Quinten - 153 - 24 02 2009 - Tales of Adventure

Salamandastron: Library - Records Room

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

This room is just off from the library, and a good deal smaller. It seems little more than an oversized closet. But, it apparently suits its purpose, with each wall obscured by a bookshelf, and each bookshelf full of the current records of the Long Patrol, dating back perhaps 30 seasons. After that, they are most often moved off into the main library, to then be considered history. In the center of the room, a desk sits, with a half-full ink well usually in attendance, as well as a nice stack of parchment. Behind the desk a much-used chair sits, obviously used by the recorder of the Long Patrol.

• -*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

The main Record Room, normally it is empty, the reports of the long Patrol placed in here to wait the day when they are bound to become history. Today however there is a hare present. Quinten is sat at a desk busily working away with glue pot, quill, thread and needle as he binds some 30 year old reports together in a book

• ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

This adult hare is wearing what seems to be a uniform.

A leafy green tunic covers his torso with matching

regulation trousers beneath.. A black belt is worn

about his waist, over the tunic so that it is slightly

form fitting, perfectly tailored for his body.

The arms and shoulders of the tunic bump slightly,

from the looks of it there are hardened pads under

the material, for light protection and it looks like

the arms were designed so that they could be easily

removed if need be. Both tunic and pants are littered

with pockets. Its well pressed, clean and tidy with

the small badge attached showing he is a Long Patrol

private 1st class.

Your normal run of the mill hare, tall, lanky, sandy

coloured fur that is quite short, he barely tops 5 foot

7 inches, ears included. His fur is also ragged, somewhat

scraggily even when neatly combed it tends to be uneven,

his mustache/whiskers trimmed short, showing the seasons

spent on active patrol in the far southlands, the long

time spent living outside having imprinted itself upon

his body and hair, lean muscles, thin, wiry and ragged.

His ears are tall straight and slanted forwards slightly

though his right ear is missing the top 2 inches and the

way he handles his sabre is a clear indication that this

is a fully trained hare.

• ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Sidney has some free time before his next class, so he's taking a walk. This ends him in the library, just poking around, wearing his undershirt with his tunic removed, tossed over a shoulder casually. It's a little while before he appears in the doorway of the records room, and leans into the wooden frame. "Oh hey Quinten."

Quinten looks up and peers through the weird lenses he has over his eyes, the short buck removes the glasses and blinks to clear his eyes. "Oh.. mm Sidney right? Nice to see you again."

A little less than average height for his age, this teen buck looks close to hitting a growth spurt. He's somewhat lanky, with a narrow frame and just starting to gain the muscle that will eventually classify him as 'lean' rather than 'thin'. His face holds a boyish quality still, features just starting to become less curved and more angular. Dark brown eyes are framed by dense black eyelashes and there's a scattering of dark freckle-like specks across his cheeks and the top of his muzzle. His fur is light gray - upon close inspection the hairs that make up the majority of his pelt are darker at the base and nearly white at the tips, which occasionally gives it a very faint silvery sheen. This is better seen when the fur is smooth, but it rarely is. The scruffy adolescent is clothed in a close-fitting tunic of forest green and baggy brown pants, the latter adorned with a multitude of pockets and held up by a belt circling his hips - the basic uniform of a Long Patrol hare.

"Just Sid's fine. Saw you in that match yesterday," the recruit comments, one hand folding into a pocket while he glances around the room. Dusty, lots of books and scrolls. His brows lift a little. "You're pretty good."

Quinten sets aside the book he was working on, spinning the handle on the book press to hold it in place. "Well thanks.. .had alot of seasons to train wot. I do enjoy boxing, and wrestling." he nods his head, "So what brings a young recruit like you into the Library?"

Sidney twitches one of his ears at the word 'young', and smirks a little. His shoulder shift in a slight shrug. "Got class in another hour, but for now I'm free. Just felt like walking around a bit."

Quinten winks and stands up, moving to hold out a paw to Sidney, "Pleasure to meet you then Sidney, Properly this time and without me puking up after being kicked in the stomach."

Sidney chuckles as he extends his hand, shaking Quinten's briefly and then settling back into his leaning position. "We've meet before. Tattoos, remember? Don't remember if it was 'proper' or not, so whatever." He smiles amiably, eyes partway shut, surveying the older buck's work. "So what's all this then?"

Quinten smiles, "Ahhh of course, you where in the crowd.. sorry I forgot." he smiles and winks, "Apparently the tatoo is a big hit with the ladies." he waves a paw at the book binding. "Work, i'm on home patrol at the moment. Working the infirmary and in here. Binding old reports together."

"Hah, yeah, and Charlie has a way of getting guys' shirts off," Sid chuckles, shaking his head. "I think you wandered out somewhere between me showing my brand and my tattoo. So hey .. if you want me to go, leave you to your work?"

Quinten waves a paw, "Nah nah, stay, sit. I can't do anything else until the glue sets." he looks at Sidney, "I remember you mentioning you had a brand.. yes I remember that now. But not a tattoo? What have you got?"

Kegan has showed Rin around a bit before coming to the Libary. "And this is the records room" he says as he steps in. "Nice place really" He then glances to the two in the room already. "Ah...Afternoon"

"Two, actually. Anchor and a compass rose," Sid says. He shakes his head at the offer to sit, preferring where he's leaning. He turns a little, though, pushing up the sleeve of his undershirt to the shoulder, showing the anchor tattoo on his upper arm. "There. The other's on my shoulder blade."

Rin followed Kegan into the room and gives a quick glance around the room before her eyes light upon the two hares and she gives a small curtsy to them and a smile. "Hello!" He greets then looks around again, giving a nod to agree with Kegan on the room.

Rin leaves Kegan's group and wanders off on her own.

Kegan glances to the two and chuckles. He frowns a bit when Rin wandered off but he doesn't say anything. "Interrupting anything?" he asks.

Quinten nods to Kegan, "Kegan, good day to you." he leans forwards and examines Sidney's tattoo. "Nice.. Not bad at all really. Who did it for you? I had a sea otter bosun do mine.. man it stung like hell."

"Otters, also," Sid says with a nod. "Before I joined up I was a bit of a sea-hare. Still have my dingy, I keep it out on the shore. Got the anchor when I was.. oh, don't even remember. Two seasons maybe?" He glances at Kegan, gives a nod of greeting. "Then the brand at three seasons or so, and the compass at five I think."

Kegan just quietly sits down but says nothing else. He doesn't feel much like interrupting anything so he just listens and watches quietly.

Quinten smiles at kegan and moves back to the work bench where he has a book

held in the press. He takes needle and thread and starts to stich the spine together. "Oooh? Really? I spent a season at sea on an Otter Galleon. Was part of my long patrol to the south. Was an experience, i'd love to go sailing in it sometime!"

Sidney grins faintly, showing a certain amount of pride. "Yeah, he's by sweetheart. Not all that big, but plenty of room for two. I'll take you some time, for sure."

Quinten chuckles, "I thought miss Charlotte was yer sweet heart?" he winks adn nudges Sidney in the ribs then goes back to his sewing. "What brings you back here Kegan?"

"Oh, she is too, of course," Sidney says with a trace of amusement.

Kegan hms and glances over. "Oh. Just was giving Rin a tour of the mountain is all" he nods with a small smile. That was about all he said.

Quinten nods to Kegan, "Ahh they seemed nice." he sits back in his chair and stretches, kicking out his legs idly. "mmm you like boxing and wrestling too Sidney? we should spar sometime."

Kegan laughs at the sparing offer to the younger hare. "watch him if you accept...he broke my teeth" the buck laughs.

"Boxing, sure," Sid says with a slight nod, a smirk showing at the corner of his mouth. "I've never actually wrestled though. Figure you'd have to teach me." He glances at Kegan, and snorts, eyeing Quinten again now. "... I'm sure he wouldn't do that to me. Would you Quint?"

Quinten smiles and waggles his ears, "Certainly not old bean! Kegan here dropped his guard! But a chap needs to know how to wrestle wot. I'll be happy tae teach ya."

Kegan laughs. "I did no such thing, you know that" he smirks at Quinton before going back to being quiet.

"See. That's what I thought. You know I'm going to hold you to it, Quint. Wrestling?" Sid flashes a quick grin at the other buck.

Quinten smiles, "Well just make sure not to tell the Colonel that! She'll have me peeling potatoes for months!" he grins, "Oh Will you now?" he sizes Sid up, the short hare hops around him slowly, he really doesn't look big enough to stop people."

Sidney tilts his muzzle a little while eyeing the short buck, brows lifted. "You don't look all that ferocious you know," he points out.

Quinten moves suddenly and without warning whilst he is behind Sidney, he gets an arm around the buck's throat, the same paw grabbing his ears and pulls, a knee to the small of his back, attempting to toss Sidney to the ground and pin him there.

Sidney grunts and twists, aiming a hard elbow back toward the smaller hare's stomach, though he stumbles under the quick attack. His other hand catches the door frame to keep him upright. "Nnf. Okaaay point taken!" he laughs.

Quinten grins holding onto Sidney and then slides his paws free. "See Sidney, I may be short, but I was trained by the patrol to be a fighter. I can take down most beasts."

Sidney shakes his head a little, grinning and shoving done hand into the buck's side to push him away. "I never doubted that. It's the little ones who are the most vicious."

Quinten grins and winks, "You bet... mmm you had chance to read my report on what happened on my patrol? I could tell ya some stories about wrestling with the GOUSIM."

Sidney shakes his head, hand lifting to brush his hair back from his forehead. "Hah, no, I haven't. But, by all means." He makes a 'go on' gesture, leaning into the wall again.

Quinten moves over and sits in a chair, leaning back with his paws behind his head. "Well it's like this. The GOUSIM put alot in store by competition, and when we stayed with them for the winter the Log-a-log declared us to be honoarry GOUSIM for the winter. Which meant we had to learn their ways."

"Which I assume means .. learn how to spike up your hair and argue about everything?" Sid grins.

Quinten laughs and sits up. "Oh you bet! You have no idea how liberating that was! I was allowed to argue with everyone! /including/ the Lieutenant, he never did forgive us for embracing the GOUSIM ways so fully. But it was fun, and that spiky fur of theirs is natural... didn't stop them spiking ours via un-natural means."

This is an interesting scene. Charlie leans in the doorway with her arms crossed over her chest, eyebrows perked and a small smile playing about her lips. Hm.

"That. .. that would be quite a sight. You're about shrew-sized anyway," Sid points out. His gaze flicks over as Charlie appears in his peripheral vision, and he grins, sidestepping, reaching to catch her by the arm. "C'mere you." Squeeze around the hips.

Well she /was/ just going to listen! Charlie laughs, hooking her arm around Sid's waist. "So what're you talking about?"

Quinten laughs, "Oh seasons preserve me it was a sight! The night after Log-A-Log declared us to be honoary GOUSIM i found myself seized from behind, born aloft and dumped in a vat of tree sap. You have NO idea how icky that was. Even after a bath in the stream it was in my fur making it spike up." he glances at Charlie and smiles, "My time living with the GOUSIM."

Ahhhh. Quinten receives a smile of greeting. "I /see/. Well don't let me interrupt."

"His .. yes. That. /Sap/? .. that's kind of. Uhm." Sidney grins sympathetically. "... yeah. Hey you." He pulls Charlie in front of him, arms around her middle. There, that's cozy. "You interrupt everything, you damn little doe," he grumbles at her.

Quinten chuckles, "He has a point miss Charlie, you are a doe to interupt a buck's talk." he settles back in his chair again. "Anyway, after making me spikey, I soon learnt that GOUSIM settle most arguements with a contest of some kind. Which led to wrestling."

"It's a gift," Charlie replies with a shrug. Poor thing, what a burden to bear.

What do you want to whisper?

Sidney lifts one hand to pet back the doe's ears, that sympathetic expression aimed down at her now. "Well, here, since you interrupted," he teases, "you take over. I have to get to class."

You exclaim, "Hey now! You can't slink out in the middle of my story! Wot wot! Dashed rude ya know.""

Charlotte ducks her head at the pet, giving Sidney a Look. "Right."

Sidney shoots a smirky little smile over at Quinten. "Rude would be being late to class, mate. But I'm holding you to the wrestling, still. Really." He grins, leans down to smooch at Charlie's cheek, and lets go of her, heading out of the room.

Kegan apparently fell asleep for a few moments there. "Hm..oh...hello?" he looks around and glances to the two of them as the other one leaves. "oh...ah...okay...hehe...fell asleep.

Quinten chuckels, "welcome back to the land of the awake Kegan." he waves as Sidney leaves, "Got his head screwed on right he has. I remember being late a time or two to class when I was a recruit. Not something uyou want to happen."

Charlotte turns to watch Sidney leave. She looks back to the other pair. And

Quinten gets a guilty smile. "... I've already been late for a class or two. I don't they're very happy with me."

Quinten chuckles, "Well that is not so bad, I was late for class oooh more times then I can count. I think I spent a month of my life running extra laps around the mountain to pay for it."

Charlotte makes a face at the thought of extra laps. "Major Swift just makes us write lines... or that's what she's done so far."

Kegan yawns and just watches the two talk, not saying anything, not wanting to interrupt them

Quinten nods his head and stretches, "Lucky! Major Jarril used to love making me run around the mountain. I swear it's me height." he hops up ont ohis paws, "I mean I may be short! But I can run as well as any of ya long lanky lot."

What do you want to whisper?

The short(er) doe snorts. "Oh yes, us 'long lanky' types. We are so, so fortunate."

~*~Charlotte "Charlie" Sarin~*~

Tiny! That just about sums up the doe before you. Though she

is ten seasons, she looks younger. She is diminutive in

stature and very slight of build, and yet she does not look

odd for it. She is proportionate to herself - merely a hare

of a smaller scale than most!

She has a very sweet face - and this does her no favors in

the way of looking her age. The fur of her face - and the

rest of her body - is a creamy, blonde shade, and her headfur

is a paler blonde yet. It is shoulder length, but

pulled back, with bangs that gently frame her face. Her

eyes are a startlingly pale, olive green, and in some light

almost appear golden. There's a certain pertness about her

nose and muzzle. Her ears are typically long and perked,

like any hares.

She is garbed in a simple wrap dress, made all of one

unstitched cloth. It wraps twice about her waist to form the

skirts, and then about her torso to form the bodice. It is

draped first over one shoulder and then other, with the

remaining extra material to trail down her back. The cloth

is cleverly dyed, such that the the upper two thirds of it

is a vibrant green shade, to match her eyes, while the

remaining third fades to a golden yellow. Delicate beadwork

decorates the fabric.

Quinten grins and bows, "Well my dear, I am sure with your disarmingly charming good looks you can defeat any hare."

Kegan snorts loudly and laughs. "Heh...." he says, trying not to comment.

Ha. Charlie smirks and shakes her head. "Charming good lucks, is it? /I'm/ not the one who's the talk of the recruits, now am I? You are quite the item, Quinten. Did you know your report's been making the rounds? They've been reading it like an adventure story!" Kegan gets a glance and a look, askance. "What?"

Quinten grins at Kegan and winks, ears twitching, "Really? Mmmm i'll have to write up more reports then." he grins, "But.. well it's good that people are enjoying it i guess." he chews on his intact ear.

Kegan laughs. "Oh was just laughing about the fact of being able to defeat any hare with her...good looks..." he snorts and laughs again.

Charlotte's eyebrows arch, delicately. "Oh, so you'd have no problem hitting me, then?"

Kegan hehs. "Not really, no...as long as I knew you'd not like...get me kicked out of the patrol" he smirks a bit. "And only if you attacked"

You exclaim, "Hey now! That's not a jolly good topic of conversation. Sparring is all well and good, but a chap does not attack a lady no matter what she does. If Miss Charlie attacked me I'd just disarm her.""

Charlotte sizes Kegan up curiously. "Hm," is all she says. And then she looks to Quinten and /he/ gets a flash of a smile. She looks around, then perches on the edge of a table. "Well, I can't say disarming me would be very difficult, anyway."

Quinten bows to Charlotte, "but as a Long Patrol hare I very much doubt the situation will ever arise where by any one needs to disarm you who is on your side."

Kegan hehs. "I agree with Quint..." he smirks. "But...yes, I would have no problems hitting you" smirk.

What a curious buck! Kegan gets another glance. "

"Remind me not to piss you off, then?" Haha.

Kegan hehs and smirks some.

You say, "Now now chap, if you tried to hit miss Charlie outside of a spar. I would have to step in and defend her honour wot! A chap does not hit a lady.""

Well! Charlie hops down off the edge of the table. "I think I'm going to go see if there's anything left in the kitchens from lunch. I missed midday."

Kegan smirks. "maybe we'll spar one day and I'll show her, that...good looks...are nothing" he smirks before nodding and waving to her.

Quinten chuckles and looks around, "Aye... i'm done with my work in here. I'd not mind some lunch."

Kegan has gone from curious to a little, well. Strange. Charlie glance at him and just shakes her head. Well, then! "Well let's have some, then." And without another word she heads out! )

Quinten follows along, picking up his jacket as he goes and slinging it over one

shoulder. "Aye food it is."

Kegan gives one last wave to the two of them. he wasn't invited so he doesn't bother to go...a nap could be used anyways.

Salamandastron: Dining Chamber

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

This is the dining chamber for the mountain of Salamandastron. It is a

veritable cavern, the necessity of feeding so many hares making the room

so big. Dominating the room is a huge banquet table made of solid oak.

Nobeast knows how such a venerable object came to be here, but its

presence is undeniable. Smaller tables skirt the outside of the room,

each sitting near a large torch burning brightly in its sconce. The chair

at the head of the table is different from the plain maple chairs that

occupy the rest of the room - it belongs to the Badger Lord. The massive

object is graced with a carving of the very mountain it is in, with the

sun setting over the sea.

• -*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Quinten wanders into the dining chamber and looks around hopefully towards the kitchen to see if anything at all has been left out.

Fortunately, it has been! There's a tray of excess pasties and some still-warm soup on a table by the kitchen door. Apparently the cooks have just given in and are doing what they can to keep the hungry hares /out/ of their way and out of the kitchen.

Quinten grins and hops forwards and starts exmaining what has been left on display. He glances around for charlotte and chews on the tip of his ear. Being away so long hasn't really helped him develop certain social skills.

Charlotte follows Quinten into the dining chamber and over towards the kitchen, her nose sniffing in the scents. She comes up beside the buck, looking over and to the side at him. "So!" she starts them off, conversationally speaking. She picks up two bowls, handing one to him and stepping forward to ladle some soup into hers.

Quinten lets his ear go and takes the bowl, filling his bowl with salad and a couple of pastries. "So... what miss Charlie? You and Sidney are an item I take it?"

The buck is lucky Charlie isn't eating yet, or she'd be spewing soup. As it is, she has to set her bowl down she's laughing so far. She sinks down onto the floor, one paw /just/ holding onto the edge of the table. "Oh, /oh/... Sidney and... An ITEM!" And that sends her into another gale of laughter.

Quinten's ears raise, "Oh... I take that as a no then. he sure acts like you are his doe." he sits down at a table and chews on a carrot.

Eventually, Charlie regains her senses. She stands up, finds her bowl, and plate, and makes her way over to Quinten's table. She sits down opposite with a little shake of her head and a smile. "No. He's just. Sidney. He's /friendly/. We're not."

Quinten smiles for a moment, but then it fades, "Ah.. well that be good to know... I mean well erm... " he holds up a jug. "Wine?"

Charlotte is still fighting off the giggles and /just/ managing it. She nods her affirmation, holding out a glass for Quinten to fill. "Thanks! The soup's good, don't you think?"

Quinten fills the glass then his own and looks at his salad. "I don't eat soup... I kinda find it is all tasteless these days... a season of Hot root soup and shrimp ruined my appreciation of good soup."

Ahhhh. Ha. Charlie nods her understanding. "I can see how that might." Paaaause. Silence lengthening out. She fills it (sort of) by taking a sip of the wine.

Quinten ahems a nd flicks his ears, fiddling with hs claws, "So why did you want to become a patroller? It is a hard life."

"Weeeeell." The easiest answer to that question? "I /didn't/." She smiles, a trifle wanly. "I met Zeraph and Darklett under... interesting circumstances. These vermin attacked me. They came just in time or I'd be-" Well, he gets the idea. "When the Patrol was getting ready to come back here, Major Darklett asked me if I wanted to come along and give it a try. Pointed out that learning how to fight is a good skill, whether I stick with it or not. So... here I am."

Quinten listens to the story and nods. "Similar thing happened to me, Me and my family where driven into the marshes by vermin, Lost for a whole winter. My brother died of a fever, I lost my sister... one morning she was just gone... and then I found myself on the beach, dehydrated, almost dead, wandering. Darklett found me, offered to let me stay." he sighs and swirls his wine. "I became a receuit and after giving the entire General staff headaches for several seasons, the made me a private. still not sure why."

Charlotte smiles, tilting her head. "You don't strike me as a screw-up... Are you sure you're not exaggerating?"

Quinten laughs and grins at Charlotte. "Really? You've clearly not read the Quinten Files. I was a terror, it seemed everything I did ended in disaster! I even got sent back here from Redwall in disgrace once." he sighs, "I miss Father Kieran.. but I hear he is gone now.." he shakes his head, "I think I managed to redeem myself when I knew the back entrance into the mountain whilst it was full of vermin..." he smiles, "And these days I'm a proper patrol hare. I'll be in the patrol until i die."

"How did you know it was the thing for you?" Charlie asks, interested.

Quinten strokes his chin, "I just... I just feel like I belong is all... I love to write though, I have 6 whole journals full of my adventures! The report floating about is just a synopsis. I love to tinker and fiht and box and weave and help others.

"That's very sweet," Charlie concludes with a thoughtful nod. And lowers her gaze to her soup, which she eats a few spoonfuls of thoughtfully. Hum.

Quinten leans back and looks to the ceiling then at his salad. "Salamdastron is home... it always will be Charlie.. I am not really that old... and so many tales I can tell you."

"If you have them written, I'd love to read them," Charlie replies honestly. "We all loved the report."

Quinten smiles, and blushes, ears twitching, "I will.. go and get one of them now. The GOUSIM log is the most fun or maybe Southsward." he stands up. "I'll... be back in a bit, I'll dig out my old recruit newspaper too."

- End Log