Quinten Log 67 - 06 03 2006

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.
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*

Ender sits at the main table, not wanting to take the hike to another. There he tucks into his plate, watching the door for Zoe. After a few minutes he shakes his head. "Officers" he mutters, frowning.

Gregorian takes a little while longer with getting food before he goes over to join the rabbit, a glance going to the door quickly to note the colonel hasn't turned up yet before he starts eating from his little pile.

Ender notices Greg sitting next to him, and after a few moments, decides to speak. "What's the problem, erm, between you an' Quin, eh? Don't tell me there, erm, isn't one."

Gregorian gives Ender a glance in between mouthfuls "Problem sah? Where'd yah get tha' idea ol' chap?"

Flaxpaw has arrived.

Ender almost grins, but instead squints at the hare. "I saw the way you, erm, acted around him the other day. Don't try an', erm, fool me, eh?" He eats another piece of cheese delicately. "Unless...eh, unless it really isn't my business. I'm, erm, a prying ol' bugger."

Gregorian raises a brow and shakes his head a little before turning back to his food "Just an odd situation the othah day sah, I'm not tryin' tah fool yah or anyone else"

Knowing he won't get anywhere, Ender sighs and picks at his plate, appetite mostly sated.

"I see, Greg." The rabbit coughs a bit, remembering to cover his mouth with a paw for the first time in a while. "So...how've you been, eh? Done anything, erm, exciting?"

Quinten walks slowly into the dinning chamber looking stiff and sore, ears flopped back and shoulders slumped, a paw kneading at the small of his back.

Gregorian shrugs and eats, in all the hares about missing Quinten's entrance "Trainin' sah, tha' and tryin' tah get out the way of the rowdier of recruits, don't seem tah much like bein' unable tah go outside at the moment"

Ender nods at this, waggling an ear towards Quinten's entrance, still watching the door in hopes of Zoe entering. "Speak o' the devil, eh? Rowdiest recruit, erm, of them all." He says this loudly over the general hubbub, and follows it with a light chuckle.

Quinten makes his way to a table and grabs a tankard of something, swigging it back, he may look beat up but he's smiling, he spots Gregorian and Ender and starts to walk towards them. He salutes them both and flops down in a chair "Good day ta ye both"

Flaxpaw wanders in a bit behind Quinten, and dodges through the crowd of hares, grabbing a chunk of bread and a glass of water, looking around in amazement at how full the dining chamber is.

Gregorian gives the obligatory raise of a scone in greeting to Quinten before eating the scone, he just about spots Flaxpaw in the crowd but looses sight of her again for a moment "Aftahnoon" he finally replies to Quinten once the scone's gone.

His plate is empty, and he looks about to leave. However, the dining chamber is turning into a reunion. At least Gabby won't show up...she was doing something in the crafts room last he saw, with no signs of stopping. "'Ello, recruit. Fine day, eh?"

Quinten smirks and leans back in his chair "You bet....i just beat the stuffing out of Lt. Holyberry, i just passed me boxing exam" he smirks again and raises his mug to drink from it again. "No lockdown is gonna stop me from passing me exams"

Flaxpaw has been searching the room for someone she knows, and finally spots Quinten, Greg and Ender. Holding her lunch close, she navigates her way over, looking a little nervous.

Somewhere on the muck, Taye has disconnected.

Gregorian nods a little to Quint, not yet pausing in eating "Well done. thought yah might" a glance spots Flax and an ear points to a spare spot on the bench.

Ender still doesn't notice Flax, but he does look...proud?! He's got an odd expression, that's for sure, at Quinten's announcement. "That's good, lad. Good job." The rabbit stands. "Be right, erm, back." He walks towards the kitchen, disappearing.

Flaxpaw smiles at Greg, and slips into the seat, slowly begining to tear pieces off her bread as she listens to the others.

Quinten grins and fishes some uneaten morsels off of Enders plate and downs them, swiftly clearing up the rest of the rabbits left overs "Thanks Greg was hard i can tell ye, the teory and then the practical"

Gregorian watches Ender go with a faintly puzzled expression before he looks back to the others just catching Quint's words "Hmm? Sure it was, well done and all tha' wot wot"

Flaxpaw looks at Quin inquisitively "What was hard, mate? what theory an practical?

Quinten smiles at Flax and waggles his ears "My boxing exam of course, i passed wid flying colours when i sent the Lt. flying"

Flaxpaw grins. "well done!

Gregorian seems to have most of his concentration on his food with is rapidly disappearing "Know if anyone else passed?"

You say, "I don't know, Lt. was just testing me today, there are only a few other recruits in for the exams at the moment""

Ender returns, looking a bit dissapointed at not having found something. He walks to the trio at the table, aheming to get their attention. "Well, lads an' lass, I'm off to, erm, work on a project. I'll see all of you later, eh?"

Flaxpaw looks up from the bit of bread she's been rolling in one paw. "A project, sah?

Quinten nods "Ok Mister Ender sah, need any help getting upo the stairs?"

Gregorian looks up as Ender returns and says he's leaving again, seems a little puzzled but nods to the hare "Right yah are sah" a glance going to the other two hares, his ears twitching lightly.

Ender takes a few steps away before looking back. "Erm, just a bit o' carving. And I'm fine walking. Leg's as good as, erm, new, eh?" He rubs it ruefully. "Not new. But good."

The rabbit nods at the three of them, and exits.

Quinten smiles and calls after him "If you see Gabby tell her i'm free for the rest of the day"

Terrance makes his way into the chow hall, nodding to those in the room as he makes his way to the chow line.

Flaxpaw looks after the rabbit, smiling slightly. "nice try, Quin." she murmurs, then looks startled as a passing hare jostles her.

Quinten grins at Flax and winks "Hey you never know she could come running in any minute" he waves a paw at Terr and leans forwards "I did it terr, i passed me first exam"

Terrance looks towards Quinten and says, "Good job chap!" He then quickly loads his plate with a little bit of everything on the menu then makes his way to take a seat near the group.

Gregorian looks back to the others, a sort of warning look going to the hare which jostles Flax, hopefully make him watch where he's going in future before he looks over to Terrance as Quinten talks to him, Greg giving a short nod to him.

Quinten eyes Terrances plate "Hungry old chum? Wot do you think of this bally old lockdown?"

Ender room-pages, "K. Wasn't sure.".

Terrance shrugs and says, "I don't know, isn't much of a change for me." He then digs into his chow. "Yeah, a little hungry. The new recruit first class workouts are killers."

Flaxpaw smiles a greeting at Terrance, sipping her water, and looking at the dining-room que, as though considering how hungry she really is before continuing to nibble her bread.

Gregorian seems to be concentrating on his food again, a short glance going to Flaxpaw "Tha' all yah 'aving?"

Quinten groans and his ears flop back "Don't be saying that Terrance if all goes well i'll be joining those classes in a week or so...."

Terrance smirks a bit as he chews and says, "Well then I'd brace myself chap." He then looks to Flaxpaw and nods, "G'day. I don't think we've met before have we?"

Flaxpaw shakes her head at Greg's question "not sure yet." Then smiles at Terrance, extending a paw. No, don't think we have. Name's Flax."

Gregorian shrugs at Flax's response and has just about eaten his way back down to his plate.

Quinten nods and stretches "I'll do my best to prepare for it Terrance, any tips?"

Terrance says, "Terrance" the fighter recruit says. Setting his fork down, he takes the offered paw and shaks it firmly. "Fightah recruit first class. Good ta meet ya.""

Terrance looks to Quinten and smirks once more, "Oh there's nothing your going to be able to do in a week's time."

Quinten grins back "Well i'll juust do my best, got to impress Major Darklett he's the one who said i could do me test, don't want to let him down" he wvaes a paw at greg "Hey Greg pass me that jjug will ye?"

Flaxpaw looks around "hold my place, would you? Just going to nip over an grab a bit more. Won't be long." She hops up, and picks her way through the other hares to grab a bit more.

Terrance chuckles a bit and nods, then goes back to eating his lunch.

Gregorian glances to Quinten and grabs the asked for jug to offer it over to the hare, looking to Flax as she gets up.

Quinten takes the jug and fills his beaker back up with penny cloud Cordial whilst frowning at terrance "Wots so funny?"

Terrance shakes his head, "Oh nothing" is all he says in return

Quinten nods "Well i just hope i can pass the rest of my exams"

Terrance asks, "What part have you taken?"

You say, "Only started taking them this morning, Major only gave me the go ahead yesterday,

Healing skills an theory this morning, then Boxing as the major called it one of my key skills""

Flaxpaw returns, her newly unbandaged right arm held protectively around a plate. "This lot could definitely give the vermin wot for, eh?" She comments, shaking her still bandadged left shoulder as she slides back into her place.

Terrance hms, "Ah. So what do ya have left eh wot?"

Gregorian just seems to be listening for a while as he finally finishes off his food and reaches for a drink.

You say, "Sword work, mnore theory on strategy and then demosntrating basic stealth and how to move in the world, at least that is tomorrow""

Terrance smirks and says, "I already took the test chap remember, you don't have to explain what the tests are, just which ones." He then goes back to eating.

Quinten chuckles and nods "Ya sorry" he stands up and stretches "I should go get some revising in so if you'll all excuse me"

Gregorian waggles an ear at the buck, muzzle already busy with drink.

Flaxpaw turns her attention to Terrance. "You're in the same class as Greg, then?"

Ender has left.

Terrance nods and says, "Aye, that I am." He finishes his food finally and swigs down the last of his cordial. "Although come ta think o' it, I haven't really seen ya much. Then again there are a lot o' fightah recruits, wot wot.

Gregorian moves his drink back down to rest on the table and nods a little "Yes hard to keep track of the bally lot of them"

Flaxpaw sips her drink, and nods.

Terrance smiles and says, "I'm just glad ta be ahead o' Tom an' Flatpaw, wot wot. I loved tha look on their faces when they saw my new insignia."

Gregorian smirks faintly "Second class recruits are they wot?" reduced to sipping at his drink rather that gulping it down.

Terrance nods, "Aye. They're tha two knuckle heads that Taye and I fought in tha midnight boxin' match a couple o' months back."

Flaxpaw perks up her ears "a midnight boxin match?"

Gregorian nods a little "Think I 'eard of tha', arrived not long aftah I think"

Quinten walks back into the Dinning Hall a large book under one arm and looking sandy eyed and sleepy, he moves to the counter and gets himself a glass of warm greensap milk

Terrance ahhs, "Oh yeah that's right. Not sure if any o' ya were around then." He then looks to Flax and nods, "Aye. Tom and Flaxpaw are these bully types, both of 'em are still fightah recruit second classes despite the fact that they've been in for a good 3 seasons or so.

They picked on me pretty bad and on Taye as well when he was till a recruit, so we decided to challenge them ta a boxin' expedition."

Quinten's ears perk at the sound of those two names and moves closer to the others "I remember hearing about that..."

Flaxpaw nods, looking interested, then catches sight of something in the line that she obviously dosen't like. Her face falls. "Do excuse me, chaps. Good to meet you Terrance. You'll have to tell me more sometime. " With that she leaps up, shoving her way swiftly out of the dining chamber.

Terrance nods and says, "Alright. Good meetin' ya Flax." He then stands and returns his plates then heads out himself

Quinten waves his paw "See you about Flaxpaw" taking his milk he starts to head for the door to the kitchen, with the mountain so full he figures the best place to study is in the quiet of the store room.

Gregorian watches them all heading off and shrugs a little to himself, just getting another drink.

Quinten comes back out of the kitchens with a look of disgust the dibbuns have taken over the store room, so no quiet there and most of the off duty recruits have invaded the library so the after meal queit of the dining hall it will have to be, he sits down in a chair by the far wall, looking back at his book

Rothal appears at the doorway, stepping inside and gazing around. Well, the dining chamber. It's been awhile.

Gregorian has yet to move from his place at the table, chatting with a couple of other hares there.

Sorrel follows closely behind him, unsure of whether to hold his paw or not.

Quinten looks up as the buck walks in and frowns, he looks familiar, then he spots Sorrel and stands up, hopping over a table to charge into her "I did it...i did it Sorrel" he hugs her around the waist then bounces back "I passed me boxing exam with flying colours"

Rothal places a brief kiss on Sorrel's cheek, heading for the kitchen. "h'I'm goin' ta get somethin' ta eat, h'if yah don't mind."

Sorrel nods, following him with her eyes, before going on autopilot, a chair near quinten and the others.

Quinten frowns at Sorrel and gives her a light Shake, i mean how does someone manage to miss a hug... "Sorrel you ok ma'am?"

Gregorian glances over to the pair, watch for a moment to try and work out what's going on.

Sorrel blinks, then looks down at quinten. "Oh uh...sorry quint..." She says, hugging him back. "You passed your exam?! Tha's great wuint!"

- MOving Scene -

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.

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

Quinten sticks his head around the door of the library, and sighs, with everyone cooped up inside because of the lockdown even this room is too noisy, he makes his way to a corner and tries to ignore them all, paws holding his ears down to his head as he tries to read

Ender is at his desk, as usual, and notices Quinten's entrance. The rabbit had been writing, writing hard judging by the broken charcoal pieces scattered around him. He looks...deflated, his usually hardened or winsome face seeming drawn and sad. Depressed, even. He stands slowly, carrying a thin book with him, walking towards the hare, leaning heavily on his cane.

Quinten has not seen the elderly rabbit, eyes focussed on the page infront of him, trying to get in some last minute revision on battle strategy before his exam tomorrow

Loping up alongside him, Ender glances at the heavy tome he's reading. "What're you doing, lad?" He asks, softly. The paw holding the tan-colored book in his posession quivers slightly, rustling pages.

Quinten lifts his paws off his ears and lets them spring back up "Revising sah, got me battle strategy exam tomorrow..." he frowns up at you "Are ye ok sah?"

Ender draws his lips to one side of his face, looking a bit upset for a moment, then relieved. "Nothing, recruit. Continue, erm, your work. Perhaps you can, erm, find me later, eh?"

Quinten closes the book and stands up "I'm free now sah...i can't get any work done wid all this noise" he glares at the other recruits "They got no respect for those of us tryin to study sah..."

Smiling slightly, Ender rubs one of his shoulders, more of a nervous reflex than a necessity. "Studying is important, eh? Find a quiet place." The rabbit glances at the book, and back at Quin. "Then again. That book had better, erm, stay in here."

Quinten nods and places the book back on the shelf it came off and nods "Well sah...tha sentry room is always quiet...though is full of double sentry hares...uhm the Badger Lords old rooms or the sauna?"

Ender considers these for a moment, sighing. "You'd like to talk, then?"

Quinten stands up his ears flicking back "Seems...you wanted to see me sir and as i can't get anywork done, yes lets talk sah." he salutes you

Ender takes in the display, chuckling softly, his face still holding an expression of...oldness, it would seem. "Alright, lad." The rabbit slowly walks out of the room, not looking to see if Quinten follows.

Quinten falls into step behind the rabbit, a bit nervous not quite sure exactly waht the rabbit wants to talk to him abaout, but he's sure its about Gabriel, just letting him lead the way to a nice quiet place.

Ender has left.

Salamandastron: Meeting Room

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

Here is a chamber with one singular purpose: that of meeting, obviously. It

is rather large - enough to contain the entire Long Patrol, easily. The

format is simple: rows of benches for the audience, and a podium for

whoever the speaker might be, located beneath the only window in the room.

The room is, otherwise, quite barren, and carved from the rock that is so

customary to Salamandastron.

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

Ender walks into the meeting room, a huge room, eerily silent. Dust trails through the air in the rays of light cast through the one great window. The rabbit nearly collapses onto a bench near the middle of the room, and scoots over, not hacing checked for Quinten, waiting for him to also sit.

Quinten pushes the heavy door shut listening to the soft thud it makes as it closes and shivering, he moves across the eeriely silent room and sits down neck to the rabbit at the far end of the bench but still within the rabbits paw reach.

Ender slowly opens the book he had been carrying. The first page has some sort of genealogy on it, a family tree neatly printed out. The rabbit waves a paw at Quinten, indicating him to look at it. "This is my family, eh?"

Quinten looks at the page trying to follow it, its quite a large family tree, he has to keep looking up and up to finally find Quincy.. "Wow....thats alot of children your family had sah"

Ender gives Quinten a sharp glance, and almost barks something out, but stops himself. "I was born as Quincy Wheelock." The rabbit indicates his place on the tree with a paw. "I had three siblings, erm, all older." He points these out as well, and continues to all the way down. "Before I was, erm, born, my oldest sister had had a child. She was five seasons old, erm, when I came along, a surprise to my parents, eh?" He chuckles.

Quinten nods his had leaning forwards to follow the paw "Yes sah...quite a surprise as much a surprise as when my mother had three of us at once"

Ender smiles softly, and then continues to point things out, unusually kind compared to his normal temperament. "Anyway, there's, erm, the family continuing down. Normal marriages, erm, births, and all. He points out 'Gabriel Bond', towards the bottom. "That's, erm, Gabby. Nearly as far as I can bring the family tree, eh? She's the last one, erm, I was really around for. Could be more, erm, could be less." He sighs, waiting for a response.

Ender quickly adds; "Messy business, Gabriel's birth, as well as her mother's. So young, eh? Too young." This is said with a point.

Quinten nods his head "Yes sah....i'd not want Gabriel to have to go through anything painful like tha, she means too much to me...sir...." he looks up at the rabbit "Are ye gonna kill me? Fer going out wid her? Honest all we've done is hold paws an a quick peck an a picnic or two....i'm still young meself and got to graduate...."

Ender is taken quite aback. "No, NO!" This last bit is shouted, a bit of dust rising around the pair. "That was, erm, entirely different. I killed-" He breaks off, glaring. "I shouldn't have even, erm, told you. All over the mountain by now, eh?" Ender is calming, but his face is red, the book forgotten.

Quinten shakes his head, ears whipping back and forth "No sah, no one knows you even told me tha sir...i'll never let anything bad happen to gabby sah, anyone who tries i'll kill em myself" he holds up a paw "I can use one of these if i have to sir...though....she thinks you hate her Mister Ender."

The moment lost, revelations forgotten, Ender shifts slowly, turning to see Quinten better. "She doesn't understand, eh? Everything happens for, erm, a reason. You, of all creatures, should know, erm, that I love her. I'd..." he trails off, shrugging. "Never you mind, lad."

Quinten nods his head "I think...she may know tha sir but as you said she is still young, a bit younger then me i'm only just starting to understand all of this, but i'll do me best to make ye proud of me sir, i want your blessing in all my courting of Gabby."

Ender clenches his eyes tightly shut, massaging his tensed temples with his paws. "She's young." He states, matter-of-factly.

Quinten sighs and sags down "Too young you say sir? if you think i'm too old...i'll back off her" he sighs "Its only a season and a half sir." ears pinning back looking dejected

Ender notes the body language, his mind wavering between anger and angst. "Lad." He clenches his eyes even tighter, paws balling into fists. "I...trust you." The rabbit looks at Quinten. There, that wasn't hard, was it?

Quinten is taken aback by that, rocking back aginast the bench and looking dumbstruck "Ye do....sah tis an hounour.....i'll not let ye faith in me down ye'll see....." he trails off looking stunned, he must be dreaming ENDER does not say that kind of thing to anyone except maybe the Colonel or Major Darklett.

Don't let this be a mistake. The rabbit can only think one thing. Protecting family is all that matters. Ender looks at the book in his lap, the first page still sitting open, the rest tantalizingly close. Again, he wavers with indecision...and closes it.

Quinten reaches out to place a paw atop the elderly rabbits as he closes the book "Ye have me word as a Tof'marole sah, i'd do my brother and sisters memory injustice if i let you or her down"

Ender involuntarily jerks when he is touched. The rabbit seems dazed, lost in the midst of a wash of memory and family tradition. He slowly stands. Well /this/ room will be marked in his mind forever. "..mm, yes." Ender says quietly.

Quinten watches the rabbit stand up and slowly gets up as well "Sir....thank you, fpr your trust it means alot....i know you probably...don't like me all that much, but still sir...thank you, if you ever need anything"

Ender looks at Quinten, his eyes narrowed. "I don't need anything, erm, from you. I c'n take care of myself, eh?" He sighs again, shoulders slumping. The rabbit slowly shuffles towards the door.

Quinten takes a step back "Of course sah, still sah i owe you alot, more then i think i cna repay..."

Mumble-grumble-mumble. Ender gives Quinten a quick glance, that's all, and exits, the book tucked safely under his arm.

Quinten sighs and leans against the table, well that seemed to go well...he thinks...still not sure what to make of Great Uncle Quincy however"

End Log -