The Abbey Library, the Bloodthirsty Blisa, and Papa Oz (It ends slightly Bolts of Chaos TP)
Friends: Oz the badger. Blisa the cat and Ferdinand the ferret
RW Abbey: Library
The library is disturbingly empty of books and scrolls, and only a small fraction of the knowledge it should be able to hold is actually present and available for perusing. The beautifully crafted windows are well cleaned. Giving the library plenty of light during the daylight hours. This, combined with the room's high vaulted ceiling, causes a rather foreboding play of shadows in the corners and between shelves. The flagstones of the floor are cool and smooth, and echoes of clicks and thumps can be heard quite clearly when beasts walk among the mostly bare shelves. Brass lamps containing short, fat little white candles provide enough light for reading.
Light is beginning to filter in through the windows.
Exits/Entrances:
[G]reat [H]all [M]ap [B]ookshelf [B]ookshelf of [W]oodland [L]ore
[B]ookbinding [R]oom [H]istory [B]ookshelf [B]ookshelf of [B]iographies
[P]oetry [B]ookshelf [B]ookshelf of [S]tories
Contents:
Abbey Charter
Oz is sitting in one of the chairs, a quiet room to get away from most beasts and this is the slightly more dark coner of the library.
Blisa gently and quietly pushes the door open and slips inside, her ever-present friend Ferdinand carefully following behind. They make their way over to a table, and the kitten sits down as the ferret goes over to the History Bookshelf and draws out a thin volume. Sitting beside Blisa, Ferdinand opens the book to the first page and begins to softly read out loud to his little charge...the story of Guinivere, brother of Tsarmina. Neither of the young beasts have noticed the badger sitting of in his dark corner.
Oz hears them as he looks over, he shakes his head as he digs in his vest pocket for a pair of glasses and places them on as he gets a better look at who is over there, he stands and decides to walk over watching the ferret closely, "Who are you?" He glaces at Blisa a moment and gets a little closer before he is able to see at least he knows her, "Blisa?"
Ferdinand jumps, and the book falls shut. As he tries to figure out what to say, Blisa smiles brightly. "Papa Oz! This is Ferdinand, the bodyguard Daddy assigned to me for, um, well, basically forever. How are you?" she slips out of her chair and goes to hug the Badger Father. The ferret relaxes slightly and smiles. "That'th me. Blitha'th bodyguard. How do you do?"
Oz smiles at the hug, returning one of his own, he nods "I see, well a bodyguard is good to have and I been fine, off and on headache but fine and no headache right now, came here to relax a little as its quiet and not so bright as some of the other rooms right now."
Blisa nods and crawls back into her chair. "I'm glad your headache is gone. Ferdy was about to read me a historical story. Would you like to join us?" Ferdinand smiles, but is a little nervous about reading to an adult and apparent Abbey Elder.
Oz chuckles a little, "I have heard alot of the stories in here and read them also,...still read them sometimes, but need my glasses to read now, not read in a few weeks though" He shurgs at this, "Oh well..so how are you Blisa?"
Ferdinand puts a hand-made bookmark (I wonder if he made it?) where he had stopped in the book, smiling gently as he listens to Blisa's response: "I'm pretty good, Papa Oz. Nightbreath, Ferravale's Seer, is teaching me self-defense without weapons, and Daddy's here and he's safe, and I've talked to Flicktail and Leon and DoraRose -- their babies are so cute and tiny! -- and I get to have blueberry scones every day!" she stops to take a breath, smiling at the thought of all these wonderful things.
Oz smiles "I have seen the dibbuns, they are tiny.." He sighs and goes to clean off his glasses and places them back on as he mutters to himself.
Ferdinand gazes closely at the badger as Blisa gets back out of the chair and goes over to Oz again, taking hold of his paw with a worried look on her face. "What's wrong, Papa? Are your glasses wrong? Ferdy can clean them if that's it. What's wrong?"
Oz looks down at Blisa "Just some dust on them is all, all is.." He stops and offers a small smile "All is fine." He sounds slightly worried but doesnt show it, he sits down in a chair by the table.
Ferdinand raises an eyebrow slightly. Blisa, on the other hand (or is it paw?) smiles hopefully. "Are you sure?" she gently lays her paws on his leg, being extra careful to avoid his knees, remembering how Stormfeather had stabbed the badger in the knee almost four seasons ago.
Oz smiles, no reason to worry a dibbun, he nods "Yes, pretty sure or its the lighting in here not sure, either way its still nice and quiet up here and it did help my headache go away, stayed out to long by the pond and got a headache so came in here for few hours."
Blisa nods happily, gets back into her chair, and starts to flip through the book, searching for illistrations. Ferdinand, however, is not so easily fooled. He purses his lips, looks at the badger a little longer, then breaks his silence. He does change the subject, however. "Tho, um, Thir Oth....Othth....uh, Ozth...*sigh* wh...what ith your job here at the Abbey?" Stupid lisp. Why can't he talk properly?!
Oz answers, "I am the dibbun caretaker, I care for the little ones here, I have also been helping out with gathering crops for fall and bringing them inside the abbey. I also teach the dibbuns reading, writting and some math, as well as abbey charter and rules." He smiles "I do have help at times from Sister May when needed."
Blisa has started to read from where her bodyguard had left off, totally engrossed in the story. Ferdinand smiles. "I underthtand a little. I'm teaching Blitha here all I know about thothe thubjectth, ath well ath a few other thingth, like fithing and woodthcraft and thingth like that. Who'th Thithter May?"
Oz nods as he listens, he glaces at the doorway before focusing on Blisa again and her guard.
Blisa scoots down in the chair a little bit, focused on her reading. Ferdinand continues. "Thir Thcioto altho teacheth her reading and writing, and thome dagger moveth when he hath the chance. And the'th learning thome other thkillth here at the Abbey. Do you think I thould teach her thewing and other thkillth along thothe lineth?"
Oz says, "Sewing could come in handy, maybe how to cook simple foods, also some healing skillls...I know healing skills, would of learned more had I stayed in the North but had my reasons to leave"
Ferdinand nods, and would say somethng, but suddenly Blisa's attention switches from her book to the conversation. "What about healing skills? I've learned some."
Oz smiles "Thats good, simple first aid is good to know and which plants are safe to eat in the wild, things of that nature is good to know."
Blisa nods and sits up. "I'm hoping to learn about poisons! That would be cool. But Ferdy says I need to learn which plants are safe first." The ferret nods, sighing as he wishes that she'd let go of her fascination with killing people.
Oz frowns, "Poisons are not something to learn about, its better to learn of other life saving herbs and how to use those life saving herbs"
Ferdinand almost laughs aloud as Blisa slumps and sticks her lower lip out a little. "But...but I..." the ferret shakes his head. "I agree with Thir Ozth. You ought to learn inthtead about how to help creatureth, not harm them." the kitten sighs and slumps down in her chair. Nuts...
Oz says, "Yes, then you can learn to save a life, what herbs stop bleeding, or treat a cough, or maybe heal a wound or bruise...even muscle pains"
Blisa blinks slightly. "There are herbs that stop bleeding?" Ferdinand smiles gratefully at the badger.
Oz nods "Yes there are..Cayenne is one of them"
Blisa cocks her head to one side. "Is cayenne that funny smelling red stuff?"
Oz chuckles, "It is red, can be used as a spice also but also slows bleeding on a wound...not like a major one but most others, yes"
Blisa wrinkles her nose. "I don't like the smell of that stuff. It makes me sneeze. DoraRose says that marshmallow plants can help burns get better faster. She also said that they like to grow in wet places, such as marshes and swamps. Is it true that swamps smell funny?"
Oz shrugs "I never been to the swamps, so wouldnt know..Aloe also helps burns"
Blisa nods and asks her next question. "I've never seen an aloe plant. I heard they grow in the Southern places. Is that true?"
Oz nods "I think so, we have some beasts bring them to us here at the abbey"
Blisa smiles slightly. "What kind of beasts? Do they live down there?"
Oz smiles, he rubs his forehead as he answers , "Probally south"
Blisa insists. "What kind of creatures are they? Are they like us? Or do they look different."
Oz sighs, He hmmms as an abbey sister taps him on the shoulder, he frowns deeply" Then take the dibbuns somewhere safe...now" The sister nods and quidckly rushes out of the library as the badger groans, yes his headache is back now, he looks at Blisa "We can discuss this further later on young one, something has come up"
Blisa blinks and sits up, and the tone in Oz's voice catches Ferdinand's attention, too. "What? What's come up?" The ferret stands and picks up the kitten and the book. "What'th goign on? Ath a guard and the bodyguard of the Cheiftan'th daughter, I need ot know if we are in danger. Pleathe tell me."
Oz says, "Mareks Horde is prepareing to attck the abbey, they are on the road right now..the abbey sister just told me and has taken the dibbuns somewhere safe for the time being"
"Daddy!!" Blisa suddenly starts fighting a little. Ferdinand tightens his grip and purses his lips. "Thould we take Blitha to that thame placthe?"
Oz frowns "Your father is probally in the battle, it would not be wise to go anywhere near it, and it may be wise as she could easyly be a target right now."
Ferdinand nods as his little charge settles down, suddenly scared of the idea of being a target. "Where thould I take her? Where are the otherth hidden?"
Oz says, "They are somewhere safe, Sister May can tell you is you ask" He goes to led the way there "Come lets go, dibbuns may need me to stay calm"
Ferdinand nods and follows, all buisness. Blisa clings to him and the book, trusting that the ferret will protect her, and worried about her father. They make it to the safe place and stay there during the duration of the battle.
Thanks for reading!
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