They have no idea about the Abbot (until near the end): In the Redwall Abbey Gatehouse Loft
RW Abbey: Gatehouse Loft
This room is as wide as the one below it, if not quite as tall. The roof meets at a visible point above your head. There is a single window that looks out over the entry area of Redwall, but it is quite small and has thin pale blue curtains partially drawn over it. The room itself appears to have been very recently remodeled by a skilled craftsbeast and it also has been well furnished with a wooden bed frame that is complete with a head and footboard, two small chests of drawers, a simple chest sitting at the bottom of the bed and on the floor is spread a thick woven rug. The bed is just the size for two beasts to sleep in it comfortably and it is covered in a mid-weight blue blanket and made complete with two pillows. In one corner of the room, is a beautifully constructed baby cradle. The entire area has a very peaceful, secure feeling about it with few shadows but rather soft, warm light spread by several candles placed strategically about and a lit oil lamp hanging from the rafters.
Exits: Climb [Down] the Ladder
LilyMoore the mouse. Leon the mouse. Zarok the monitor lizard.
Leon is still sleeping and usually he wakes up fairly early but not today. One he has been busy the last few days with regular stuff he does plus trying to keep an eye on Lorimis and checking on Streamheart off and on as well. He has missed breakfast and will most likely get grumbled at.
LilyMoore has been washing the breakfast dishes, as can be seen by the huge wet spot on the front of her dress. After a few minor catastrophes, she has been sent to the gatehouse with a fresh bandage on her injured paw. Slamming the door to the loft open, she wipes a few rogue tears off her cheeks...then gasps as she sees her father. Cringing, she goes to hide behind a chest of drawers, hoping he either doesn't wake up or doesn't see her.
Leon jumps as he wakes up and rolls out of bed, he is tangled in the bed covers and does his best to get free, "What the...what happen, who needs help?" He manages to get somewhat free and frowns as he finds himself on the floor and mutters "Great..."
If the mousemaid wasn't so upset, she'd be laughing fit to burst right now. Instead, LilyMoore just slowly stands and shuffles over to her father, offering to help him stand up. "Sorry, Dad. I thought you were in the Infirmary. I didn't know you were asleep up here..."
Leon looks up at his daughter and with help manages to get up, "I was..." He looks at her tear stained face and frowns, "What's wrong?" He also sees its very light outside and frowns more but that can wait if he was needed they would of surely of gotten him...right?
LilyMoore sniffs and wipes her eyes with the back of her bandaged paw. "Oh, I'm just mad. I'm wanting to do my chores and get them over with, but I accidentally knocked the washtub over, and while I was helping clean up the mess, I scraped the back of my paw and ripped of the scabs. Nana said that I need to not get my paw wet for a while again." After a short pause, she adds, "Nana also told me to tell you that nothing serious is happening in the Infirm, and that you should relax and she'll get you if something big happens."
Leon nods as he fixes the bed covers and sighs, "Alright then, then you should listen, its always good to listen." He grumbles something under his breath as he fluffs the pillow a little too much and sits on the edge of the bed becoming more awake "I missed breakfast didn't I?"
LilyMoore nods. "'Fraid so. But don't worry--I'm the only one who knows where you are, so you won't have ot worry about the Friar grumping ta you about it." She tugs on the end of her bandage, obviously not content with it, but not comfortable enough with it to leave it alone.
Leon nods "Well I have already had one beast grump at me, don't need another one" He doesn't say who grumbled at him as he looks to her paw, "You should leave that alone, unless its too tight honey. It wont heal very well without the bandage." He goes to look at her paw if needed.
LilyMoore holds her paw out. "It's too tight, but I'm afraid that if I try to loosen it it'll fall off." She allows her father to look at her paw and retie the bandage if he wants to. "Who grumped at you earlier? Did they mean to? Nana and Momma grump at me allot, but I guess I kind of ask for it." She looks down, still afraid that someone's gonna get mad at her for somehting.
Leon frowns "Don't worry about who, they just didn't feel well and beasts can get moody when they don't feel well." He does redo the bandage and smiles "There, all better and don't worry on washing dishes for a few days see if you can do something else"
LilyMoore really, really, /really/ wants to press and ask again who grumped, but she doesn't. She's trying to avoid getting people mad at her.. "Thanks, Dad." as the bandage is rearranged, an...odd smell wafts up from her paw. She wrinkles her nose. "That's the rub Nana put on my paw. It's smells awful. *sigh* I guess I'm going back to sweeping and dusting. Great. Just lovely." She flops onto the bed and glares at the bandage.
Leon goes to give her a hug, "Its alright, things will be ok your see. How long did you have to do extra chores anyways?"
LilyMoore sits up sullenly and allows her father to give her a hug. "The Friar said at the Feast that a week of dishwashing was my new punishment for trashing the kitchen. I did the dishes from all the meals yesterday and the day before. It would've been fine if the stupid washtub hadn't fallen over. It's not my fault I'm clumsy!" She bursts out, waving her paws about angrily. "I didn't mean to whack it with my elbow! It just happened! And if the pan hadn't fallen onto my paw, it wouldn't've gotten scraped!" She crosses her arms and stares into her father's face, her own hard from her frustration. "Right?"
Leon listens as she talks and waits to reply "I am sure he knows it was an accident and wont make you do even more chores and your week is almost over right?"
LilyMoore scratches her ear as she thinks for a moment. "Well...um...no, /I/ don't think so. I've only done 2 day's worth of chores, so I have....5 days more to go of dishwashing duty. And then--the Abbot said I can learn how to ring the bells!" She goes to grab her father's sleeve eagerly, an excited, almost rapturous look on her face.
Leon smiles "That sounds fun, who will help you learn to ring the bells? Maybe you could soon be the bell ringer for the abbey"
LilyMoore freezes, then blinks a couple times. "Um....I forgot to ask. Who should I ask about that? Should I ask the Abbot?" Furrowing her brow, she adds, "Dad, what's wrong with the Abbot? I found him in the Bell Tower, coughing like he was trying to get a lung out. Is he alright?"
Leon first answers the first question, "I am unsure whom to ask on helping in the bell tower.." He pauses, "When was Lorimis in the bell tower?" He was not told of this and so has no clue it was before the feast.
LilyMoore blinks. "He was in there the day before the feast, after lunch but before tea-time. He said he had gone up the stairs to look at the bells but came down them too fast and gotten winded."
Leon hmms "It's possible maybe, wish he of told me...then again" The last couple words are muttered under his breath, he then speaks again "I have not see him today yet, then you know he is probably doing abbot duties...." He mutters under his breath again "Not that he should be doing much right now"
A scaley head pokes up through the what-do-you-call-it in the floor, the door thingy. Trapdoor, that's it. Anyways, Zarok pokes his head inside the loft. "Hiyazzz!" he rasps cheerfully.
LilyMoore tilts her head to one side as she stands. "Why did he need to tell you? What's wrong with him?" As the trapdoor opens suddenly, she gives a little shriek, grabs a pillow (the closest projectile) and throws it at the lizard, before realizing that he's a friend. Wincing she calls out, "Sorry!"
Zarok yelps and ducks, and there's a loud thud as he slips off the ladder. He shakes his head at the foot of the ladder before scampering back up warily. "Izz 'kay." He flops down by LilyMoore, the juvenile monitor's eyes filming over a little.
Leon looks at the lizard head and nods a hello "Hello Zarok, did you need something?" He frowns and sounds worried "Was I needed anywhere?"
LilyMoore goes to give the monitor a side hug, her white bandaged paw obvious as it stands out against her green apron. She suddenly goes to grab her father's arm and hug it tightly. "Yes! You're needed here! I /need/ you! Desperately." She's smiling as she says this.
Zarok gives a funny little purring noise and leans into the hug. His tail stretches out and thumps a little bit, like a dog's. He puts one powerful (for his age) arm around Lily in return, sighing contentedly.
Leon blinks at the tight hug and then relaxes, ok he must not be needed anywhere, everything is ok then so he smiles "I don't have any plans to leave, if I am not needed in the infirmary right now I can just relax"
LilyMoore nods, her smile turning into a grin. "Like Nana ordered. Great seasons!" She yelps as she gets encircled by a very strong, scale-clad arm. "Yo. You give good hugs." She then snaps her fingers and adds, "Hey, you went through that special class the Abbot teaches possible warriors, right?"
Zarok nods. "Yar! Flicktail wazzz teaching me how to fight bettersssss." He gives a toothy grin. "Iz hard but good."
Leon nods but he sighs a little, and walks over to look outside quietly as if thinking.
LilyMoore sighs wistfully. "Flicky's said that if he can convince the Abbot and the Friar, he'll teach me to be a Warrior, too. But I think first I need to learn how ot ring the bells, like the Abbot said." The almost rapturous look comes back to her face.
Leon frowns a little as he listens, he is still looking out the window, "Warrior...hmmms, I dont know.." Yeah his mind is so elsewhere.
"Whazzz there to know 'bout bellz?" Zarok hisses curiously. "You juzzzt pullsss the ropesssss ,yessss?"
Leon manages a small chuckle and looks back to them, "I am sure there is more to bell ringing than that, besides you have to be careful with the bells and know all the differnet types of rings of the bells"
Lily's eyes widen as she stares at her father. "Different types of rings?!" She wriggles away from the lizard and makes a sweeping gesture with her paws. "Do you think I'll be able to remember it all?" She asks anxiously.
Leon smiles "I am sure you will in time...I mean there is one for meals, for danger, one for weddings...one for...well other things"
Zarok grins. "You meanzzz whensss hatchlingzzz comezzzz?" he giggles. "You'll do fine, hatchling," he says to Lily.
LilyMoore isn't sure what to think of being called a hatchling, but then she decides to just let it slide. "And for funerals. And I remember them ringing the bells when Mariel and beasts like that came back from journeys."
Leon frowns , "Yes...I suppose so but lets hope we don't hear that one anytime soon"
Zarok rolls his neck with a contented growl. He snaps his jaws a few times and breathes deeply; he's a bit drowsy from the warmth in here and outside. His instincts are telling him to find a rock and bask for a while.
LilyMoore nods and looks to the floor. Upon hearing the lizard snap his jaws a few times, she glances at him and gives him a funny look. "Dude, that's kind of creepy. Just so y'know."
Leon looks at the lizard oddly
Zarok looks embarrassed. "Meep?" He hunches his shoulders and looks down at the ground, going a different shade of vibrant green.
LilyMoore giggles, covering her mouth with a paw. "Um.....you're fine. You're cool. Don't worry." She goes to rub his back reassuringly.
Leon shakes his head "I may go check on a couple things, " Or rather sneak into someone's room maybe, yes he was kicked out but that wont stop him, then again he probably isn't in his room even.
Zarok makes that purring noise again at the backrub and arches his back, almost like a cat leaning into a good petting. He leans around to nuzzle the mousemaid with his snout, almost like he's tickling her.
He is tickling Lily, and she squeals and hides behind her father, going to hug him tightly around the waist and not let go. "But Dad! We haven't just hung out together in, like, forever! Pleeeaaaaassse stay!"
Leon starts to go down the ladder and sighs, he nods "I ..guess, I mean if they need me they can let me know, I am sure they would let me know something important, they have too" He sounds concern though.
The young monitor gives a rasping chuckle at Lily's reaction to tickling. He pokes her playfully with the tip of his tail, then acts innocent and looks away.
LilyMoore looks up at her father's face, concern showing on hers. "What's wrong, Dad? Nana's in charge of the Infirmary, and if something big happened she's send for you, I know she would." She absently tries to catch the lizard's tail-tip, not really looking for it.
Leon nods "Well I am sure all is well in the infirm, no one is in there but a vole with a broken toe," Yesh Lorimis was in his room, the room Leon was kicked out of.
Zarok sniffs the air suddenly and bolts off, his tail slipping free from LilyMoore's grasp.
Leon watches the lizaard bolt off and shakes his head "He is...odd sometimes"
Leon smiles "I don't need help with anything but your right we do need to spend some father and daughter time together"
LilyMoore grins. "Can you teach me about healing? I want to be able to help beasts...even though I'm planning on being a warrior." She stands up a little taller.
Leon says, "It is important to know healing, and a warrior should know healing as well""
LilyMoore nods eagerly. "Okay, so....where should we start? Nana's already taught me how to clean a minor scratch. What next?"
Leon stays standing and smiles "Well I could tell you some herbs for different things and show you how to hold pressure to a wound...take a pulse, you know basic first aid like all abbey beasts should know and you can watch me and Angela also maybe, unless its something major then no .."
LilyMoore claps her paws and twirls around on the balls of her feet. "Wonderful! How do you take a pulse?" She asks eagerly, ready to learn.
Leon smiles as he shows her, "The wrist and also the neck like this...is main areas to find one." Well least he is doing something to keep busy and teaching healing also, something he enjoys teaching.
LilyMoore goes to try and find it on her father. "How do you know if it's not right? Like, if it's too slow? How's it supposed to be?"
Leon answers, "Normal is around...60-75ish...faster or slower can be bad."
LilyMoore nods, filing that information away, then she starts and stares wildly out the window as the Matthias bell begins to toll by itself. Slow. Measured. Quiet. She clings to her father's sleeve. "Dad! What's happening?!" She whispers, her voice full of fear.
Leon smile fades as he hears the bells tone and starts to get pale. "No..." He says quietly. He hopes he is wrong, maybe someone else died...not who he thinks, please not who he thinks.
LilyMoore just stares out the window, her body frozen, like a statue, as the bell begins to toll. "What does it mean?" She wails desperately, her blue/violet/hazel eyes wide with terror.
Leon starts to go to the doorway, "It..it means...means.." He clears his throat "Some beast d...died"
LilyMoore gasps and covers her mouth with a paw. A knock can be heard on the trapdoor, and a squirrel Novice sticks her head in. Tears are coursing freely down her cheeks as she says, "The...Mr. Leon....*sob* Abbot Lorimis is dead!" The Novice breaks down weeping as Lily begins to shake. "No. No. NO. NO!" She screams the last word as tears flow down her face. "He can't be!" The Novice just nods miserably as she sits on the top ladder rung.
Leon hears the words, or maybe he didnt but it keeps playing in his mind, "W...What?" He drops to his knees..."Nooo...not Lorimis...no no no...should of just went back....into..." In his mind he just failed, he should of just disobeyed and stayed put, then maybe that would of been worse he thinks and this just makes him more stressed and he then passes out, yeah the Master Healer is out cold.
The Novice struggles to get her sobs under control as she goes to check on the Master Healer. LilyMoore lets loose a strangled sob and bolts down the ladder, out the gatehouse door, across the open ground. She is headed to the cellars to hide so she can weep in peace. Darkness soothes her. In her mind, she caused the Abbot's death with all of her disobedient acts. She honestly, truly believes that she sent him to an early grave.
Leon is out cold still, this is...great...not
Thank for reading. This is so sad :(
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