Plans for De Bell Tower!!

RW Abbey: Bell Tower

The bell-tower at Redwall Abbey has for a very long time been in a very sorry state of affairs! Now however the old building has been cleared, the blocks of masonry that could be salvaged are neatly stacked off to one side and new blocks are being brought in and added to the pile.

A square framework of ropes and wood has been set up in preparation for the scaffolding that is to be built and Elder Benar and the Fore-Mole have been working together in preparation for the raising of the scaffolding. Soon they have promised they will need every available hand to help them raise the scaffolding to the sky so the Bell Tower can once more be rebuilt.

Exits: [O]pen [G]round

Benar is standing at the base of the new scaffolding, talking to the Fore-Mole as various beasts trundle past carrying more wood which is going up around the base of the scaffolding.

Rorgan walks up behind the mouse, clapping Benar softly on the shoulder. "Hullo elder. How are you t'day?" He asks.

Benar nods to Rorgan and holds up a hand, "Burr oy yarsh Fore-Mole, ye kin be doin da jorb of making da carven beams raise a hoigh oop dar now." he tugs his snout and the Fore-mole trundles over to his moles and Benar turns to you and smiles. "Rorgan good day to you"

Rorgan raises an eyebrow. "You can speak like the moles?" He suddenly asks, too shocked to ask anything else.

Benar says, "Of course, and I can echo the words of Sparra, owls and many creatures. It is expected of the Elder's of the abbey to speak the various languages"

Zork walks to the area where they are rebuilding the bell tower and looks around

Rorgan turns from talking to Benar and smiles to the badger. "Hullo Zork! How are you?"

Zork nods and grins "I am doing great, it’s a good day, like ta see some snow but tis fine..snow most likely comes in like 2-3 weeks or so"

Rorgan nods. "Aye, though I'm enjoyin' this weather as well."

Benar walks back over from consulting with the Foremole again and nods to Zork, "Ah Zork, there you are. Do you have some time?"

Zork waves, "Ello Benar how are ya taday and sure wot ya be needin'?"

Rorgan looks between the two. "Well, I've got things I need t' do, but I'll speak t'ye another day Benar." He says, walking off towards the grounds.

Benar shakes his head as Rorgan leaves and turns to Zork and smiles, "Well I need you to take a look at the plans with me and then if you have time help Foremole and the crew with the scaffolding."

Zork nods "Course, I even gots a chance ta look at de bells also"

Benar says, "Ah well that is good to hear," He starts to walk through the construction site past the various moles hard at work and steps up to the fore-mole's  hut and ducks inside. "Now have a look at the plans."

Zork follows, he looks over at the plans. "How can I help Benar?" He blinks slightly as some moles talk and he has no clue what they are saying and picks out maybe one or two words.

Benar nods to one of the moles, "Oh aye, this be tha new smithery Zork, he indeed be a braw boy and bonny at tha too..."  He waves them off then spreads out the plans, "See here,"  He motions to a small drawing, "You see the iron struts in the corner of each ceiling, there are three floors in the new bell tower and we need these struts to help secure the floor and add some additional stability to the tower."  He moves to another page, this time with the floors removed showing the long strips of iron set into the side of the wall. "The iron blocks will rest in these large iron grooves to help secure the floors to the walls “

Zork nods as he listens and looks over the plans "I see, I can make these very soon Benar, I can starts right away too, like taday even"

Benar says, "Well that is keen,"  He chuckles warmly and shakes his head, "Well the scaffolding isn't even up yet. But the sooner you start the sooner they are ready. We can start laying bricks then"

Zork nods "Have ya started makin' de bricks yet, ya can make em' and keep em' piled somewhere where they be safe"

Benar says, "We are actually quarrying them from the original quarry the Abbey was built from." He flicks his tail, "At least we will be doing so but the quarrying is going to wait until Spring. I want to get everything done we can during the winter, the metal work, the wood work, the scaffolding."

Zork asks, "Can ya do de scaffolding  without de bricks? Then..guessin' de metal will keep it in place, some good strong metal too"

Benar says, "The scaffolding is for us to climb up the outside, we are using what amounts to half a tree trunk per pole." He taps the plans, "This metal work is for the inside of the bricks, What we need for the scaffolding,"  He picks up another set of plans, "Is as you say some metal to hold it together. We can contrast the scaffolding as a sort of shell. Once it is up it can stay up until we are ready to start building."

Zork nods as he looks over the plans, "Ok...and de plans show how ta make de pieces and...how big fer de metal..ok"

Benar says, "Yup,"  He pulls over some other smaller pieces of paper and holds them out to Zork, "Here we are, the sizes for the scaffolding links and the actual tower metal are all here.”

Zork grins and takes the small pieces of paper as he looks them over “Like said I can start these taday, and I should leave them with de foremole right?"

Benar says, "Yup just give them to fore-mole, he'll put them into storage until they are needed out here."

Zork smiles "I be glad ta help Benar, I always glad ta help, I can even help with anything else too, like repairin' de bells, though I will wait on them as that be a last moment thing"

Benar says, "Yes I am not sure what to do about the bells... we can't melt them down and recast them we do not have the ability or space to do that"

Zork asks, "Can they be repaired? Like..fixin' de crack on one sumhow and banging out some dents...can't be too hard...right?"

Benar says, "I guess so, they used to be one bell after all long ago, we should be able to repair them"

Zork nods "I can gets a better look at em, if ya worried about me tendin' ta em' I can help ya maybe look fer some sort of bell maker, not sure if thar be one around or not thou"

Benar says, "I am not sure about a bell maker... I just wouldn't want to risk damaging them beyond repair but well we have many months to work on this together Zork."

 Zork nods and smiles "Aye, we do and ti best we take our time on em', first thing be first getting de metal items made and de wood cut for de  scaffolding  done"

Benar says, "Indeed, most of the wood for the scaffolding is cut," He gestures towards were the moles are working, "As soon as we have the metal we can start putting it up."

Zork nods "Well they should have some pieces by tamorrow, they won't be hard ta make and I got a lot of time still taday and tomorrow, course they won’t have em' all but whatever I can make by then course"

Benar says, "Well that will be great Zork, we’ll be able to make a start at least. Thank you  very much for your help with this"

Zork nods "I love ta help, and I am very skilled with blacksmithin' skills"

Benar says, "Well thank you Zork, we couldn't do this without your help"

Zork says, "I will keep you updated, looks like I be spending a lot of time at de forge then over next few weeks, I will even work in de snow when it comes"

Benar nods to Zork and starts to head back to the chest, rolling up the plans to put them away "Thank you Zork, you are a start we couldn't do this without you"

Flicktail walks in looking around

Zork nods, "Sounds good Benar, I shall start taday like I said, so I most likely won’t be anywhere else just de forge workin on those"

Benar says, "Ok well take care in the forge," He shuts the chest and walks back out of the small storage hut set up near the base of the scaffolding. There are lots of moles and squirrels moving about settings things up for the raising of the scaffolding.

Flicktail listens to them talk, they have not noticed him so he tries to be polite and not interrupt

Zork answers "I always be careful and de metal work be easy, I will just double check de plans and leave de rings and hinges with de foremole as I finish em'" He glances at Flicktail once before looking back to Benar.

Benar waves a paw at Flicktail as he starts to move away from the fore-mole's hut and the plans, "I am just glad to have this finally moving. We won't be able to quarry the stone needed until Spring but we can get everything else ready"

Flicktail nods to the 2 of them Listening, he seems just interested in being near

Zork asks, "Why can't we get em' now?"

Benar says, "This is not the right season to be mining a quarry Zork, it is about to snow any day and we are not asking beasts to drag bricks through the snow"

Zork ,  "I.." He sighs "Ya right suppose, once it be spring I can helps with that too, ta carry em and all"

Flicktail says, "Good evening Benar..." He says simply.

Benar shakes his head and smiles and pats Zork's arm, "Sorry Zork, I am as Eager as you are to get the bell tower rebuilt but the Father Abbot was quite clear and I agree with him. Winter is no time to ask beasts to work in a quarry."  He nods to Flicky, "Hello Flicktail, what brings you all the way out here?"

Zork nods as he listens "I will make de metal for de scaffolding then and de floors"

Flicktail says, "Just looking to Help, Benar, I heard the bell tower was commin back"

Benar says, "Ah well everyone is welcome to help Flicktail, right now it is mostly constructing the scaffolding and carving the wood for the interior as we can't start building it until Spring." He nods to Zork, "Thank you Zork that will be great."

Zork says, "Won’t be fer a while yet Flicky, won’t' even start workin' on de bells fer a while either"

Flicktail nods "I can make sure we have lots of sawn wood , the Carpenters should build the scaffolding”

Benar says, "Well the Moles and squirrels are constructing the scaffolding," He motions to the foremole and the squirrels working away digging holes and discussing what they want over the plans for the scaffolding. "But the carpenters are carving the wood for the scaffolding."

Zork says, "They haf all they be needin' Flicky, and I say let them handle it, ya don’t need ta be her' ta help"

Flicktail blink blinks at Zork, and the fox looks definitely chest fallen he had looked forward to helping "Oh...um...ok..if I am not needed.”

Benar looks at Zork and shrugs, "If Flicktail wants to help the others carve the wooden poles for the scaffolding he can help. He is quite a good carpenter but you'll have to talk to Fore-Mole to see if he needs more carpenters Flicktail or which bits he needs carving."

Zork nods slowly, "Yeah Foremole be in charge and it must be done in certain way fer de metal ta be in place and in some cases even in de wood and all together it help de bell tower be strong and sturdy, also some metal blocks gotten be made too. all for de tower"

Flicktail says, "No... Maybe Zork is right...I do not listen to Zork as much as Maybe I should more often. " He looks around "Just think Martin Himself was once in here..and Constance Badger, and Mathias..."

Benar stares at Flicktail and shakes his tail a bit, "Uhm... in the Bell Tower?" He looks around, "Flicktail, they were all in every part of the Abbey..."

Zork looks confused "They lived in de abbey Flicky course they were in de abbey"

Flicktail looks sheepish, a cute trick for a fox, "Well yes I know..but ..I just mean there are stories about the bell...and..it just hits me as...something special ta me.”

Benar says, "Oh... well yes there are stories about the original bell and when the two bells were forged out of victory"

Zork nods "And this is where de Bell tower once stood, in this spot"

Flicktail nod nods quietly looking around "It makes me happy" He says suddenly sounding lame to himself

Benar chuckles and shakes his head and pats Flicktail's arm, "It is indeed something to feel happy about"

Zork says, "De bells are inna safe place, so they should be alright when comes time ta repair em"

Flicktail looks startled, so far as he knows this is the first time Benar touched him he nods "I really want to see this..and hear them bells “

Benar tucks his paws back into his sleeves, "Well I am hoping that come the first days of Summer the Bells will be hung and ring out over the abbey once again!"

Zork smiles, "That should be a good day"

Flicktail says, "I hope they will one day write a small story bout us.... it would be nice to be remembered by future beasts"

Benar says, "Fear not the rebuilding of the Bell Tower will go in our Abbey Records, though it cannot say which names will be mentioned"

Zork nods "Who be doin' de recordin' Benar, since thar tis not a recorder right now or least guess main one' “

Flicktail says, "I need to Carve another rocking Beast Benar..I'd like the next one to look like you....but I won't do it if you don't want me to"

Benar says, "Lorimis is our current recorder as there is no other beast in the post the Abbot likes to do it himself," he then stares at Flicktail, "I'd rather you didn't/... sorry but that is a bit creepy Flicktail."

Flicktail says, "I did not think you'd want it. But it is NOT Creepy to make the likeness of a beast playing with a dibbun...bringing them joy, they look up to you Benar....they do not want to upset ya but they would love to be able to play wi ya"

Zork says, "Why ya makin some many rocking beasts fer ..a couple be just fine, maybe three"

Benar just stares at Flicktail, "That... is even creepier, if the dibbuns want to play with me they can come and ask me to play. I don't want a wooden rocking beast carved in my likeness Flicktail." He shakes his head, "Just make them generic be generic beasts, do not model them after people."

Flicktail says, "Too late Benar, I have had many beasts pose for me.... But I will not do one of you because you asked me not to"

Benar says, "Well as long as beasts do not mind then it is ok, but yes, I do not want one of me."

Flicktail looks to Zork "You?

Zork chuckles "I think I would scare a dibbun"

Flicktail shakes his head "not how I do it...you will be proud “

Benar says, "Well I'll leave you two to discuss the idea"

Zork shakes his head "No then"

Flicktail says, "ok then' he says shrugging.

Benar says, "Anyway I am going back inside, I'll see you all soon," He waves a paw and starts back toward the Abbey.

Zork nods as he waves to Benar, he also waves a goodbye to the moles "I say let em get back ta work, I best get some work done"

Flicktail says, "As you need" he says watching them go"

Zork says, "Did ya want to want to do sumthing maybe"

Flicktail says, "I dunno..I have never worked a forge...I been busy  carving rocking beasts.... I guess I just feel like I disappoint you sometimes"

Zork says, "I don’t mean de forge, no one touches that but me and me only..I mean something else besides that"

Flicktail says, "I am curious Zork..why did you think I was asking to touch yer forge?" He cocks his head"

Zork says, "You said you never worked one like ya thought I mean that, I didn’t mean that...I will be inside or..by de firepit"

--Firepit--

Zork walks to the firepit and sits down, wanting to be alone

Flicktail sits down, he seems to want to be near Zork

Zork looks at Flicktail and sighs, "Wot ya want?"

Flicktail says, "Zork.. I don't want anything.... I just want....friends.... sometimes I don't know wot ta do is all...."

Flicktail says, "If you want me to leave ya be... just say so...I can go elsewhere"

Zork says, "Ya haf friends Flicktail"

Flicktail says, "I am never so rich in friends that I don't seek another..and I am not your friend, not really, Am I Zork?"

Zork frowns at this as he stands up, "I..have sum things ta do, needs ta get ta work on..." He sighs and looks away from the fox. "I better start..bye." He walks away slowly.