Journey to Salamandastron! (Opening)

Opening scene between Ayda, a Squirrel, and Monzcarro, a Desert Hare.

Location: North Bank of the River, far south of the Great Southern Cliffs.

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The sky was painted in the colours of sunset as the great burning disk of the sun was sinking into the horizon, taking with it the stifling heat of the day. The sand and stones sizzled softly here and there from a few adventurous insects as they emerged from their caves and shadows, singing to the beautiful colours of violet and orange above. No clouds in that sky, only colour and the first glimpse of the very brightest stars at the opposite horizon. And here, lower, a beast moves in the failing light, a tall hare in military dress and carrying a long bronze-headed spear, lopes along in easy strides towards the river's bank, her day of brooding finally done. She has come to a decision...

A squirrel sits upon a rock, enjoying the last bit of the sun while it's not so horribly hot for a short time at least. Her wrapped form is rather silhouetted against the waning lights, tail drooped at only the tip. Her ears perk to the sounds of the desert interrupted by the shifting pawsteps of some striding beast. She waits there on her rock, and tilts her head, raising one ear slightly more.

The glint of light on the head of a spear is the first sight of the beast, followed swiftly by the figure of a tall, lean hare moving at an easy jog towards the same rock. Her features are coloured orange by the setting sun, but it's easy to recognize Monza for who she is, her tall spear resting vertical in the crook of her arm. A thoughtful expression is on her face, until she spies the crouching, cloth-wrapped figure of her friend. She breaks into a smile, "Ayda! What ho, sand squirrel?"

Ayda slides her eyes to the glint, following the spear down to the hare holding onto it. She quirks a smile, though it's somewhat well hidden behind that veiling scarf. "Monzca'," The squirrel greets in return, slightly accented. She stands upon her rock.

Monzcarro's easy lope slows to a trot and then to a stop beside the rock, the hare letting out a huffing breath and setting the butt of her long spear onto the ground, and promptly leaning onto it with both arms. The hare looked sun-worn and tired, but otherwise cheerful. "Happy to see you've come, wot. Would be a shame to just vanish on the ole' place without a whisper of warning."

"Hm. A shame." The squirrel nods with shallow movements. Then looks from hare and turns her head north. "You plan to leave today? To go North?" Her smile changes shape. She's more thoughtful again, likely the expression much similar to that she were wearing before Monzcarro's arrival. Her tail curls over and loops an ankle.

Monzcarro shrugs her shoulders a bit and straightens, turning to face the North as well. The sun-baked pine forest can just be seen on the distant horizon, little more than a shadow in the dying light.

"First light, in the morning." Monza says. She lets the silence hang, disturbed only by the river beside the two, whispering softly as it flows, a lifeline in such a place. The hare's sharp features are a mix of excitement and worry. She's only known the desert, all that she knows of the Northlands is that of the stories carried by paw through the shifting sands and burning sun. "Something in my blood tells me I need to go. You know the stories of the Long Patrol, and I know for a fact my grandfather's grandfather was one of those Hares... so I figure it's only right than I head back and... and..." a pause. Monza didn't know just why; just that it was.

"Yes. I can remember your stories. And I am sure you are right about this. Who can say what is right for one beast without becoming them?" The squirrel goes silent for a moment, then flicks her tail. "It is sure to be a long way... You are prepared? For the first light?"

"Ready as I can be." says Monza, nodding, her ears waggling a little at the movement. "Haversack with some good tucker and enough water to get me well into the forest. I can probably reach the stream on the opposite side and from there, well..." she shrugs. Beyond that sparse forest lies a sun-bleached desert equal to the one south of the stream... and the Cliffs. "I've rope and crampons too, so, I figure I'm ready for anything, eh wot?" she says, grinning cheerfully, though most of it doesn;t reach her eyes.

"I will come." The squirrel states a little suddenly after she explains her provisions. "You might think you are ready, but what if you are to fall from something or if there are bandits? You have not travelled North before; I have. I can be ready to travel for tomorrow with no problem."

Monzcarro glances to her friend with a start, "What? But why would you come - I mean..." she waves a hand, expansively, "I've got a reason..." the Hare says, though hope is in her voice. She would have gamely done the road alone, but she's perfectly willing to admit that having company, and good company at that, on the road with her was infinitely preferable.

"I have made this journey. Or, the some of it. To Redwall, but not to this mountain of yours." She's smiling again. "Besides, I think it is to get very boring here with little company. I would enjoy the adventure. I can boast, in my old age, of how I have travelled and seen such things. The desert is home, but as your mountain is calling you, it is the road and the open land that call me. I want to explore again."

The Hare thinks on this, then starts to laugh, "You could have let me in on this whole wanderlust of yours much sooner, ole' stick. I swear I was worrying myself senseless the past week for trying to think up everything I'd need to handle on my own." Back in good cheer, she gives the squirrel a little prod in the side with the butt-end of her long spear, "And here you was, all wise and knowing in just what needs to be done, wot. Bad form, that." she teases.

Ayda chatters her teeth at the spearbutt, her paws waving at it to try and bat it away. She might be smirking beneath the scarf though. "Well, I never know when it will take, nor if you were wanting company. Wise and knowing? Hmph. You never call me that sort of thing in front of company."

Monzcarro waves her hand airily, a cheeky grin on her face, "Of course not. You've enough an ego for two squirrels, no need to puff you up further, you'd burst." This coming from a Hare who takes every opportunity to race, duel or otherwise show off whenever she got the chance.

"/I'd/ burst?" Ayda looks shocked. "You are making me sound as a hare." She teases back, rebutting the cheeky grin with a poke of her tongue. "Hm. If I've enough ego for one whole hare, perhaps I qualify for the Long Patrol?"

Monzcarro hmmms and eyes Ayda thoughtfully for a moment, then clicks her tongue and shakes her head. "No, I'm afraid not." just a breath's pause, "Your ears are far too long." She lets out a burst of laughter and hop-skips backwards a few steps, standing on one footpaw, using her spear as a brace, "You'd outshine all of us with those palm fronds of yours, 'ole salt!"

The squirrelmaid's tail bristles and, veiled or not, she looks indignant. "My ears? My ears are not too long! You are to take that back!" She's hopped off the rock, mock angered. Ayda turns then, folding her arms sulkily and her tail still bristling. "My ears are nice. Just the right size."

There's a moment of silence after the squirrel turned her back. The sky was almost turned totally to a deep purple bruise, the far eastern sky now black and shot with stars, and only a small rim of orange showing marking the place where the sun had gone down. Above, the moon took its rightful place. The silence stretched for a moment, as though one member of the party was deeply sorrowful. Then, the light, cool touch of a ball of metal, no doubt the bronze ball of Monza's spear butt, gently tickled the tip of one of Ayda's ears. "For a fern." Monza said, the let out a whoop of laughter and started to dash away over the sand, following the winding course of the moonlit river.

Ayda listens to the silence and is about to speak when the spear butt finds her ear tip and Monza speaks. The squirrel, for the second time, starts to bat with her paws at where the ball had been, whipping around quickly. She shakes her head and smiles, but gives chase. "Not a fern, Long-eared bunny! Take it back!"

Monzcarro only keeps up the speed for a little bit, slowing and whirling back to face the oncoming 'enraged' squirrel. The hare tosses her spear aside, the bronze slither against sand, and she puffs up her chest, waggling both fists in front of her, "Bunny? Bunny!? I say, those are fightin' words, wot! Up your dukes this instant, Madam!" the hare says, her ears waggling comically as she shuffles and bounces from one leg to the other in a very bad parody of boxing. "I am no tucka-scoffin', prim and proper bunny rabbit! I say, stand and delivah, sah!" she says, her voice shifting to a very good likeness of her grandfather's bombastic boom.

Ayda laughs, tinkly, but from her belly, as much of her tribe. She scampers over and up, putting her own paws up as she tries to mimick the haremaid. She only keeps that up for a moment though, before she falls back breathless. Hares and their running are rather too much for her to keep up with. "I win." She declares after a moment. From the ground. Still, not at all serious.

Monzcarro hrumphs and sets her arms akimbo, leaning over the squirrel and peering down fiercely, backlit by the moonlight. "By a cheeky and down-right dirty move, madam. Should be ashamed." Monza said, but the laugh is creeping into her voice by the end. The hare settles into the sand on her rear, bracing herself on her arms and peering up towards the moon, letting the whispering river fill the air with it's own conversation.

"I'm glad you are coming along, Ayda. I was truly frightened of going it alone, though I would have regardless." Monza says, her voice quiet, her smile making the words sound warm.

Ayda smirks up at her. "Oh, I am very ashamed." She lies, teasingly. Then stays there on the ground as the doe sits down too. She enjoys the natural sounds for a moment before raising a 'fern' to Monza's voice. "I know you would have. But I am glad that I can go with you. I would not have minded to be asked, you know."

Monzcarro chuckles ruefully, "Oh yes, nothing like walking up to a friend and asking if they'd mind taking a quick nip out for a death-defying trip across desert, forests and who knows what, so as the first can skip into a giant mountain place ruled by badgers. Yes, it makes for a very surefire way to have a friend along." she says, and titters. "Still, I'm quite eager to be off now, but for the tucker I've got baking in clay at my camp. Shall we meet here tomorrow then, crack of dawn?" she asks, picking herself up out of the sand, and plucking up her long spear from where it lay, holding the butt-end out for Ayda to help lift the squirrelmaid up.

Ayda takes hold of the spearbutt even as she's nodding and grinning. "Well, put it like that... And I still find myself wishing to come along. But, I do see your point, my friend." She nods again, bushy tail quivering out the sand from her fur. "Tomorrow at dawn. In fact. I may sleep here, it seems a pleasant place."

Monzcarro taps the butt of her spear into the sand and looks about. It was a rather nice spot in the rive,r the way it bended and flowed here made for a small quiet part where some greenery had boomed. She nods and waggles her ears, "Oh aye, but I've got a small river trout baking in coals at my camp just 'round the bend yonder." she grins, "A bit of watercress and rosemary in to boot. I don't mind sharing, so long as you promise to leave me a nibble instead of scoffing it all yourself."

Ayda is already starting for the bend, and the doe's camp before she's finished speaking. "Scoff it all myself? Leave you a nibble? Of all the things a hare might request of a squirrel. I will be lucky to be getting a bite of such a meal!". Grinning beneath her scarf, the squirrel's setting a good pace if only walking.

The cheeky hare steps into place beside her friend as the two travel the bank of the river, the sand slithering softly beneath their footpaws. The sun has set fully, and dusk had since passed. Night reined in the sky, and the stars and moon both shone down upon the sand and river. "I've seen you at the table, Madam, just as greedy a scoffer as any noble hare. I've my eye on you and no mistake." she chides playfully, laughing. The trout was indeed good, and shared equally amongst the two friends. The river flowed, the sand whispered, and the moon shone. And, in the coming day, they would set out into the world beyond the sand, into the unknown.