Thou Shalt Be Happy or Be Mauled by Otters
Characters: Aikuen, Ella, Venei, William
Location: Moledeep
Moledeep: Tunnel Entrance (Outside)
The otters are outside. Aikuen is by the pile of planks that were cut yesterday into usable materials. Stripped of bark placed all along a row. Aik ponders over a the pile. With a mallet. Fira and the twins are semi far away. Enjoying the summer weather. The mother reading to her little ones. Ella and Venei sit next to her, listening intently. Though slowly watching Aik in his work.
William comes around down the path from the kiln, no surprise there. He's hot dirty from working all much of day away and the day before and the one before that come to think of it. He's been busy lately. "What're ya doing?" he asks Aikuen as he draws closer to where the otter is.
Aikuen smacks at a piece of wood with his mallet, "Hey Billo... I'm just building a bit of a cart, aye." he chuckles, "For kidnappin Mole, to bring here!"
William chuckles, "Aye. Oi baint seen no molers ere cept thet one th foxyotter brung one toime." Will's mole speak has gotten rusty from lack of use but he still knows it some what. "What is it really for, Pa?" he asks talking common English again, "Or were you being serious?"
Aikuen winks at Wills mole speak, "And hopefully it wont me the last matey." he pats his mallet against his paw, "Kidnappin moles!" he snorts with laughter, "Nay. Im not bein serious. Everyone needs a cart. And why not us?"
William shrugs, "I don't know. We have a wagon already and there was a wheelbarrow somewhere but it was old."
Aikuen shakes his head, "Aye. But those are but tiny things. This one is gonna be big enough to have multiple seats. AYE seats. And then enough for stuffs, as well!"
"Tiny?" Will repeats skeptically, "I don't think the twins would agree with you. The wagon was made to hold two smallish Tazan otters who aren't very tiny."
Aikuen nods, "Ayeaye. They are still gonna love your waggon. This is more for work. Im gonna use this wooden beast-to-be to carry stuff from the abbey. As well as others who wish to come back here. Mostly. Its for us when we pack for the boat trip. Half to pack for a season for sevearl beats. Thats a lot of junkyjunk mate."
William nods. "Yeah it is. And there's a lot of us going too." He chews on his lip a bit, "When do you think we'll be ready to go? It'll take a while to finished th cart and pack everything but we'll still need to walk or ride to th shore an buy a ship." No to mention drop Amy off at Redwall but one thing at time.
Aikuen goes back to hitting wood against other pieces, "Lets see... If we continue our efficiency... I say will be done about... 4 days. Pending if Kentar can get metal/make the axles and the wheel covers... That's what im waiting for now, is the axles" he hrms, "Ship. Im not too worried about. A few days to look around. Already have an idea from the receipts i got awhile back." he nods, "Be on the ocean in... two... maybe three weeks."
"Ok. And how long if Kentar goofs up?" Will doubts the stoat will mess up the axles but if he does Will wants to know how much longer it could take.
"A week for the cart then. After that, im gonna beat Kentar with a stick until it gets done." Aikuen snorts, "Why do you ask Billo? We will get there, when we get there..."
William puts his paws up as if to say 'I don't know' "I was just wondering. Is it a crime to ask when we'll be leaving again? And my name is /Will/ which I'm sure you know by now." the rat adds annoyed with the new nickname he seems to have earned.
Aikuen shrugs, "No, its not. But you seem to be very interested in the exact damn time we will be leaving. You keep asking 'if' and 'when'. I cant help it if im a curious as to why you needed the day we are leaving..." he shrugs and snorts at the next part, "It is Will. William actually. So tell Amy that, Billy..." he says flatly.
"That's different," the rat is quick to say, tail swishing just a little at whatever he thinks the otter is implying.
"So Amy can give you a nickname, but no one else can?..." Aikuen slams a few wooden nails against the boards, "Whatever William..." he aligns a few more boards and aims a few more nails.
William sits down ignoring the otter's comment. He's quiet for a while, trying to keep from doing something stupid and yet not really wanting to go back to the kiln just yet though it would probably help if he did.
Aikuen goes back to aligning the boards across each other. Making the bottom part of the cart itself. He uses wooden nails to keep in place. And at key points, switches to iron nails. He does this for quite awhile until Fira pops on over. Squatting down, "Hey." she asks. Aik blinks and looks up, sitting on his knees, "Yes...mmmm" ah he gets kissed. Fira chuckles quietly, "Im going in for a drink? Want anything?" she asks. Aik smile and kisses her again, "Thanks, water would be nice." Fira smiles warmly before heading off toward the entrance. Dragging her paw against his back. Aik chuckles, "...Where did my kids go?" he hrms.
William glances up when Fira comes over and offer a half hearted wave in greeting but his stepmother isn't of much importance to him right now and he doesn't seem concerned that the twins aren't with her. He should be concerned but he has too much on his mind to worry about self preservation.
Aikuen blinks and looks up, toward the tree that they were at. Ella and Venei are both at the tree. Looking and reading the book that Fira had left. Aik places his claws between his teeth and blows a few short blasts. The twins drop the book, before running over to Aik, "We is here Dad," Ella says firsts, both lining up in front of him. Aik nods, "Good girls. Now..." he leans forward and whispers a bit in each ear. They both giggle and glance toward the rat.
William has calmed down some but is as happens at times dead to the world lost in his own mind. A very dangerous place to be for many reasons.
Aikuen nods at the both of them. And gives each a little pat on the head before saying, "...Okay... Go get 'em!" he laughs as both little ones go and tackle the rat at his arms. Trying to pin him to the ground. The otter are getting on in seasons. They are not little anymore.
William is jerked out of his thoughts roughly when something or more like two somethings attack him! They seem to be around mouse size or bigger but much heavier. The rat squeaks in surprise as his sisters appear and try to pin his arms down. He eyes them quick enough to recognize them and smirks a little. After so many seasons of tunneling his arms quite strong and thick. They otter twins may have their work cut out for them as their big brother isn't going to just lay down and let them win. Will pushes against them with his arms and chest trying to stay upright. If he can do that the rest will be easy.
Ella and Venei wont make it easier for the rat either, "Gets down Brudder!" they launch jump and try to push him down over and over again. Aik laughs at the whole thing before getting up and standing over the group. With a Very evil grin on his face, "...Otter pile? Yes?" he asks, putting his arms up.
"Never! And you'd better not!" come from the 'victim'. If he can mange to stay upright he'll try and lightly swat the little otters with his tail. Not very hard just enough to to make them let go. It's not like he has a sharp spike on it or anything. He's seen what they do to Chris and he does not want to be smothered by otters.
None of the otters let him do anything. Cause as soon as Will said 'Better not'. Aik says, "Too late!" he says slowly coming down upon the rat. Otter pile! Oh yes. It comes in three's.
"Meep!" Will eeps and not wanting to be flattened he does his very best to get out of there. Any scratches the otters receive will be accidental but the rat has decided the otters play much too rough for him.
Aikuen holds himself enough not to even lay on the rat. Though when the rat does scratch. The twins decided to fight back and they start to bite the rat back. Once again all in good fun. Aik notices notices this and tweaks their ears, "Stop that. You two... No biting. And Will! No scratching you!" he chuckles.
William wasn't meaning to but fight or flight kicked in before reality. The rat would have nipped back at the otter bites from instinct but they stopped so he has no reason to. He tries to scoot away from the otters slowly. Don't want to look like prey. A hard task for a rodent. "Sorry," Will says still moving away from the otter, "I didn't mean to. ... Now I know how Chris feels all the time."
Aikuen chuckles and sits down, his kids going to crawls and attack him. Now that the rat is done. Aik beats them back with a flat paw, "...Ah is okay matey. And Chirs has gotten used to it!" he laughs, "Now. Are you gonna stop being moody? Or do i have to stick them on you again!" The twins giggle.
"Please don't tell me you added 'Thou must be happy or thou shalt be mauled by otters' to the list of rules," Will jokes. He doesn't want to be attacked again ... well not surprise attacked anyway. He sighs, "She hasn't changed her mind about not going with the rest of us."
Aikuen chuckles as now Ella is pulling on his neck, "Ugh... I cant help you with that mate. That's her problem. And i have pointed that out too you. Though i did say you can stay with her. I would actually recommend it." he nods, "Its not right for a wife to be away from her husband for so long. I know i wouldn't with Fira." he nods and chokes.
"I'm going on the ship," Will says with an air of finality. Yes he may be miserable but gosh darn it he's going!
Aikuen shrugs with a chuckle, "Well okay then. Sounds like that its final. But maybe you can convince her to come anyway...." he nods, "OH AYE! I know she gets sea sick. But if we give her one of the main cabins. She will barely feel it. And not only that. They have medicine for that sort of thing. Just a thought..." before falling down as his kids attack him.
"I've already tried talking to her. It didn't go very well," the rat say rubbing the back of his head.
Aikuen holds off his kids, shaking his head, "Well... I guess its still her problem then... Not even gonna try for her husband... Then hitting him..." That what he got from it. He shakes his head a bit more before there is a higher pitched whistle. The kids automatically stop attacking Aik and run toward the entrance. Where Fira is.
"I think there may be more to it but I don't know what. And she didn't hit me. Got kinda mad but she didn't hit me. Don't know why you'd think she'd do that." Will's gotten better at hiding her staff and he needs to improve his whistling before he brings ottery doom on himself again it seems.
"Cause Amy is Amy. And you rubbed the back of your head. Like you are ashamed of it." Aikuen shrugs, "... It was easy for me to assume. Sorry." he shrugs again, getting up and dusting his butt, "...And i think its time for lunch." he waves at Fira, who waves back, corralling her kids into the tunnel, "You can lay on the ground all day if yah wish to matey!" he laughs before chasing into the tunnel after her.
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