LOVE is everything (a Redwall log) 5-19-2016

Courage doesn't always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voce at the end of the day saying, "I will try again tomorrow." (Mary Ann Radamach)

Bravery is not the absence of fear, but rather in standing up to what you're afraid of. (Yours truly :3 )

Happens after this log: http://rwmuck.limitless.org/rwmuck/content/just-freaking-chaos-leons-day...

RW Abbey: Gatehouse Loft

This room is as wide as the one below it, if not quite as tall. The roof meets at a visible point above your head. There is a single window that looks out over the entry area of Redwall, but it is quite small and has thin pale blue curtains partially drawn over it. The room itself appears to have been very recently remodeled by a skilled craftsbeast and it also has been well furnished with a wooden bed frame that is complete with a head and footboard, two small chests of drawers, a simple chest sitting at the bottom of the bed and on the floor is spread a thick woven rug. The bed is just the size for two beasts to sleep in it comfortably and it is covered in a mid-weight blue blanket and made complete with two pillows. In one corner of the room, is a beautifully constructed baby cradle. The entire area has a very peaceful, secure feeling about it with few shadows but rather soft, warm light spread by several candles placed strategically about and a lit oil lamp hanging from the rafters.

Exits: Climb [Down] the Ladder

Mice: DoraRose, female. Emyuil, male.

DoraRose has escaped from the Infirmary!! She used the chaos caused by Lutea and Liask to hobble out with the aid of a crutch. Her left arm and left leg are still bandaged, but the Warrior ripped the immobilizer off her arm; it was becoming a nuisance. She is now sitting on her bed, her leg out in front of her while the healthy one is bent, holding up her journal. An open inkpot in beside her, and she is using a quill pen to write. It's so much quieter in here than in the Infirm, lemme tell ya....

Emyuil knocks on the loft door. "You in here, 'rose?" he calls softly. He can hear the quill pen scratching--it really is that quiet! Concern for his sister plays out in his eyes on the other side of the door, but he figures that if she thinks she can handle herself outside the Infirmary, it's fine.

"Hang it!!" The knock had startled Dora so much she jumped, which jostled the inkpot and spilled a little on the bedspread. "Yes, what? Uh....come in!" She sounds a lit grumpier than she intends, but the reason will be evident once he sees her sopping up the ink with a handkerchief.

Entering the loft, Emyuil sighs. "Sorry for startling you. D'you need help cleaning that up? Also, what were you writing?" he asks curiously.

"I was journaling my feelings and no you can't read it." Sighing, Rose looks at her brother and holds out her arm. "I'm...I'm sorry. I had kind of a stressful day earlier. I think I got all the ink. Did you hear about Nana chasing the runaway otters?" Surely he did; they weren't very quiet about it.

"Pffft, yeah," Emyuil snorts. "Wish I'd seen it." Unsure of what to do with the arm, he makes an embrace out of it. "So...healing up okay?"

DoraRose shrugs as she accepts the hug. "Yeah, I guess so. I probably shouldn't've left the Infirmary just yet, but....it was kind of crazy. I felt I could rest better here, so....I, um, escaped." She grins. "It was pretty funny; if those otters dare show their faces in the Infirm again, Nana's gonna make them suffer....all in the name of healing, of course."

"Of course," Emyuil grins back. "She'll...what's the word?...Physick them?" He laughs quietly. "Well, as long as you're comfortable."

DoraRose snortsniggers. "Yeah, physic 'em." Sighing with a smile, she puts her pen, diary, and (sealed) inkpot on the bedside table. "I'm.....about as comfortable as you can get with a couple of holes in you." She rolls up her sleeve so she can show off her bandage. "It hasn't started itching yet, so that's nice." Looking back up at him, she lets the sleeve fall and goes to hold her brother's paw. "How 'bout you? You didn't get more than a couple scrapes, right?" She's assuming he got a couple scrapes; not even Martin son of Luke was lucky or skilled enough to avoid getting cuts, bumps, and scrapes in battle.

Emyuil squeezes his sister's paw gently. "Couple bruises, a few nicks...that arrow that the rat fired went wide and went right through my cloak, though...Nothing major." He rolls back his own sleeve to show his own bandage on the muscled curve of the outside edge of his shoulder.

DoraRose raises an eyebrow and grins a little crookedly. "I would not want to have been that rat if he had done anything major...." She looks back down at her lap, keeping a hold of her brother's paw. "So...I'm glad that you're okay."

Emyuil smiles, lowering his gaze as well. "Same," he murmurs thickly. "I wouldn't forgiven myself if anything had happened to you...." He sees the bandage and winces. "More than what did, I mean."

DoraRose's lips are trembling, and she is unknowingly squeezing his paw more and more tightly. "I....I was so..../terrified/. I've never been that scared in battle, Emmy!" She looks up at him as tears trickle down her cheeks. "I....I didn't fight the meanest of them, and....and I was just...so /tired/, I....I couldn't keep up the Bloodwrath, and.....it left me..." she can't go on.

Emyuil winces but allows the paw-squeezing, lending his sister his strength through his paw...If only he could. He goes to hold her head against his shoulder. "Maybe the curse is leaving you," he suggests in a soothing voice. "Maybe it's a good thing."

DoraRose allows him to hold her close as she just starts sobbing. She goes to wrap her arms around him, seeking the comfort only family can provide. She has never been this terrified before, nor has she ever felt this weak or helpless. Could the Bloodwrath really be leaving her?

Emyuil's eyes glitter and he gazes just over his sister's head, allowing her to wrap her arms around him and putting one paw on her back to hold her close. "Be at peace," he whispers. "I'm here."

DoraRose just cries into his shoulder for a little bit. Finally, after having been quiet for a while, she mutters into his shoulder, "I felt so.....powerless....I'm not used to being so afraid......"

"I guess we all have to learn that someday," Emyuil whispers. "Everybeast fears something. Even I," he slowly admits, shuddering, "can't hide it forever. D'you know, I was scared witless too? I kept..." He trails off, feeling that his words aren't contributing much.

DoraRose finally sits back and looks into his eyes. "...I haven't seen you scared since....Lily. Our Lily. Our sister. I haven't seen you scared since...." She goes to rest a paw on his cheek and gently brush her thumb right below his eye. "You're awfully good at hiding it," she adds in a whisper.

Emyuil blinks rapidly, realizing his eyes are watering. "Thank....thank you," he mumbles. "When I first started searching for Stormfeather," he says, more clearly. "I was terrified. I had the element of surprise on my side in the first few fights, plus luck, and that's the only reason I didn't end up dead. I'd come out of it, and throw up, honestly. I was disgusted by myself. What I was becoming. I was so scared...by the time we met up again, I was too far along this path to be scared anymore. I would give over to the Bloodwrath and just let go."

DoraRose listens, continuing to hold his cheek. Her brow knitted, she says quietly, "And now?" She is taking the place of their mother now (she has had a lot of practice now), but there's also something more, something uniquely hers that is shining through, be it ever so slightly. She's being a big sister.

"I think it's like with you. It's leaving me. Loving you, and Lily, and Caleb, and the rest...it makes it harder to let go. I was able to let go because I had nothing to lose before but my life. Now, it matters whether I come home or not. I don't know if that makes me weak, or what. But I don't like being afraid again," Emyuil shivers.

DoraRose lays a finger on his nose to get his attention. "Love is not weakness, and hate is not strength. At the end of the day, those who /love/ are the ones who truly /live/. Living without love is merely /surviving/. You can have everything else in order, but if you do not /love/ then you are totally bankrupt." Smiling, she holds his cheek again, and brings up her other arm, ignoring the pain from her wound as she cups her brother's face. "Maybe we can learn, together, how to look fear in the face and say, 'You're in my way and I'm going to ignore you'."

Emyuil smiles slowly, wrapping his arms around his sister. "Aye. Let's do it," he says, confidence growing. "We'll do this together." He kisses her cheek gently.

DoraRose grins and gives him a big hug...then gasps. "Ow. Arm still healing. Ow." She pulls her arms back and rubs the offending limb. "I should....be a bit more careful...."

Emyuil returns the hug firmly. "Probably, yeah," he laughs despite himself. "Want me to get something to put on it?"

DoraRose laughs and shakes her head. "Nah, I think I'll be fine. I'm just bored out of my /mind/. I say, wanna play some of those rainy-day games Momma taught us? I think I still remember them..."

"Sure, which one?" Emyuil says happily. "Been a while since we've done 'em..." They spend the rest of the afternoon with each other, laughing, living, and being happy together, until finally the sun sets and Emyuil heads back into the Abbey building to his room, giving DoraRose a careful goodnight hug first, walking down from the loft happier than he's been in months.

Thanks for reading!