Walks can be intresting sometimes

--On the road north of abbey--

Boris is off to the side of the road, leaning on a tree and slides down coughing, but seems to be coughing up blood.

Leon is out walking, a short walk to get his mind off things, when he sees Boris and at first tenses up and then stops when he sees the blood and goes over slowly, "Boris?"

Boris coughs and looks at Leon, "You...just leave, ok." He spits some blood out; the front of his shirt is stained in it.

Leon still bends down "I know you seem to hate me and my family, but your hurt and I am a healer"

Boris frowns, "Got inna fight at the Black Gull, seems they dislike mice there..this weasel and me fought, then he stabbed me, and kicked me few times..managed to get out here..and...yeah"

Leon listens as he goes to check on how bad the wound is, checking around it and checking for other wounds, looking in Boris eyes, he takes note of the coughing up blood, "Coughing up blood never a good sign"

"No kidding" He says starting to sound weaker, his pulse is weaker too and his breathing labored, upon close inspection and by feel, a healer could tell a dagger blade broke off inside Boris chest, and it seems moving as made it worse, internal bleeding most likely.

Leon frowns, he gently feels around the wound and notes swelling, he sighs and looks at Boris, "When did this...happen?"

Boris answers, "Couple..hours.." He moves and suddenly jerks in pain as he makes the blade sink deeper into something and shivers, he coughs again and seems to have a hard time getting his breath.

Leon blinks, "Whoa, don’t move...your make it worse, the blade of...what was it?" He shakes his head, "Think broke off inside you..look I am unsure if I can help you"

It seems being near death and knowing it changes a beast, he frowns.."Dagger...look..Leon...f..forgive me, and...tell Corinne I am..s..sorry too" He coughs as his pulse starts to flutter and his breathing is slower."I..I had reasons, or so thought...never wanted anyone ta..die, thought I could help own..mate, couldn’t...also sorry tried to make you not return in time, didn’t want her ta...to think couldn’t help her."

Leon tilts his head, "Couldn’t help who Boris?"

Boris smiles weakly "Renee....I did love her, and...didn’t mean to..to lie on you being...gone, thought just give her less to worry on...made her worse and she died...then you came and so needed someone to blame but...but me, I am so so sorry, forgive me."

Leon checks the pulse, weaker, he nods "I...forgive you."

Boris says, "Thank you...and you don’t have to tell me,...was a fool to fight and now gonna die, just tell... Corinne went on some long peaceful sleep or other""

You say, "I don’t like to lie"

Boris nods as his eyes start to close, "Yes..lieing bad..so d..don’t...and bury me in the woods ok....and Leon.."

Leon sighs, he is disliking the fact he feels to be failing as a healer, "What ?" He asks quietly

Boris gets out "Marlena..still alive."

Leon eyes go wide, "Mother?"

Boris nods weakly as his eyes close, and he goes limp.

Leon asks "Where?!..." He looks at Boris and sighs quietly, he knows he is dead, he stays sitting beside him for who knows how long before he stands and goes to gently pick him up, first thing first respect the bury him in the woods request, step two…find his mother since Boris said she still lived.

--woods later on---

Leon walks along in the snow, so far the day had started as a simple walk to clear his mind, then he runs into Boris only to fail at saving his life, he sighs and blinks as it starts to snow harder and gets a little turned around, also he failed to eat anything since yesterday, he eeps as he starts to fall through some thin ice on the creek, he starts to move and then falls through, he grabs a branch and pulls himself out and groans as he passes out.

Marlena happens to come by, she goes to help pull on the branch and pull the other mouse to safety, she frowns and goes to get him inside somewhere.

Marlena gets the younger mouse onto a cot and quickly gets a wash cloth and dips it into warm water and goes to wipe his face when she looks him over slightly, "Adam?...No....couldn't be"

Leon eyes slowly open, "My..name is Leon...where am I?"

Marlena gasps again and backs up, "Leon?" She shakes her head and slips out a locket looking at it and then to him, "You are Leon...you look so like your father"

Leon blinks a couple times getting a clearer look at the mouse maid now, "How did you know my father? And yeah..sort of look like a younger him maybe.."

Marlena sniffs and starts humming, rocking slightly as she holds the locket, she then sings what should be very familiar song to Leon, "Close your eyes, little one. Come paint some dreams on a pillow. I will be here, to keep..Away away harm little one, Dreams come as a river will flow. So sleep now and dream, yes have sweet...dreams. The stars and moon say good night and I say sweet..dreams."

Leon blinks, "Mother?"

Marlena smiles "Leon...sweetheart." She then has to ask "Where is Renee...and your father? Close by?"

Leon goes to hug her tightly, tears...then more as the question is asked, "Dead...both less than a season ago, of some illness, while I was away, and just earlier today her mate Boris...died, but of injuries in a fight of some..sort and I ..I couldn’t save him, and I failed Renee and father too"

Marlena blinks herself at all this info coming to her at once, silent tears go down her face.."What?"

Leon nods, "Father died...found out, sent a message to confirm what heard from...Boris, father died half a season ago and Renee bout season and half, same time I left village not that you would know" He sounds slightly upset, "You left when me and Renee was little, I was 2 seasons and she was 3...and you disappeared and didn’t brother returning" He now steps back “Why?"

Marlena frowns “Sweetheart...please, I didn’t plan on being gone that long, I had left, yes, but was only to be gone a few weeks" She sighs as she remembers, " I was asleep when a fox woke me up, he took me as a slave and took me even father from you guys, to the northlands..I was there all those seasons till he got tired of me and sold me to some ferret, the ferret was kind and feed me better and shortly after he bought me he just....let me go, told me I was free and I was so joyful and my first thoughts were find my family"

Leon folds his arms over his chest, at fist not listening and then grows curious and listens more carefully.

Marlena repeats "I am sorry Leon, I so very much wanted to be home..but why did you...leave home?"

You say, "I..felt it was my fault for Renee and so left...part of me did look for you, but after a short while thought maybe you were dead and so wandered around till I got to Redwall Abbey""

Marlena goes to hug him "No..it wasn’t, and not your fault on this Boris either sweetheart"

Leon sighs, he hugs back and then "Oh no, I have to get back to the abbey"

Marlena says, "The...abbey? I have seen it but way too many....you go back""

Leon frowns "What..no, I just found you and, you can’t stay here, what if the weather gets worse, and your age"

Marlena shakes her head, "My age , my age...age is how ya feel dear, not a number"

Leon says, "You can’t stay a hermit, its not healthy, come on the snow has eased, let’s go"

Marlena seems unsure but decides to trust her son.

--Back at the abbey--

Leon smiles, as he steps inside, he looks back to see if she has decided to enter or not.

Marlena has not been around others for...well may seasons and it shows, she frowns at the large building and all the beasts, looking rather on edge, "This many live here?...On 2nd though, maybe...I like my hut better, there only me"

Leon frowns, "Don't go, least yet please, like the rest of the day to be...good not stressful"

Marlena looks back to Leon and sighs, "Alright...for now"

Leon nods "Let’s go inside...before it decides to try and snow bad again and the fact I been..away most of the day" He heads inside.

Leon walks in and finds some soup left over still from lunch and bread, he gets some water too and walks over to Marlena, "Here."

Marlena seems to like it in here, alot less beasts, she smiles at the offered lunch, "Thanks sweetheart and if it makes you feel better I may stay a couple days, no more though not use to others really."

Leon sits down, "You can get use to others again, beasts are nice here, umm..one thing the champion is a fox, but he isn’t evil, he is nice and...well maybe your find out if he wanders into here, he is busy sometimes."

Marlena coughs on some soup, "A fox?!...I can’t see a fox being good, I just can’t, I most likely would run or hide if he came in here."

Leon blinks, "He is..." He then remembers and sighs, "It’s alright, don't worry about it right now, just thought let you know in case saw him so you wouldn’t be afraid of him."

--After this Marlena had to sign off--