Sticks and Stones May Break Bones, but Words Hurt Much Much More.

Locations: Redwall, Mossflower Wood, Redwall

Characters: Orph, Pedat, Daphne, Zen, Aikuen, Corbyn, NPC Healer

Orph is sprawled out on the floor of Cavern Hole drawing with a piece of chalk he'd found in the library. Zen and his mom had been using chalk to drawn on the floor in there the other day so Orph didn't see any problem with drawing in here.

Pedat walks in from the kitchen, munching a cheese and bread sandwich. He gives a nod and a small wave to the Dibbun. "Hello!" He says cheerfully as he goes over and sits down at a table.

Orph looks up from his drawings, "Hello. I've seen you before, but I don't know your name. Who are you?"

Pedat grins and takes another bit of his food, swallowing before answering. "I'm Pedat. Nice to meet you." He gives a nod, "Yeah, I am around the Abbey a lot."

Orph sits up and tries to wipe chalk dust from his paws without much luck, "I’m O- William. Aikuen’s son. It’s nice to meet you.” It had been a long time since he’d regularly used his real name with other beasts.

Pedat looks up from his sandwich, surprised, then regains himself and nods. "Ah. I see...You like it here in Redwall?"

Orph nods, "Yeah, most of the time. Though there’s not much to do here. I haven't seen Benar today, if he were around I could ask him to help me and I could make something on one of the wheels in the kiln. And Zen's either sleeping or doesn't want to play games. He just likes to look at the fire, which is bad, or look at the sky, which is ok, but when I ask him if he wants to play a game he won't. There’s nothing to do here." he sighs and leans back til he’s laying on the floor on top of his drawings.

Pedat blinks a little at the outpour and nods. "I see...Well, there is a lot of other Dibbuns in the Abbey that I am sure would play with you?" He offers quietly, finishing off his sandwich

Orph shrugs a bit, which looks odd given his position, "I guess ... "

Orph says, "I could go over to Camp Willow and visit Kip, but then he'd want to race me again. He like to race me in the water cause he knows he'll win."

Orph gets up off the floor and sit at the table, "I've asked him before and he didn't want to. He might win that too, he's very fast." the ratling rubs a sore spot on his nose remembering how he'd met the otter.

Zen smiles and blushes softly, taking the nut. "Aww.. thanky!" He gently tries to wrap his arms around Daphne if she lets him, to gently pull her close. "Hehe, I likes you! Kinna reminds me of me sis."

Orph clomps down the stairs bored once again, Pedat had had to leave to resume his duties and now the rat again had nothing to do. He had only came down to the dibbun dorms out of boredom, but was pleasantly surprised to see Zen and some squirrelmaid dibbun there. "Um, hello." he waved at the squirrel, "Hi, Zen," and the mouse.

Zen smiles as Orph comes in, waving his paw and hugging Daphne with the other. "Hi Orphs! Hows are ya?"

Daphne giggles lightly and hugs Zen lightly with both paws, waving lightly as Orph walks in ."Hi hi!" she says energetically.

Orph grins, "Hi, I'm William. Wot's yurr name."

Zen smiles at Orph and sighs happily, setting Daphne on the bed and tucking her in.

Orph, with chalky dust all down the back of his habit and smuged across the front in few spots, sits down on one of the beds. "Zen, you want to play a game with me?" he asks quitly so as not to wake the little squirrelmaid.

Zen smiles and nods his head, going over to Orph. "Hehe, sure Orphs! Uh... whatcha wanna plays?" He smiles softly at Daphne, then gets up on the bed with Orph.

Orph chews on his lip, several idea forming in this mind. "Have you ever been to Camp Willow before? I met a little otter over there named Kip. We could go visit him if you want to or we could play out in the orchards here instead. I'll let you pick which one." H smiles knowing either way this should work to his advantage.

Zen blinks a little, tilting his head. "Oh uh... I's never been to Camp Willow.... uh.... but.. I... let's plays in the orchards.." He doesn't know what's going on, but it's just a game so, what's the harm?

Orph nods, "Thought you'd pick to stay here, but that's ok. We can have fun without Kip I guess. Maybe I can ask him to come here next time I see him."

Zen nods his head a little. "Oh... hehe.. okies.... Uh.. I'd likes to meet Kips sometime.." He gets to his feet, looking around. "So... should we goes?"

Orph smiles, "Sure I'll be the leader and you follow me ok."

Zen nods his head and smiles. "Hehe, Okie!"

Orph ask,s "Ok, now which orchard should we play in? There's this one or the other one or mine. Do you want to pick or do you want me to pick?"

Zen smiles a little, looking around. "Hehe, let's goes to the.. wait, uh.. you picks!" He nods his head and chuckles.

Orph chews his lip a bit, "Well, I like my orchard. What do you think?"

Zen nods and shrugs. "Hehe, it's a nice orchards... Uh.. so.. what games are we gonna play?" He smiles, looking around.

Orph says, "First we're gonna play tag. You're 'It'. So I run and you try to catch me ok? You can't hit or kick and when you catch me then I'm 'It' and I chase you and if I catch you then you're 'It' again and after you catch me again then we'll play another game if you want to."

Zen nods his head a little, but then looks a bit odd. "Uh... no.. hittn's or kickn's? I.. I wasn' gonna does either... but.. okie..." He closes his eyes, putting his paws over them. "I... gives you a few seconds... one... two... three..."

Orph dashes into the other orchard.

Orph keeps running and skirts around the Abbey pond.

Zen keeps chasing after, panting a bit. "Ugh.. I... I's gonna... gonna gets ya!"

Orph looks over his shoulder at the mouse before running for the Abbey's entry.

Orph heads up the steps to the ramparts.

Zen stops in his tracks, his eyes widen a bit as he glances about..

Orph pants some, "You don't have to run but I'd suggest you keep following. Other wise you may get lost."

Zen blinks a little and looks around, tearing up. "Orphs?!? ORPHS?!!?!" He darts after Orph, though he's not happy..

Orph sigh, "Come on in here," he points to an old abandoned inn. "We can rest in there."

Zen sniffles softly, shaking his head. "NO!"

Zen sniffles and looks around, his eyes wide open. He then glares at Orph. "ORPHS!!! You.. YOU...."

Orph sits on the floor catching his breath, "Zen, I only did it so we could have fun. You never want to do much of anything. 'cept stare at the fire. We're gonna have an adventure and I won't let you get hurt or lost. So don't say you're gonna get hurt or lost cause you aren't. You can yell at me if you want, but I'm going to Camp Willow before I go back to the Abbey. I won't let anything bad happen to you if you come along. Or you could go back if you want, but I won't be going so you might get hurt or lost if you do that." the rat's face is stern and unsympathetic.

Zen's not happy, not at all. He looks around the room, seeing if there is anything he can pick up. "/ORPHS/... I's gonna kills you... I-I... I wanna..... I wanna kills you... /ORPHS/..." He starts to breath a bit heavily, his fists curled as he looks for anything, ANYTHING, to pick up.

Orph grabs the hand rail and walks up the stairs backward watching Zen carefully.

Zen glances at the hand rail, and makes his way over to it. Putting both paws on it and a foot against the wall, he tugs at it furiously, trying to bust it off!

Orph rolls his eyes, "That's not gonna come off. Just calm down and then we'll go, ok. Other wise ... I'm not supposed to use my dagger when I'm mad or to hurt someone, but I /will/ defend myself if I have to."

Zen grumbles and snaps back. "YOU.. YOU LIEDS TO ME!!! I's.. I's trusteds you and you lies!!" He pushes away from the wall, glancing around. "You's already hurts me!!! You... you evil vermin!!!" Furious, he starts to pace in a circle. "I HATES YOU! DIE! JUST DIE LIKES EVERYONE WANTEDS YOU TOO!! NO ONE WANTEDS YOU, VERMIN!!" With that, he turned tail... and ran out the Inn....

Orph sits down on the stairs, eyes closed. "I didn't lie, exactly. I just ... I never said where to chase me or ... stupid mouse! ... they ... they're my friends they ... they ... Pa wants me. ... He'll be mad, but he'll still want me ... won't he? Darn stupid mouse! Why'd he have to be like that." William sits a while longer brooding before it hits him, "... Zen's gonna get lost out there and I'll get in trouble for it and ... Zen's gonna get lost and ..." he takes a sharp breath inward, "I gotta find him and tell him I'm sorry. Or at least hit him good for saying that stuff."

Orph sits down on a rock, "Z-Zen. I-I'm sorry I tricked you to leave the Abbey. I'm sorry. I know the way back. You just get on the road over there and go North, away from here, " he points down the dirt road away from them. "You just follow the road that way and you'll come to the Abbey. I'm still going to Camp Willow to practice how to use my dagger. I need to learn how to use it without hurting myself. I've never needed to use it yet and I don't want to use it against you ever." In a whisper to himself he adds, "But I will if I /have/ to."

Zen's slowly pacing his way along, not even sure of where he is going. He rubs his eyes and sobs softly, shaking his head. He sings a bit of a mournful tune. "When I felt that I was lost and long forgot, I came too me and held me so gently. But those words you sang, every one I have forgot... but the love I felt, stays with me..." He tries to ignore Orph, continuing to slowly trudge he was through the mud. He doesn't even turn to go north, his trust being blown yet again.

Orph huffs, "Fine. You stay right here and I'll go back and tell the Abbey beasts where you are. So don't wander off like me."

Zen glances back at Orph, shaking his head slowly. "They... theys... gonna gets me if... if I stays here...." He sighs and goes back to his song, humming the sad tune.

Orph says, "Ok. Then you can go back to the Abbey with me or go back to the inn and wait there. You remember how to get to the inn?"

Zen doesn't say anything, shaking his head and sobbing a bit more. He covered up his head with his paws as he started to cry, but he moved near Orph, ready to follow. "Ju's..... wanna go home now...."

Orph sighs, this isn’t what he'd wanted at all. He'd hoped that Zen would get be mad a little and then get to like it out adventuring. Darn mouse. Pa's gonna be mad.

Orph takes a deep breath leaning against the Abbey's wall. "This is not gonna be good."

Zen paces in slowly, his arms wrapped around him tightly. His face is full of tears as he sobs and moves over to the fireplace. He seems to collapse onto the ground, curled up and facing the fire. Once again, he takes pleasure gazing into his fire, crying softly.

Orph drags himself into the great hall reluctantly, looking unhappy. His clothes are dirty and his eyes are red. He stands by the door tensed as if ready to run at any moment.

Corbyn looks between the two dibbuns, and scoots over from the fireplace, taking his dripping tunic and fur with him to a chair.

Aikuen is leaning back in a chair. He hears the young ones come in. He becomes alert, "Wot happen matey's!"

Zen doesn't move or say anything. He remains in front of the fire, his back turned away from everyone. Sobbing softly, he curls up tighter, hugging his knees into his chest.

Orph eyes the door looking to see if he has a clear path to the road and beyond, "... Um, I'm in trouble again?"

Aikuen looks at Orph, a brow is raised, "Wot happen... why are you in trouble again?" He gets up from the chair, slowly...

Orph edges out the door a short ways, "I was bored and there wasn't anyone around to play with so I went walked around and then I found Zen and we went out into the orchard to played tag and ... I was going to help him to have fun so he can explore with me and ... it didn't work."

Zen sniffles softly, putting his paws over his ears. He heard Corbyn, but he didn't know what to say. He opened his mouth, but words seemed to loose thier value.. "Or... Orphs.. I-I... I... ne... neve......vers... wanna... sees him..... a... evers... 'gain" He continues to stutter and cry.

Aikuen goes over to Orph, and kneels down close to him. he says softly but sternly, "Wot happened when you were playing tag..." He hopes its not what he is thinking...

Corbyn raises a paw to set on the mouselings shoulder, hesitant as he thinks over if he should

Orph says, "We were playing and he was chasing me and I ran out of the Abbey and he followed me. He didn't have to. He could have stopped and gone back. And after a while we stopped and then he got mad at me and said bad things to me. Then he ran off and I went and found him and he's still mad and I /did/ bring him back. I just wanted him to play outside with me. I didn't want to hurt him and I didn't exactly lie. I tricked him but that not the same thing as lying. Lying is saying something that isn't true. I know I'm in trouble, but he said bad things to me that he shouldn't have." he sits down outside the door glaring over at Zen."

Zen sits up, turning slowly to Orph. "W...what... I-I saids.... was true..." Slowly, he wobbles to his feet, still sniffling, though his eyes show that he's angry. "I... I.... never... w-wanna... sees you again..... If.. if I-I does... I.. I'll... I'll do it..." He swallows hard, closing his eyes as he stumbles blindly to sit down in front of the fire again.

Orph scowls, "You wanting me dead and not wanting to ever see me again may be true but the other stuff isn't!"

Zen doesn't turn to look at Orph, he remains sobbing and facing the fire. "No... no one... wants you..." He rubs his nose and eyes. "Goes 'way...."

Orph exclaims, "You're lying that's /NOT/ true anymore!"

Aikuen looks back at Zen, then back to Orph. He sighs, "Tell me exactly wot happened, so I can decide what to do..."

Orph sits with his eyes closed tears silently streaming down his face, "I did that already." he sniffles.

Zen smiles through his tears and lets out a wretched laugh... "Cry... hehe, cry! Maybe.. y... you's... see hows I felt!!!" He gets up yet again, this time moving over to a chair. "You's... ignored.... me... me tears... I's... ignores yours..."

Well that wasn't the answer Aikuen was looking for... so he thinks on what to do. He points at Zen, still looking at Orph, "You'll get your turn..." Then back at Orph, "Why did you force him to stay outside, And how did you hurt him?"

‘What right does he have to laugh at me. How many days and nights did he spend without food, water or light? How many beatings did he ever get? How many 'parents' kicked him aside literally at times? Did he spend his whole life just fighting to still be alive when and if he woke the next day? No, but I have. And no mouse former friend or not is gonna say that my Pa doesn't want me no matter what I've done.’ Orph blinded by rage lunges at Zen relaying on tooth, claw and instincts to make 'the stupid mouse' stop laughing.

Zen doesn't care if he gets mauled or not. He laughs more and more, even if he is about to get torn up. He thinks and grins, look at him! He's loosing it! Unfortunately, Zen laughs more! "HEHEHAHAHAHA!!! WHO'S THE STUPID CRY BABY NOW, /ORPHS/?!?!?"

Aikuen becomes instantly alarmed. He chases after Orph, and tries to grab him by the scruff of the neck, He is yelling, "William No!"

William is too fast for him to grab him by the neck, so Aikuen make a dive and tries to grab him by the tail.

Aikuen is able to grab William's tail, but not before he's on Zen clawing and biting at the little mouse all the while glaring at his 'prey' through blood red eyes.

Zen squeaks loudly at the bites and scratches, the mouse doesn't retreat back though. Instead he pushes forwards. He had one thing on his mind. He forgot to drop it, didn't he? With that, he used his wondrous skill of thievery to try and find the hilt of Orph's dagger! To his misfortune though, there was no hilt. There was no dagger. He only grabbed a pouch of some sort. He tugs at it anyways, finding that he's actually able to take it! Oh well, it's not much of a weapon, but it will do! All he needs to do is get close enough to the fire place, and he'll have this rat light up so well... Even though he's taking a rather bad beating, he smiles. He could finally light a beast on fire.

Orph sees the pouch. HIS pouch in the mouse's paws. "Give that b-" the mouse in front of the fireplace. He backs way quickly. He has enough sense to see that Mole grease + fire = bad. He growls at the mouse from a safe distance.

Aikuen pulls on Orph's tail to try to pull him off. He’s gotta keep them from killing each other! He yells, "Stop Fighting! Stop!"

Orph allows himself to be dragged back farther away from the mouse. He instinctively hisses and rattles his tail against the floor showing the mouse his anger.

Zen grins and laughs madly! Though his body is damaged, he moves with speed still. He thinks how lucky he was to have his da' show him how to move swiftly! Once he was close enough to the fire, he thrust the paw with the pouch forward and grinned. It was catching fire! He then turned and got to his feet. "Hey /ORPHS/ CATCH!!! Eh..." His eyes widened a bit, his jaw hanging open. He made a bad choice. He could feel the fire grow in his paw, far faster than he should have. In a monotone soft voice, "No..." He goes to throw it but, he's to late! He screams out loudly!!! His paw and forearm caught fire!! He dropped the pouch back into the fireplace, and then screamed helplessly at the flame burning through his habit and fur.

Orph stares blinking at this strange sight. So that's what it looks like to be burned. Anna from the field mouse family had had half her face burnt off before he'd met her. ... Poor Zen. He makes a lot of noise. I should probably do something. ... Why is it so hard to think? ... "Ugh. ... Zen? Z-Zen the ..." The rat shakes his head to clear it.

Aikuen lifts Orph, trying not to drop him since he moving so much. He get up from the ground, and gets a better hold on Orph. The pouch bounces off him, and doesn't catch his fur on fire. Then there is an odd smell, HOLY! Zen is on fire! Oh no Not good! He places Orph quickly on the ground. He runs toward Zen and picks him up. Regardless of the fire, he rushes him out the door, trying to get him into the pond as fast as he can.

Orph starts to follow but his body just won't obey fast enough. He lays on the ground for a few minutes letting the events of the day fade away as he rests a while.

Head clearer he slowly gets to his feet and wobbles outside. ‘Where did they go? Zen was on fire. Water. Find water. Got to, find water. Pond = water. Find pond, find water.

Water!’ William slumps down on the grass. ‘Found water. I need water? Maybe. Nice grass. Need sleep.’

Zen breaths heavily once he's been dragged out of the water. His left arm's brown fur looks nearly black now. He coughs a bit, but then lays there rather stilly. His eyes are open, slowly glancing around, but he didn't want to move. He couldn't. The pain was still there. He wanted to scream but he didn't have the strength, so he remained still.

Those burns on Zen’s arm do not look good, I mean its black! Aikuen tries to see if anything else is wrong... not seeing anyway, he picks up Zen Carefully. "Gatta get yah to the infirmary..." He heads off toward the entry, with Zen in his arms.

Orph opens his black eyes, "Ow darn light. ... Um what happened?! How did I ... what did I ... Zen! I gotta I ... he'd ... the infirmary!" the ratling hurries up and off to the infirmary to see if Zen is ok.

Zen squeaks and whimpers softly when he's set down. He starts to move as if getting in a more comfortable position, but he stops and cringes, squeaking out in pain. It won't stop, it won't stop! It hurts, the pain won't stop!!

Orph hurries in, "Is ... is Zen ok, Pa? I-I didn't hurt him bad did I? I … something happened. I- I'm sorry."

The door to the dormitories bursts open, a very irate mouse steps through. He looks the otter up and down saying, "Back again eh?" He pokes Aikuen in the ribs.

Orph steps behind his pa, "No, Pa isn't hurt again. Um, Zen got on fire. I think it might be my fault somehow. I don't remember all of it too good."

Aikuen is shoved back as the door swings open. Oh no... its the same healer from last night... He gets poked in the ribs, and says, "Zen just got burned on the arm, he needs some ointment and a bandage I think..."

Zen sniffles and sobs, trying to hold still but he couldn't! The more he moved, the more it hurt. He started to get a little more audible, sobbing and moaning and whimpering from the pain. The darkened fur on his arm seemed to shed off a little.

The healer goes over to one of the cabinets, and begins to pull out several objects. He laughs, "Tee-hee, You think? You think, but I know!" He pulls out a Flask, and a roll of bandages. He heads over toward Zen, placing the them on the bed next to him. He looks at the arm and laughs, "Tee-Hee, its quite burned there!" He reaches into one of his pouches, and pulls out a vial of brown liquid. Uncorking it, he ask, "Are you ganna take your medicine like a good boy, or do have to force yah!" Once again he laughs.

Zen was in no laughing mood. He blinks. His arm was in the care of this beast?!?! He opened his mouth to say something, but found he could only gasp for air and sob more, the pain still charging through out his body.

The healer can see that he is not going to get answer out of him. So he reaches out and tries to grabs a hold of Zens mouth, so he can get the pain killer down.

Orph, squished, wiggles out from behind his pa to stand beside him. He whispers to his father, "I think the healer needs some medicine."

Zen doesn't refuse much at all. His jaw opens up just enough, but no further. HE watches the healer carefully, drinking down the pain killer. He hoped it worked quickly.

Aikuen cant help it, he chuckles silently at Orph. He watches the medicine go down, he says to Zen, "That stuff works wonders"

The healer then goes and rips a bunch of cloth from the roll. He pours a bit of the ointment from the flask on to the cloth. He then dabs it on the entire burn.

Zen closes his eyes and winces at the touch, but luckily the medicine has a strong and quick effect, the pain slowly residing. He calms, panting softly. He also feels his eyes get a little heavy, but his eyes still glance around the room.

Orph whisper again to his pa, "Am I still in trouble? I- I don't know what happened exactly. I was mad at Zen for laughing at me and I thought about things that have happened to me ... bad things and ... it made me madder and madder and I - I wanted to kill him so he'd stop laughing at me and because ... because he said you ... y-you didn't want me." by now the rat dibbun is no longer whispering but crying softly.

Aikuen pats Oprh on the head, he continues to watch the Healer work. "We will discuss it later..." He then hears Oprhs last statement, So he kneels down and looks Orph in the Eyes, Wiping away a tear from him. he says softly, "I want you to know, that no matter what any other beasts says, I will, will always be there for you..."

Orph nods, wiping away tears with the back of a paw, "But you /do/ /want/ me, right?"

The healer finished placing the ointment. Laughing to himself, he begins to wrap the bandage around the damaged area. He chuckles some more, "Hee-hee His burn is everywhere!"

Aikuen brings Orph close to him and hugs him. He closes his eyes, "Course I do matey... Like you was my own son..."

Orph clings to Aikuen, "I hope Zen gets better. He can hate me forever if he wants to, so long as he gets better. And if I ever need a healer, I don't want this one." He stands hugging onto his pa, face buried against his side.

The healer completes bandaging the burnt area, Finishing with a very elaborate knot. He laughs, "There, He'll be fine now... though i don't know if he'll ever grow hair on that arm again, Tee-Hee" He heads off toward the dormitory, he turns at the door he tells the next oldest beast. "Bring him up here tomorrow night, preferable before my bedtime, and i will change the bandage. It should be just fine after that." He heads inside and closes the door, just about the time Orph says 'I don't want this one'.

Aikuen hugs tighter onto Orph. He looks up at the healer and nods. He then turns to Orph, "Alright William, What am I going to do with you..." He tries to say this easily, but it comes out sternly.

Orph fights back a smile at those old familiar words. Ma used to ... Denny's shirt! The sleeve was in my ... whew. I think the rest of the shirt is still in my - in Moledeep. I think. If … Oh, wait was I supposed to answer? ... "Was that a real question or not? Ma used to say that a lot, but she didn't want an answer when she said it."

Aikuen gets up and sits on the bed where Zen is. He places Orph on his lap. He smiles, it’s true he wasn't expecting an actual answer. He says, "Your right I don't need an answer...Well, you attacked Zen... twice if I believe... but Zen attacked back at least the last time, and tried to set you on fire I think..." He tries to think of a punishment, but he was never good at that, and the ones he did do, were never good.

Orph chews his lip some, "So, this would be worse than threatening a sneak with a knife. That got me stuck here a whole week being followed around by Brother Julian. His idea of fun is doing chores for everybeast until somebeast like Sister Sunrose says I'm not in trouble anymore. ... of course he might not like being stuck with me either after I bit him last time, but I'm sure he's got the stitches took out by now. So maybe a month stuck with Julian? Or do you have another idea?"

Aikuen looks strangely at Orph, He doesn't know that story about him. He asks, "You threatened somebeast with a knife!"

Orph folds his ears back and backs away, "I already got punished for it and talked with one of the Brothers and they said I could still stay at the Abbey and ... and that happened weeks ago and before you were my pa and I thought everybeast knew about it already. Corbyn was there and ... Archimedes was being a sneak taking food from the larder and passing it so somebeast, who may have been his brother and sister, on the other side. And I got mad at him and said he was stealing and told Corbyn to grab him so he wouldn't run away, but the sneak lied and said 'ya can't steal from th' Abbey' and all that. I tried to make him say the truth - the whole truth and he wouldn't and I remembered I had a knife in my pouch from Moledeep that I'd put there when I'd gone up north. I'd put it there incase some bad beast'd sneak up on me while I was exploring and try to drag me off maybe to be a slave and I didn't go back to my tunnel I came straight back to the Abbey. If I'd gone to Moledeep I would put the knife away then come to the Abbey, but I didn't so I had it with me when I saw that fellow being a sneak. Now I was a little bad at first 'cause I didn't do anything right off like I should have, but I thought he'd only took a little food cause he was hungry. After all I stole from the larder the first time I came here, but I haven't since then - it's too well guarded - anyway, I was eating a orange I got from the orchard and saw that Archimedes being a sneak and I let him. Then later when Corbyn and me when to look in the larder for some to eat a lot was missing and I got mad at that marten who I knew took it, so we went after him, except I was too mad to tell Corbyn why we were going after him and later when I did he believed the sneak and not me! So cause that sneak - you shoulda seen him Pa he was layin' here in the grass all smilin' and lyin’ making me look like a fool so I got mad and took out the knife and held it up to his throat and told him to tell the whole truth and ... and he kicked me good and my head got introduced to the kitchen path real hard. The worst part is that right as I jumped on him with the knife who come down the path right then saying she'd throw me out that fast," he snaps his fingers, "But Sister Sunrose. ... And things didn't get any better after ... with me havin' to be watched night n day by Julian. Not that he's mean, but he's sure is boring and not much fun."

Aikuen shakes his head, taking that all in. He was surprised that the abbey was so lenient, If he threatened a beast within the abbey with a knife he would have been kicked out anywhere else. Also he didn't understand why they didn't listen to Orph, Dibbuns sometimes lie but you can easily tell that they are. He decides to go easy on Orph, but only so much. "well, your not going to have to be with Brother Julian for a mouth or even for a week. Your not going to learn anything that way..." He scratches his chin, which he does when he is thinking. He shakes his head again though to himself mostly, "I’m not quite sure what to do...But you can be assured that there will be something..." He looks toward Zen who is sleeping right now. He sighs, "First I want you to apologize to Zen, even though he might not forgive you, you need to tell him... and be sincere..." He tilts his head, "You may have to wait until tomorrow..."

Orph nods, "I really thought they were gonna throw me out, but the brother explained that since I'm a dibbun the Abbey would rather I stay here then be out all by myself." He shrugs, "I did learn a lot of things though. I learned not to threaten one of Sister Sunrose's friends, especially not with a knife. I learned I don't like chores. And I got to see Benar do something very hard to do and very important, when he choose to not be a solider anymore and to join the order. I think Julian liked that part too. There might be more, but it was a long week."

Aikuen nods, well I guess he did learn something. "Well, you seems like to did learn something... but I’m gonna need something big, something...more" He scratches his chin again, an idea forming in his mind. He raises a brow at Orph, "William, how would you like to go on a little trip...

Orph's ears perk up, "With you? Where to? What kind of trip? I've been a lot of places already. I fell in the Moss river and I'm not dead. I went to Camp Willow and learned that I can't bring my dagger in there." He rubs at the sore spot on his nose, "Kip's sling is a teacher I don't want to learn from too often. He wasn't supposed to throw it, but he thinks he knows everything and said I was vermin and that I’d come to attack them. Kip's like that. If Zen doesn't want to be friends anymore I'll just play with Kip instead and maybe I can get him to do something other than racing. It's not my fault he swims better and faster than me. Of course a otter’s gonna swim better'n a rat. He thinks it’s so great when he wins. But he's my friend anyway."

Aikuen smiles and nods, "Well I’m thinking that after the Tournament, me and you well travel south from the abbey. Well visit some of the places that has had an influence on the abbey itself. Like Saint Ninnan's Ruins... Along the way ill teach you how be a scout like me. Learn to live off the land, be quiet as the wind, be able to track, and to run very fast!" He laughs at Orph talking about this 'Kip', "And if we have time, well stay at camp willow for a couple of days..."

Orph grins, "I've been to the old church before, thought about look up stairs, but it was too bad I mighta fell through, so I didn't stay up there too long. I know some about living off the land, if we ever go north there's a cherry orchard up there and a lot of farm land no beast works anymore. That's probably not quite what you meant, but it is land and I have lived off it before, while passing through it anyway. I think Kip'll like me better after he sees you. He doesn't know I have a pa now."

Aikuen says, "Well hopefully, he will... and we’ll visit many a different place, but mostly we will be living outside, the stars as our blanket, and the ground as our bed." He smiles thinking back, then coming back again, he continues, "I think a week will be plenty, and will stay at Camp Willow for ... three days."

Orph nods, "Staying at Camp Willow for three days and outside for four days. Or is it three?"

Aikuen says, "Outside, with little to no shelter for 4 days..." He smiles as if this is a good thing.

Orph shrugs, "There's trees and I can dig a little. I'm sure you know what to do, pa."

Aikuen stretches and yawns, "Course I know What to do!" He sighs and glances at Zen. Then back to Orph, "We wont tell anyone about this. But if they ask, don't lie. Tell them the truth, and say that your pa is handling it." He stands up and goes over to one of the empty beds, deciding it was too far and long of a walk to his room. Getting comfortable, he lays back and close his eyes. But he cracks an eye open, and looks at Orph, "Well I think its been a long enough day... I think its time for a little shut eye."

Orph climbs up onto the bed next to his pa and curls up for the night.

Groups:

• Order of Redwall