The Warriors' Depression or Another Soldiers' Heart

From Redwall MUCK Wiki


Srry it's short.

Redwall Infirm Recovery

Emyuil; mouse. DoraRose;mouse. Caleb and LilyMoore; Baby mice.

DoraRose has been moved into the recovery room, and she is now slowly waking up again. Her Dibbuns have been returned to her side after Zork babysat them for a while and they fell asleep. The warrior stares at the ceiling, feeling physically and emotionally crummy.

Emyuil wakes up slowly, pushing himself up to sit up straight, clapping a paw to his forehead. "Ugh," he groans. "_That_ hurt." He's pretty steamed at letting himself get messed up in battle. Dizzy or no, he ignores the nearby Healer's protests and hops to his footpaws and stumbles to DoraRose's side. "Sis, are you awake?"

DoraRose looks at her brother and smiles slightly. "Are you sure you should be standing? That was an awful wound you got."

"I was more worried about you than me," Emyuil says with a hint of good-natured defiance about him. "I figured, what's one arrow?"

"Ah, but I got the arrow in my arm. You got it in your side. Why would you be worried about me?" DoraRose is bluffing, but most creatures wouldn't be able to tell.

"I know what happened to you, 'rose," Emyuil says. HE can tell, he's lived with her for many seasons of his short life. "I know what came over you. I never knew it could but I saw."

DoraRose swallows and stares back at the ceiling. She refuses to admit it. Refuses to admit anything.

Emyuil sits down on the side of the bed. "Please, 'rose, what's wrong? Why are you fighting me? Please don't shut me out."

DoraRose's paws begin to shake, and a tear falls out of the corner of her eye. "I feel like a monster...I...I did what Leon didn't want me to do, and I let the Bloodwrath take over me, and....and..." she sobs, rolling onto her right side and curling up into a fetal position.

Emyuil lays a paw on his sister's shoulder. "Don't cry, 'rose. You're not a monster. You did what you had to do to win the battle. If anyone in our family is a monster...It's me. I slaughtered dozens as they fled in my wandering years. Fell from the path. If anyone's the monster," he repeats, "I am. Don't blame yourself--I encouraged you to fight."

DoraRose shakes her head and sits up. "Please don't say that! You're not one anymore! You're better than that. Oh, Emmy!" She wraps her good arm around his shoulders and bawls.

Emyuil hugs his sister, closing his eyes slowly. Frustrated at being unable to find remorse for all the vermin lives he's taken.../Am I?/ he wonders silently. "'rose...I love you," he murmurs. "And I feel your pain...you're never alone, got that? Never."

DoraRose nods and hugs him tighter, keeping her face buried in his shoulder until she's cried herself out. She slowly falls back asleep, exhausted from the Bloodwrath and blood loss and everything else.

Emyuil drifts off, beside his sister, his eyes gleaming slightly beneath his lids as dark and light, pleasure and pain, good and evil intermingle within his scarred mind. Half-Rat or Streamstone, slayer or savior...or maybe...both?

Thx 4 reading!