Quinten - 151 - 22 02 2009 - Blue Fur and Ghosts

From Redwall MUCK Wiki


Salamandastron: Library

  • -*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-* Salamandastron *-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-

Here lies the collective efforts of a few good, intellectual hares of the mountain. Over the seasons, this room, which was once little more than a storage room, has been converted into a quite functional library, filled with books of all sorts. The room is staggered with bookshelves, all crafted within the mountain, which reach very nearly to the ceiling, with only a foot or two of space above them, in most instances. And, surprisingly, the shelves are basically all full. Apparently, over the seasons, hares have donated books, and books that were previously stored elsewhere have been brought here.

Some books are older than any of the hares alive in the mountain, and, even more, some are nearly as old as the mountain, itself. These sort are usually journals and records - histories of the mountain. In fact, there is an entire section of this, in a corner of the room, which one can only get to by making their way through the maze of bookshelves to that corner, which is quite like a room in and of itself, closed in by walls on two sides and bookshelves on the two others. However, in the center of the main room, there are two tables set, and upon these books like, some open and some closed, despite the efforts of the librarian hare to keep them on the shelves.

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The Library of Salamandastron, it is quiet, out of the way and not many hares come in here. Perfect place for upset leverets to hide and sulk, or for bookish type patrolloers to be sat sprawled in an arm chair, legs upon the arm rests as he reads through a scroll with some interest.

Tameus is an upset leveret. He is definitely sulky, but not hiding. The small buck enters with a book in his hand, papers tucked into it, the other hand holding some pieces of charcoal. He pauses, looking around to find a spot to sit down and get some work done.

Quinten looks up and tilts his head, "Tam... you look like you've been chewing Melons, what has you so upset young un?"

Tameus blinks mildly. He looks tired and not very happy at all. The leveret shrugs. "Jus' things. S' okay. I 'ave work t' do." He goes toward a chair nearby Quinten's and climbs up into it.

Quinten swings his feet down and rolls his scroll expertly with both hands to get to the next bit. "What sort of work young un? I can't imagine yo uwould have much work to do."

Tameus settles in the chair and crosses his legs, opening the book across his lap. "Learnin' t' write an' all. An' read. Soon 'll be able t' write m' own letters to m' da'.. bu' 'e shoul' be 'ere real soon." His voice sounds fragile.

Quinten moves over and sits down opposite Tameus. "Well that is good, took me forever to learn how to spell my full name right." He sets the strol down. "What is wrong Tam.. matey?"

Tameus's ears tuck back and he gives Quinten a tentative, worried look. "I jus'. 'm no good." He shrugs a little.

Quinten tilts his head and moves around to sit next to Tam, "Nonsense... you are a good buck and just need practice is all."

Tameus shakes his head. "I don' mean /this/. I mean.. 'm jus' no good. I .. I didn' do what I should'a an'.. but I was /tryin'/, Quint, I couldn' jus' leave 'im there t' get 'urt."

Quinten blinks and lowers his eyes to Tam's. "What did you do Tameus? Who did you leave to get hurt?"

What do you want to whisper?

Tameus shuts his eyes. His muzzle ducks. "I /didn'/ leave 'im. Bu' th' doe said I should'a. ... I was ou' on th' shore an' I saw Vans'nig, th' badger. An' Jakk. An'.. an' Vans'nig, 'e wen' after Jakk, attacked 'im an' they were fightin'. So /I/ wen' t' go 'elp, 'ad m' sling, I 'it Vans'nig in th' 'ead wit' a rock. ... an' others showed up, an' a doe wit' a pegleg, an' I tried t' tell Vans'nig t' stop an' got 'tween 'um so they wouldn' figh'. An' there was a doe, a doe wit' a pegleg, an' she came an' th' figh' stopped an' Jakk an' Vans'nig left. An' she tol' me I did wron', I shouldn'a done 't, I should'a left an' gotten 'elp..."

Quinten frowns and nods, "Yes.. you are much too young Tameus, you should have run back to the mountain and gotten some hares, or run to the village and gotten some help. That Peg legged doe is Keita, She is the Colonel's.. mm Colonel's Daughter? Or maybe the Colonel's Mother.. .she is some relation to the Colonel." he pats the young bucks shoulder. "Bt you did well.. trying to help. But you should have come for help."

Tameus blinks unhappily at the book in his lap, shoulders hunching. "'m no good," he repeats. "I jus'.. I jus' wanted t' 'elp 'im. I didn' wan' anyone t' get 'urt Quint.. but 'm no good..."

Quinten hugs Tam, "Hey now... you are still young, no one wants anyone to get hurt. You did the best thing you could at the time. But you should have run for help, that way you could have done even more good. Remember a good patroller knows when to get helkp."

Tameus leans a little sideways into the hug, and whines. "I don'.. I don' e'en /wan'/ 'im t' come now. I don' 'im t'.. t' see me." His head ducks down.

Quinten pats Tams' head, "Hey now... your father will be proud of you! Why if it had been Harper he'd have done what you did. Just leapt right on in and tried to stop them. He'd have wound up with a bruised head no doubt but he'd have still tried."

Tameus's ears quirk up just a little. "No 'e wouldn'.. da's not like that. 'e doesn' figh'.."

Quinten grins, "Not any more, he is a Brother of Redwall, but when he was younger.. he was a right firebrand. Now stop feeling sorry for yourself. I bet your dad would be proud of you regardless. Besides if you decide you do not want to see him i can't serve him a Son pie."

Tameus sniffs and rubs at his muzzle. "... I /do/ wann' see 'im. I wan' 'im 'ere /now/ Quint. I.. I miss 'im."

Quinten hugs the young leveret. "He'll be here soon young un, soon. And maybe if you want he will take you back to the abbeyw ith him,"

Tameus smiles just a little while shaking his head. "No. I was 't th' abbey wit' 'im.. I lef'. I came 'ere. T' .. learn t' be a patroller an' t' make 'im proud."

Quinten nods, "Well you are still learning and I know he will be the proudest hare of all when he sees you."

What do you want to whisper?

Tameus draws a breath, and lets it out. ".. I do wann' go back though. A lil'. I.. miss 'im. 've got fam'ly 'ere but not /'im/.."

Quinten nods his head, "well he'll be staying for a bit i am sure? So he'll be around and then well maybe you can visit him? Besides you got ole uncle Quint to get you into trouble now."

Tameus shrugs. "I d'nno, 'e didn' say. Jus' that 'e was comin'. ... Uncle Quint?" He sounds amused.

What do you want to whisper?

Quinten grins, "Sure! We are all family here in the Long Patrol! Every hare's an aunt or uncle! Ready to help get ya into trouble and help you hide when the Colonel comes looking. To finjd out who planted a bucket of custard over her office door. Or some such."

Tameus blinks thoughtfully. "I wouldn' do somethin' like that. ... bu' I did let a army'a crickets loose in th' abbey once." He grins. "'ey called me th' Cricket King f' that one."

Quinten laughs, "Ooooh that is rich! Wonderful. Mmm well we could always think of something.. to entertain ourselves if the oppurtunity presents itself. Like my patented fur dye in the bath tub."

Tameus's brows lift. "Fur dye?" he prompts, grinning a little with interest. The leveret has successfully been distracted from his earlier state of upset.

Quinten grins, "Oh ho ya not hear of it? Found it in the old old records when I was a recruit. Learnt how to make a kind of powder. You mix up the right herbs, find the right sort of colour you want and then just add water and get it in your fur. I can do white, black, green, blue, brown." he smiles wider. "It can easily be rinsed o ut with the right sort of soap too."

Tameus's grin just widens. "Black? So .. I c'n make m' fur black f' a while? D' y' 'ave any'a th' stuff now?"

Quinten laughs, "I have several pouches of it in my room. Mmm I use it if i am off on a mission at night to make me fur black. Or if I am in mossflower I make meself green and brown."

Tameus sets his book aside and turns to Quinten more, grinning, hands on the arm of his chair. "... well c'n I use some? /Please/ c'n I?"

Quinten grins, tapping his scroll agianst his chin, "I don't know, I mean it's meant to be used fer official Long Patrol business."

Tameus frowns thoughtfully. "Well! Then 'll haft' fin' some 'fficial Patrol bus'ness 's a reason t' use 't!"

Quinten leans back and grins, "Oh yes official business, exploring the caverns, night time exercises, tha sorta thing." he winks at the Leveret. "I am sure you can think up something."

Tameus lifts his hand, and stabs a finger in the air. "Exactly! Explorin' th' caverns, I ain' done none'a that yet!"

Quinten nods his head, considering, "So why would having black fur help you explore the caverns?"

Tameus considers this. His hands press together near his mouth, contemplative, and then he spreads his arms. "T' be /one/ wit' th' caverns!"

Quinten chuckles, "Mmm i see.. to help you aclimatize to night time situations, whilst not having to leave the safety of the mountains?"

Tameus nods enthusiastically. "Yes. Jus' so, jus' so!"

Tameus asks, "So c'n I use some?"

Quinten stands up and nods, "Of course, I will be right back." he ducks out of the library and is back in 5 minutes with a small cloth pouch. He bounces it on his paw, "Now this.. is the stay in variety. It won't wash out with the soap. It will only wash out over time." It will also wash out in the sea but he doesn't mention that fact.

It will also make the leveret a rather interesting shade of blue instead of black. But alas Quinten clearly must have gotten them mixed up...

Tameus peers at the pouch. "'ow much time?"

Quinten licks his lips. "Mmm about 4 weeks in total. There may be other ways to wash it out. But I'll need to dig out my notes." he grins and offers the leveret the pouch. "All you need do is rub the powder into your fur, and have a good bath."

Tameus takes the pouch with an earnest smile. "'m gonn' go do that now then!" He gets down off the chair.

Quinten nods his head and grins, "See ya in a bit tam!"

- About an hour passes -

Quinten has moved back to his chair by the fire place with his scroll, making some notes and writing up a report on something or other. Seems the private has settled in to the library for the day.

Tameus enters the library again, after going through the process like he was told to dye his fur black. The empty pouch is in his hand and he's in pants and a shirt, looking disgruntled and like he got dressed kind of hastily. The shirt is inside out. "... Quint." He also appears to be a rather alarming shade of... blue.

Quinten looks up, "Oh hey Tam.. shouldn't you have gotten dry before." he pauses and stares, he's been ready for this, in fact he's been watiting for this and manages to keep himself from smiling and just stares. "What.. happened? Did you do what I told you to do?"

Tameus blinks a little owlishly at the older buck. "I did /jus'/ what y' said! An' I turned /blue/ Quint! Not black! BLUE!" His arms kind of flail.

Quinten mmms and tilts his head, "Oh dear... the dye pouches must have got jumbled up on my way back... could have sworn that was black." he frowns, "See I must have given you a pouch full of the original recipe... it is blue. I have to adapt it to do different colours."

Tameus looks /extremely/ put out. "Well! .. /fix/ 't Quint! I can' be a /blue/ lev'ret, I have trouble 'nough jus' bein' a normal-colored one!"

Quinten frowns, "I can't... I can't dye over it. And that dye won't wash out with the soap. I gave you the permanent one.. we'll have to wait for it to grow out. Or shave it off."

Tameus brings his hands out in front of his face, staring at the backs of them as he's informed that, yes, he will be like this for a while. "But. But but!"

Quinten hops up and moves over to pat Tam's shoulder, "I'll... erm.. dig out the original notes on Lord Brocktree and the Blue Hordes of Ungatt Trunn, there might be something in there.."

"But." Tam actually sputters a little, like a flame going out. His ears drop, and he looks up at Quinten. "But 'm /blue/ Quint. ... I need a sheet. I need t'. T' hide this! 'm gonn' get in trouble 'cause 'm /blue/!"

Quinten shakes his head, "Nah nah... i'll explain it.. you won't get in trouble. We'll say it was an accident and ya fell in the tube I was brewing a batch o dye in."

Tameus lifts his hands to rub fretfully at his face. "'m blue. 'm .. /blue/ Quint. This jus' ain' /natural/."

Quinten laughs and claps the hare on the shoulder, "I should tell you about the season I spent green, hiding in the forests of southsward against the horde of Gartang and his rat hordes... it'll be ok.. blues a good colour."

Tameus gives a heavy sigh and looks up. "I wan'ed t' be black like Darklett.. now I jus' look foolish." But he's starting to smile.

Quinten grins, "Mmm I think we ken ave some fun wid this.. ya know?" he grins, "Yeah I used ta do tha, dye meself blue tae be loike Darklett." he grins at Tam. "We could ave some real fun wid this."

Tameus furrows his brows a little. "Fun like 'ow? I mean. 'cept what e'eryone says when 'ey /see/ me."

Quinten taps his chin and sits down, motioning Tam to a chair. "Weeeel there is bound to be something constructive we can come up to do with a blue leverett."

Tameus moves over to the chair that's indicated and climbs up onto it. "Like what?"

You say, "Mmm we could certaintly give the colonel a fright.. mmm and some of the others too...""

Tameus steeples his small hands in front of him, leaning toward Quinten. "Tell me what y'r thinkin'..." He looks mischievous.

Quinten grins, "Well yer blue... bright blue.. if we keep ya hidden until after dark... there could be a brash of "Ghostly Leverets" seen tonight

Tameus's eyes narrow. "Well no one's seen m' yet! There w's no one 'n th' 'all. So 'ow woul

Tameus's eyes narrow. "Well no one's seen m' yet! There w's no one 'n th' 'all. So 'ow woul' we do this all, huh?"

Quinten strokes his chin and grins, "Mmmm well yer already blue, I have an old ragged tunic jacket you can wear. I bet in the moonlight you'll look really really creepy."

Tameus drums his fingertips together. "So. So we'd haft' get some people ou'side. Who though?"

Quinten grins, "Mmm leave tha tae me! I can get someof the others to come outside with me for a midnight picnic uip at the crater. Then you can appear.

Tameus nods, his teeth white against his blue face. "An' what'a I do then?"

You exclaim, "Moan a bit! Scream dire prophecy and warning or some such? Just.. moan alot too""

Tameus tilts his head. "Arrigh'. Arrigh' I can do that! See if y' c'n get .. get Zoe an' Darklett okay?"

Quinten grins, "Ok yer on. I'll try and lure Zoe or Darklett up there to the crater... mm n fer now. You need to hide out in the Library

Tameus nods. "Arrigh'. An' y' haft' take me up there b'fore y' take /'em/ up there. 'ide me in a .. a blanket 'r basket 'r somethin'."

Quinten grins, "Sure ken do that have no fear! I'm good at hiding things."

Quinten nods his head and stands up. "Well come on then, let us get this show on the road."

- That evening -

Salamandastron: Crater

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You are on the very top of the mountain of Salamandastron: a large, bowl-

shaped crater. The crater is not smooth, quite the contrary in fact.

Numerous boulders and large chunks of rock are strewn around randomly,

making the crater top just as craggy as any of the mountainside. The

crater provides an outstanding view of the surrounding country. The sea

sprawls off to the west as far as the eye can see, and north and south

along the endlessly rolling sand dunes. In the distant east, a tinge of

green is just visible from this height, marking the vegetation in the

foothills of the Western Mountains.

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A moonlit evening up atop the Crater, A picnic basket has been set up and a blanket has been spread out on a flat ledge. Quinten is sat on the blanket setting up a repaste to put the kitchen to shame. He has spent the afternoon making exotic dishes not normally found in the Mountain and invited a few people along to join him. There are a variety of GOUSIM dishes, squirrel dishes and even a Deeper n ever turnip and tater n beetroot half pie. As he couldn't find a dish big enough for a fll deeper n ever.

Darklett is on his way up the crater 'cause well. He hasn't had some good think-time in a while! And if he remembers correctly (it's been that long!) he used to like thinking up here at the crater. Well, all exaggerations aside, he's up at the crater and - at first - disappointed to find he's not alone. But, company's just as good as think-time, sometimes. He doesn't say anything right off the bat, just kind of walks near but not to the picnic group.

Zoe_Lang is one of the beasts to have been invited along. She comes out on the crater a few minutes after Darklett, single eye scanning the crater in search of - ah! Quinten. Hey, any excuse to put down the reports for a while, eh? The Colonel heads towards the small set, raising a paw in greeting.

Quinten smiles and raises a hand at Zoe and then spots Darklett and salutes. "Major Darklett sah, Private Quinten reporting he is glad to see you again. Please feel free to join us. We have enough for well half the regiment." He stands and offers the Colonel a beaker. "Thank you for coming, I was going a bit stir crazy, not being on duty at the moment so I invaded the kitchens. Seems I do remember how to peel potatoes. Did you receive my report?"

Darklett's ears flick at Quinten as he's hailed, and he returns the salute. Oh look he's invited. "...I think I can stand a bite to eat, actually." He smiles, giving a wave to all present, including a salute to the Colonel right before he sits.

Logan walks out to the crater, a bottle in one paw and the other paw looped through his belt. He sees the other hares out here and his ears go up in suprise; he hadn't expected anyone else to be out here but he raises his paw, the one holding the bottle, in a greeting. Not sure that he should salute since he isn't in the patrol.

Zoe_Lang inclines her head, taking the beaker with a nod of thanks. She considers the ground for a moment, with the sort of ambivalence of the very old and stiff, but after an almost unnoticeable delay, she shakes her head and helps herself down, with only the faintest of grimaces. Getting back up may be another story! "So what's the occasion?"

Quinten smiles at Logan, handing Darklett a plate. "Help yourself Major. Please join us Logan." He eyes Zoe and looks around, "I should have brought some cushions.. but the occasion? Me being bored ma'am. Until you assign me something new I've not got much to do but write reports, eat, cook and dig through my old research notes. I felt like doing something nice for everyone as you've all been really nice in welcoming me back." Several other hares arrive, Lieutenant Manuel, Private Frapor and some others, joining in around the picnic blanket

You page, "I think that is your queue after Zoe's next pose?" to Tameus.

The big boxing hare nods and smiles as he walks over. "Thankee, I will." Accepting a bit of food, Logan sits down cross-legged, still quiet but black eyes darting here and there just taking it all in.

"The last thing we need's a bored private," Darklett laughs out. "But if all you're gonna do is stuff like this, then maybe a bored private's a good thing..." He helps himself to some of the gathered food. Nope, no complaints about Quinten's ambition in his lack of other duties.

Quinten smiles, can't really go wrong if you offer to fill a hare's stomach with food whilst being idle. "Why thank you Major, I do try to keep productive."

Logan notices Darklett's rank and gives him another nod. "Och, Goo' evn'n tae ye, sir. Ah've been lookin' for ah ooficcer tae speak to for soome time noow." He says, addressing the officer in his typical heavy accent.

It's dark; there's low illumination from a lantern set on the blanket, and the moon is half-full, casting a bluish glow over the crater and down the sides of the mountain. As the group starts eating and chatting there's suddenly a slight 'whoosh' and the lantern gutters out - then a high, wavery note of sound pierces through the dimness. "Eee-ee-eeee! Eiiiiaaaeee..."

Darklett's ears flick at the sudden lack of lantern light, and then again at the sound. "...What in the world...?" Sorry, Logan.

Quinten turns, ears rising up and he moves to catch the lantern as a gust of wind blows it. The private catches it but is too late to stop it going out. Darkness falls over the mountain top, except for the light of the moon. "I'm not sure Major..."

Logan takes a bite of his food and slowly stands, cracking his scarred knuckes thoughtfully while glancing around with hooded eyes.

"Ooaaahhhhhhoooooo!" The sound reverberates over the top of Salamandastron. The acoustics of the crater are interesting, and it seems to come from all directions at once. It wavers, dies down after a moment.

Darklett's brows raise. Oaaaahhhhhooooo is not a /normal/ sound. He looks around, standing up from his spot. "...What is that?" he repeats, like someone's going to have the answer /now./

Quinten slowly stands up, the other hares have also come to their feet, looking around nervously in the dim light. There is a sudden and overly loud "BANG" from the direction of the stairs... the door has just slammed shut, causing a couple of the younger patrol hares to scream a little.

"Huh. Anyone got flint?" Darklett pats himself down, no he doesn't have flint.

The crater is plunged into full darkness as a cloud Moves over the Moon. There is a soft tinkle of breaking glass as someone calls out. "Not me.." "I've got one" someone shouts. "But.. wait.. where's the lantern! Quint?" The cloud moves out of the way, the moonlight returns to bathe the pale stones of the crater in wan light, but of Quinten there is no sign, just his head-band and the broken lantern.

And the silence continues, as the group starts to get antsy and alarmed. "Quint..?" someone asks nervously.

Then there's a wavery, moaning sort of noise. "Ahhhgghhuuuuhhhh! Aahhgghhh..."

The silence continues for a few more minutes, hares moving apart and peering through the wavering moonlight for any clues to the missing private. Another cloud passes over the moon. There is a gasp and a clatter of rocks off to the right. When the cloud moves and the moon comes out again someone shrieks, "Lamelle! Where is Lamelle she was right there!" The hares freeze, starting to draw in close to one another.

The moaning continues throughout, deepening, the notes stretching out. "Aaahhhh..." Then the sound becomes words, which shudder and pulse through the air. "I aaam.. the voooiice! The voooiice of sooouls leeeft behiiind..!"

Darklett's eyes narrow, and his mouth opens like he's about to give an order, but... That voice again. The major heaves a sigh. "Everybeast, stay calm..." His eyes narrow and his ears stay perked, daggers placed back into his belt.

The hares draw in close to Darklett, their ears perked up high as they form a ring, looking around worriedly in all directions. "What is it Major... somethig is up here. It got Lamelle!"

"Some/one/ is up here," Darklett is quick to assure the fretting hare. "Everybeast hold paws." It's not much of a commanding tone he's taking.

Slowly, slowly, the moon breaks out again from the clouds. The pearly light combines with a sudden, shimmery swell of pale light high up on a ledge. Something silvery-blue starts to take form as the voice booms out. "Saand aaand stooooones! Waaater and tiime.. whooo shaaallll I take next! Whhhhhooo! .. shaaall I take, dooown to thhhe depths of the foorgotten, the waywaaard, the daaamned!"

Several Does scream and cling to each other, A couple of the braver hares step forwards, daggers raised but clearly unsure as to what to do as they hesitate, several of them can be heard pulling on the door and their voices drift up. "It won't open! Were trapped!"

"/Please/ put your weapons /away./" Okay /there!/ is the more firm commanding tone of a Major. "And settle down." He looks around, judging how well this all is going.

Meanwhile? The Colonel has remained seated. With a shrug and a shake of her head, the Colonel has taken advantage of the other's disturbance and running about to sneak tasty foods from their plates. She turns something over in her paws that /resembles/ a pasty but /isn't/. She tilts her head, sniffsniffsniffs at it, and takes a bit. Ooooooh. Tasty. Munch munch munch!

Smoke, or maybe it's mist. Twisting coils of it dance upward from the glowy ledge and the blueish form materializes. A hare - the ghost of one. Clad in a ragged outfit, arms outspread, hands grasping with the fingers hooked like talons. Halfway translucent in the mist and moonlight, its mouth opens. A high, menacing noise comes forth. "Aaaiiieeeeehhhheeeee!! /Daaaaarrrkleeeeett/!! Yooouur sooouul... I will devoourr..."

The soft keen noises from before, the whailing of a thousand sighing souls echoes mournfully from the stones even as the ghostly figure approaches, rising slowly and then fading, only to rise again. "Ooooooooohhhaaaaaaaah. Ooooooooaaaaaaah"

The picnic goers have split into those who have fallen back behind Darklett, "Stop it! What is it Major!" The does who have fallen back to the safety of the Colonel and those who are still trying to get the door open. As the moon passes behind another cloud the ghostly figure seems to fade from sight causing more screams and paws to clutch at the officer's arms.

Darklett's really at a loss for words, here. He turns to the Colonel, and. Well. Why aren't you helping? "I said settle down. It's a /prank./ It's all it is, it's just a very... Well-executed prank." He'll give them that, at least. "Does /anybeast/ even listen to me anymore. Honestly."

"What? You all nevah heard o' the Wanderin' Child Lord? Back, oh.... /seasons/ ago. This young badgah came t'the mountain, claimin' t'be the reincarnation o' Bludstripe 'imself... Came on up t'the crater 'n' just - poof. Disappeared. Didn't find 'is body fer a /week/ or two. Fell righ' off the edge o' the cratah. Every now 'n' then... he comes back. T'wandah." The Colonel reeeaches across, plucking a candied chestnut. This is popped into her muzzle. Pause while she sockets away in a cheek, to savor. "'E's mostly harmless." What? She's helping. She's helping /someone/, anyway.

The moon reappears, and the specter reappears as well - except in a different place. It's behind them, shimmering, a blue glow encompassing the figure while moaning noises echo around it. A sudden hard, /hard/ wind picks up, knocks into the group, then swirls and whips around, making the tendrils of mist flutter in all directions outward. "I aam the Chiiild Looord! Yooung, young, foreee-EEEVEEER YOUUUNG! BeeetweeeeEEEN two reeealmms! Not living! Not dead... I will take sooomeooone with meee when I goooOOO!!"

And the ghost moves forward, toward them. It's arms extend, hands reaching, reaching. The group shrinks back away as it's hooked fingers drop down and grasp the seated Colonel by the head! And there's a sudden high-pitched screech and flashing blue light.

That is almost the last straw, there are paniced screams as the hares break for the door, banging on it and yelling. The does sat by Zoe draw back, clinging to one another and staring in wide eyed panic. Darklett might have worked out what is going on but the others are too wound up to be able to pay any attention. Again that moaning, keening voice on the wind. "Ooooooohhhhhhaaaaaaa" Two bright points of orange light suddenly appear at the top of the crater on either side of the ghostly child-lore. "Ooooooohhhhhhaaaaaa" The lights begin to descend towards the captured Colonel the panicked hares freezing in place, some screaming, some yelling, most of them clinging to each other.

Darklett's eyes kind of widen a little. He's sure got it all worked out, except for how they get the elements to play along like they have. And... Honestly, he's not about to do any more work to ruin their fun. So he just kind of watches, looking helpless. Well, he is, but it's deliberate now.

As the light draws closer two dark figures emerge, the light slowly comes into focus, two large lanterns illuminating them, two hares with great curling horns, the hares begin to draw back only to freeze as they notice those are not horns but... conch shells upon which they are playing that haunting call. "Ooooooohhhhhhaaaaaaa" sounds one last time as Quinten and Lamelle set the lanterns down on either side of the Colonel and Tameus, standing back to back and raising the shells to play one final cry as mouths slowly dropping open everyone gets a good look at the "Child Lord clasping the Colonel's head in his "deadly" grip. "Oooooohhhhhhaaaaaa"

Oh, well. Okay, then. "Ohhhhhh, no. I'm not ready t'die! NooooOOOOoooo." And Zoe pops another chestnut in her mouth.

Tameus can't help himself. He suddenly breaks the ruse wide open with a cackling fit of laughter, hugging Zoe around the neck. He's in a shaggy white outfit, purposefully torn up, and... blue. He is most certainly a bright, bright blue color. All of him.

Quinten slides down to the picnic blanket with Lamelle and picks up a beaker, "Gotcha!" He declares, there is a moments silent then some indignant cries of "Quinten!" The buck just grins, "Wot? Clearly i've been gone too long if you chaps all fell fer that!" and then he and Lamelle collapse into helpless laughter.

Darklett smirks. Well then. He chances a chuckle, sitting back down to grab some food. Of course, he double-takes on Tameus. "...Quinten... That's not the /stuff,/ is it? Isn't it supposed to be black, or did you get it to be blue somehow?"

"'e /tol'/ me it'd be black!" Tam giggles, still with his arms looped around Zoe's neck. "... bu' I turned ou' blue! Blue! So a'course we had t' make me int' a ghost!"

Zoe_Lang puts her arms around Tameus, patting the blue-all-over buck. "'Ey, Tam." She smirks, eyes shifting Quinten's way. She shakes her head. Tsk-tsk, troublemaker!

Quinten wipes the tears from his eyes and grins around at the hares, some of whom are chuckling as they see the joke. "Original recipe..... is blue..... Hordes a Ungatt Trunn where blue..aah oho... Have to add some other ingredients ah haa... to make it black... gave Tam.. tha wrong pouch." he heaves himself up right and wipes his eyes clear of tears, drawing a breath to get his laughter under control. "Requesting Permission to start running now before you decide to put me on Kitchen duty fer life ma'am."

Tameus grins at Zoe, and leans to smooch her cheek. "'ey," he replies, then looks over at Darklett. "... 'm gonn' be blue f' a few weeks 'e says!"

Darklett just... Grins. Looking around at all the previously panicking hares, just to see if they're taking it well. "Who's on the other side of the door?" he asks, before raising his brows at Tameus. "Oh, yeah. I know, heh."

Tameus rolls his eyes. "I wan'ed t' be /black/! T' look like y' f' a while. Zoe? I haft' talk t' y' maybe.." His ears dip backward.

Zoe_Lang looks Quint's way, then. "Can't you redye 'im?" she queries. And glances back down at Tam.

Quinten ahems and picks up his head band, tying it back around his head to keep his ears pinned back. "No one.. there is a chock in place at the bottom.. Can't see it in the dark." He gets up and moves over to remove it and opens the door. He looks around at the others, some of whom are still glaring at him, especially the does he terrified. "I'll go get some more drinks and..." he looks at Tam and grins widely winking at him. "It washes out in salt water or with the correct soap. I'll help Tam with that tomorrow. Permission to be excused Colonel?"

Zoe_Lang just chuckles at Quinten, nodding. She waves a paw, "Go on, you."

"What!" Tam scowls indignantly, huffing at Quinten. "/Quint/! Y' said 't was gonn' las' a while!"

Quinten bounds over and ruffles Tam, "it will. If you don't go swimming in the sea. Soap don't work on this type of dye." he ruffles his ears and with a wave the buck races off down stairs to get more drinks for everyone.

- End Log