The people come, and the people go...

Redwall : Great Hall

A youthful brown-furred, blue-eyed mouse is sitting by the fire in a rocking chair, sewing to beat the band. This is none other than DoraRose Strongheart, resident warrior and newlywed.

A squirrel wanders up the the stairs that lead to Cavern Hole, sees the mouse and greets her, "Hellae there ma'am, how are ye doin' taeday?"

DoraRose jumps, pricks her finger, and looks at the squirrel all in one motion. Even though her finger is now bleeding, she keeps her composure and good manners and smiles. "I am well, thank you. And how are you?"

Maria looks at the bleeding finger and says, "oh, sorry! Ah didn't mean tae startal ye...and Ah am doin' great...dae ye need a bandage?"

DoraRose also looks at her finger. "Yes, that would probably be a good idea." she stands, puts her sewing things in a little basket at her feet, then picks up the basket, looking like she intends to get the bandage herself.

Maria looks at her and, after a little bit, asks, 'Um, whae are ye might Ah ask?"

DoraRose mentally begins kicking herself for not saying who she is. "My apologies. I'm DoraRose Strongheart." she places the basket over the elbow of her injured paw and holds out the good one politely.

Maria says, "Oh, sae yer Dorarose...heh...Ah have heared a great deal about ye, the way everybody talks about ye." She then smiles. "Ah was begening tae think that ye didn't exsist...well, Ah am Maria McGrive, and 'tis nice tae met ye finaly."

DoraRose laughs lightly, throwing her head back a little so the sun shines on the long, thin, healed scar on her left cheek. "I do wish they didn't talk about me quite so much. And it's nice to meet you, too." As if by magic, a novice healer appears beside her and murmers in her ear. Taking the basket from her arm, the warriormouse holds out her paw to be fixed. "You have a lovely name, Maria."

Maria, still smiling, replies, "As dae ye Dorarose."

DoraRose blushes and look genuinely touched. "Why, thank you. Ouch!" the novice jumps and begins apologizing profusly, to wich the warriormaid assures him that it's alright, she knows he didn't mean to. He fineshed quickly, then vanished, going back to whatever he was doing. Smiling, the mouse indicates a chair. "Would you like some tea? I'll go get it."

Maria stops for a momant, and says, "Well, okay." she then sits down in the chair.

DoraRose nods with a smile. Setting her sewing basket down, she heads to the kitchen, and soon returns with a tray of tea and goodies. Pouring Maria a cup of tea, she hands it to her and offers a plate full of treats on it. "Do you mind my asking how you came to Redwall?"

Maria says, "well, Ah just..hmm...Ah guess Ah just came up thae path and came here..that would be last spring...I think...How'd ye came here?"

DoraRose shakes her head. "That was dumb of me...I should've worded my question better. My apologies." she sighs. "I came here following the fox that murdered my baby sister. I came from the Eastern Plains, which I know better as Tuscani."

Maria looks at here at the word 'Eastern' and then asks, "How far north where ye on thae east plains?"

DoraRose cocks an eyebrow and smiles slightly. "Not very. If I have figured it out correctly, I lived quite a ways directly to the East of here."

Maria says, "Oh...okay...ah'm sorry for yer loss...Ah know how it feils tae lose someone ye love..."

DoraRose smiles enigmaticaly. "It is a rather unforgettable experiance, no matter how hard you try. Do you mind my asking who you lost?"

Maria says, "Nae...well...my father and mother...and Ah don't even know if my older brother is still alive..."

DoraRose looks into her tea. "I'm sorry. I learned a few weeks ago that my parents had died after I had left home."

Maria looks at her. "Oh...again Ah am sorry...."

DoraRose sighs and sips her tea. "Thank you. I hope you find your brother alive. Do you mind telling me his name, so if I see him I can tell him that you're looking for him?"

Maria says, "well, his name is John..."

DoraRose frowns, thinking, then her face lights up. "John! I met a squirrel named John when I first came here! I'm afraid I don't know where he is, though. But last I knew, he was alive."

Maria asks, "Ye did?! He's alive?!...well that is good news! how long ago did ye see him?"

DoraRose flushes. She was really hoping Maria wouldn't ask that. "Last summer, I'm afraid...but I think I have heard rumors that he's still alive somewhere."

Maria stands up, and says, "Thank ye for the tea Dorarose, but I just rememberd that I have to go do...somthing. Goodbye!" and with that that she goes to the kitchen.

Ahndia comes down the stairs from the infirmary just in time to see Maria leave. The young squirrel watches her leave, and smiles at DoraRose. "Hi!" All of a sudden she gets about thirty different questions to ask, and a few comments, and she gets a funny look on her face as she tries to decide what to say.

DoraRose made the mistake of trying to drink her tea just as Ahndia gets the funny look on her face, and so nearly chokes. Somehow recovering, she smiles at the squirrel. "Hello."

Ahndia flicks her tail, deciding not to say anything at all, and she pulls a chair over near to the older mouse. "How're you?" Ok- she'll say one of the things that crossed her mind. "I really enjoyed your wedding!" She smoothes out some of the wrinkles in her habit distractedly.

DoraRose smiles and digs out the spare teacup and saucer she always has for if she accidentally drops her cup. Pouring the dibbun some tea, she puts in lots of honey and hands it to her. "Why, thank you. I'm well. And how are you?"

Ahndia reaches for the cup, smiling gratefully, and at that moment, Casper comes down the stairs, looking around the corner. He waves at DoraROse and beckons to AHndia. "Sorry, DoraRose- Odira wants her daughter for something!" AHndia sighs and stands, waing goodbye as she leaves.

DoraRose waves, then frowns....who's Odira? Hmm....oh, yeah, she's a healer....The warriormaid shrugs. She'll meet her later.

A little while later....sorry this is getting so long...

DoraRose is sitting by the fireplace, sewing at a crazy speed, rocking in the rocking chair. Her index finger on her left finger is bandaged, but she doesn't seem to be too worried about it.

Fourstone comes in from the kitchen, a pilfered cookie in his right paw. He seems content and as he sees DoraRose he gets curious and starts to sneak over, being surprisingly shifty. Then again, he /is/ a DAB dibbun.

DoraRose hasn't seen the dibbun yet, and continues to sew rapidly. Reaching the end of the seam, she holds it up and smiles in satisfaction. It is turning into a new dark yellow dress for her very nicely.

Fourstone behind DoraRose's chair, by this time somewhat visible. He peers around the side of her chair and asks in a whisper. "What 'ch doing?"

DoraRose jumps and succeeds in stabbing her paw again...fortunatly, it isn't deep enough to bleed this time. Smiling in a friendly way, she replies, saying, "Making a new spring dress for myself. How are you?"

Fourstone frowns at the stab and says, still whispering. "You ok?" He takes a bite of his cookie and shrugs. "I good. Why you want to make a dress? Can't someone else do it?" Oh, so kind of him.

DoraRose smiles and shows him her paw. "Yes, I'm fine. And I like making things for myself. It makes me feel good."

Fourstone nods reasonable. He can understand the successful feeling of doing something, especially when it is pranking one of the elders. He shuffles to the side of her chair so he can watch her sew and as he does this he breaks his cookie in half, offering the part that has not been eaten off of to DoraRose. He looks over the stiches in the dress and frowns. "How do you do that?"

DoraRose smiles and accepts the cookie half. "Practice...and like this." she wraps the cookie in a handkerchief she just happens to have in her pocket, then begins the next seam on her dress, showing the dibbun and going much more slowly than she could.

Fourstone watches the sewing carefully, taking it all to memory. This could come in handy for some sort of prank! He still keeps his voice at a whisper. "You sew a lot?" An odd question, but then again, this is not a practically un-odd dibbun

DoraRose nods, not taking her eyes off her sewing. "Yes, I do. Nowadays it's mostly mending for the Abbey." A healer novice pops her head and and beckons to DoraRose. Sighing, she gathers up her sewing basket and gently places a paw on Fourstone's head. "Take care. See you later." and with that she's gone.

I had to leave here...thanks for reading!