outside and nods to Lacota, "I will see you later Lacota I need to go have words with the Abbot about this."
Lacota nods. "Good day, sir."
Zork nods, "And..sorry fer de flask,..you ok Benar?"
Benar says, "Yes I am good... just disappointed in the guards.... I will live. I will see you all later." He nods and heads inside.
Zork watches Benar head off and sighs, "Can ya..fire a guard? Hmmms"
 Lacota shrugs. "I don’t know, sir."
Zork watches the moles and heads to the open ground, "Well we should go elsewhere, let de moles work and stuff.."