(closed, lurkers welcome) Quest to Noonvale!

[Mari]

OOC: The Out of Character forum is here - http://redwallabbey.com/forum/index.php?topic=6352.0

Right now the topic is currently closed, but if you would like to join please read some info from the topic up there.

BIC:

Spring was coming to an end!

Redwallers, young and old alike, were very much looking forward to the summer. Winter had been bitter and cold, moreso than usual, with icy blasts from the north making every creature huddle close inside. Spring had been much more lenient, with pockets of flowers springing up here and there, and sparrows heralding the start of warmer weather. But summer, o summer! This one would certainly be one to remember!

Nameday was not yet upon them, but everybeast within the great sandstone walls was excited about the prospect of a great feast.
It was dinnertime already and all were chatting about what exactly to name the summer. Abbess Minerva, a wizened grey mouse swept down the length of Cavern Hole and heard snippets of conversation.

"...'ow's about Summer of the Bee Stings then, eh? The blighters must've tried biting every bit of me they could reach!"

"Very funny, but I'm partial to the Summer of Happy Sparrows. I've never seen them so delighted for the warm sun!"

"Sparrows? Those fickle creatures? Let me tell y' something..."


But Abbess Minerva never got a chance to learn whatever it was to know about sparrows, because she had now passed the conversationalists on her way to speak with someone important - Rustin Leonardo Prickleback, or, Leo.

He was Redwall's current Champion, famous for having refused the Sword of Martin, a tough and noble creature. It appeared that he had either finished his dinner or just arrived, as he was not sitting with the rest of the chattering lot. Abbess Minerva approached him with a smile, and began to speak:

"Good evening, Leo. There is something I must discuss with you... as you are very well aware, there is a stoat in our midst. She approached me with a strange request some time ago, and I feel as if I need to speak about it with you..."

Minerva's eyes flickered over to the lone stoat, eating carefully and watching the rest of the Redwallers warily, none of which had the desire to approach her. She had arrived earlier in the day, hopelessly lost and needing directions, and also down to her last bit of bread. Apparently she had been traveling for a full season. How she survived the brutal winter was a mystery in of itself, but she was here now, sitting alone at a small round table. To her credit, she had relinquished her poleaxe readily in return for food, and scouting patrols reported there were no other vermin hiding in the woodlands. She really was alone.

Minerva went on: "She says she is looking for a place called Noonvale. Yes, Noonvale. I do not know how she knows of the name, but she insists that this place is her destination. She has requested the assistance of a path-finder; someone to help her on her way. I think the best creature for the job would be you, young Leo... Noonvale, as the ancient records show, is a very peaceful place. To give away its location, I think, would be a terrible mistake. At the same time, we cannot refuse her service. So, after a bit of pondering, I decided that if you went with her on this journey, you could discover what kind of creature she is, and whether or not bringing her to Noonvale is a good idea. You may refuse the request, but I believe this is the way to go about this... perhaps you would like to go speak with her."

[W0NWILL]

Leo tugged his headspikes respectfully to the Abbess, listening eagerly to what she had to say. When she'd finished, he didn't hesitate before saying, "Ah've nevah refused a chance at adventrue. So Ah see no poblem headin' to Noonvale wit 'er."
The good hedgehog tried not to show it in front of the dignified abbess, but he was very excited at the prospect of adventure and going to Noonvale, which he had only heard stories of.
"Only problem Ah see is that Ah don't 'ave a clue where Noonvale is." It was true. Leo was never taken to dusty old books and scrolls, and had only heard the tales a couple of times when the reporter had read it aloud, and if there had been any other clues to Noonvale's location, the reporter had not read it aloud. That or Leo had fallen asleep before that part. Both were very possible.
But he then grinned, "The stoies tell it's up noth, so 'ow 'ard kin it be?"
Leo tugged his headspikes again, walking backwards toward the table, "Ah'll go speak wit 'er now."

After nearly tripping over his own feet, the clumsy warrior turned to face forward and made his way over to the small table nodded a greeting to the stoat. Touching and pulling of the headspikes was a respectful gesture, reserved for abbesses and the like. Not for lost stoats.
"Ah'm Leo," he said, "The abbess says ye need a pathfindeh."
He sat across from her, trying to exhibit signs of being comfortable with the fact that he was sitting with a stoat: a murderer.

[Mari]

Minerva watched the hedgehog go, before racking her brain for a moment. Long ago, travelers had brought a riddle to Redwall Abbey, telling the Abbott that at the end lay the location of a secret place. There was no doubt that this place was Noonvale. Excellent, then. She would retrieve the poem for the duo, and in the meanwhile, pulled aside a mousemaid who was gazing at Leo with a dreamy air.

"Please start making two packs for our travelers. They have a long way to go, and they are both strong creatures with healthy appetites. Consider that!" finished the Abbess with a little smile. The mousemaid answered with an affirmative smile and curtsy, and ran off down to the kitchens to begin packing the supplies for the two. Minerva watched her go, and then turned on her heel to find the recorder. They would know where the poem would lie... probably under seasons of dust, but still applicable.

Redmane looked up from her half-finished dinner and sized up the creature before her. Hmm, a hedgehog. Tough beasts, to be sure. Sometimes very stubborn. This could potentially pose a problem... but at least, Redmane thanked her lucky stars, he wasn't an otter. She could only imagine what those riverdogs thought of sea-commanding corsairs. Instinctively her paw reached for her poleaxe, but of course it was gone. Instead, she placed both paws onto the small table, her claws tapping rhythmically on the wood.

"M' name's Redmane. Tell me then, d'ye think y'got the guts to go find this place w'me?"

Her voice was a bit strained and hoarse; as if she hadn't been using it for quite some time. She cleared her throat and parched her gullet with some elderberry wine. Not damson wine, sadly, but it would do. She put down the flagon and wiped her mouth with the back of her paw, and a smirk settled on her face as she gazed across the table at Leo.

[W0NWILL]

Twigger, the old, squirrel recorder, was snarfing down a deeper'n'ever pie when he was approached by Minerva. Pie filling caked the mouth of the usually dignified squirrel humorously. He swallowed quickly and wiped his mouth, "I'm sorry, Mother," he said, "what brings you here?"

Leo grinned in good humor, deciding to look past her species, for now. He decided he would act just as he would with another hedgehog until she gave him a reason not to. It was a charade, if a rather flimsy one.
"Guts is me middle name!" He said, "You're lookin' at the bravest in the abbey." His chest swelled in self-pride. He paused then, probably realizing he was being rather ridiculous. He put his paws down on the table, now noticing the smirk on Redmane's face.
"Ah most cetrainly got the guts," he repeated, "We kin leave tomo'ow."

[Mari]

"Good evening, Twigger," Minerva told her recorder, barely suppressing a chuckle, bringing a paw to her mouth. She put her paws behind her back, and began to speak again: "Do you remember, many seasons ago, when the Abbott before me welcomed strange and wonderful guests into our Abbey? And with them they brought a poem that they said was from their homeland? I haven't looked upon it in a very long time, but I'm very sure that this riddle concerns Noonvale. I've asked Leo to accompany - Redmane, was it? - on her quest to the North, and I think that the poem would help them immensely. Could you help me find it, do you think?"

Redmane reached over for a half-eaten scone and chucked it into a mouth full of sharp teeth. They glinted in the torchlight of Cavern Hole, and despite her smaller stature, the stoat did look a bit intimidating. There was also a large slice of fish on her plate, which she had halfheartedly begun to eat. Fish was nice, but where was the roast woodpigeon? She wanted real meat... curse these little grass munchers...

"On th' morrow then? Not t'night?"

She paused, and then thought of a comfortable Abbey bed. No doubt if she were given a room she would be heavily guarded, which made her a bit antsy, but it had been a long time since she felt a clean sheet under her tired body.

"Right then. Morrow it be. Got to be awake early and sharp-like, y'hear?"

Her body language, despite her tone, gave her away. She was sort of shrunken away in her corner, her tail tucked around her legs... the stoat imagined that this must be what a mouse must feel like in the middle of a vermin horde, surrounded by enemies. On a ship, a beast could just jump overboard and pray hard; here, she was rather trapped. The Abbey creatures wouldn't do a thing to her, she told herself, but still. Redmane, ashamed, felt a bit frightened.

[W0NWILL]

Twigger thought a short moment, scratching his chin, then nodded slowly, "Yes, I think I do remember coming across something like that before. I think it was somewhere in the gatehouse. Started with 'Place named after midday' or sommint" He pushed back from the table and stood up, taking a big stretch.
"Should we go find it now?" He asked, scratching his full belly.

If Leo could read her body language, he didn't let on, though that small, rather proud smile, might of been slightly mocking her.
"Needs a good naht sleep, a body does." Leo said, "Ah'll be up jus' fahne, provided it ain't a beastly hour."
Leo stood then, not waiting to hear her answer, and made his way over to one of the main tables. His stomach was growling something awful(a reminder of not having eaten since lunch), and he grabbed a bowl of fruit salad and dug in whole-heartedly, now eyeing a platter of fried veggies like he might go for that first. The hedgehog was not known for stinting himself, and now that he was going traveling, he reasoned he could do with a little more padding around his bones.

[Mari]

"Yes, that was how it went," replied Minerva with a nod. She waited until the squirrel was ready, and then proceeded to lead him out of the Abbey. The grounds were still and quiet, with only the warm summer breeze wafting in from the south. The treetops rustled in the light wind, and the Abbess took a moment to admire the beauty of her lovely home. She wondered what the corsair thought of it... and once again considered the thought, of whether or not it was such a good idea to lead a stoat into Noonvale... but Leo, bless his young heart, would be able to handle the matter adequately.

Once the duo reached the gatehouse, she waited for Twigger to pass and step before her. In the meanwhile, she looked up at the starry night sky, and wondered, for a moment, what the sky looked like on the deck of a ship...



Redmane!

That was a name that would one day strike true fear into the hearts of coastal creatures, Redmane had sworn this oath secretly to her father. She was no stranger to death and killing; her father had many enemies on the high seas and even as a babe Redmane had crouched safely in the coils of rope tucked away in the corner, watching Sharkface laugh madly while swinging his crimson blade. When she was young, it had been important to stay out of the heat of battles. Enemies liked to target her, recognizing her as Sharkface's daughter by their shared scarlet fur.

Redmane shut her eyes and shivered slightly, remembering how close a scarred rat had gotten to running her through with a curved sword, before Catsclaw the ferret had leaped from behind him and thrust a pike into the rat's skull. She had been young, not strong enough to fight yet, and Catsclaw had not been much older, but still. That had been the moment that sealed their friendship. Catsclaw took the little stoat under his wing and taught her how to make her Captain father proud.

Her eyes snapped open and she stood up, pawing again for an invisible poleaxe. With a sigh, she approached Leo knowing that now many pairs of eyes had lifted up and were now watching her. Carefully, she went around him so as not to appear to be popping up behind him, and her eyes fell on the fried veggie platter as well. Grass munchers or not, it did look good...

"So, I hear y'some type uv warrior. Now, 'ow did tha' come t'be?"

Being casual, Redmane, and you will survive this ordeal.

[W0NWILL]

Twigger didn't pause to enjoy the wonderful early-summer evening, being focused on his task. He was barely inside the gatehouse and he was nose-deep in books and scrolls.
"Here! No, here it is!" He held the scroll aloft in triumph, and stopped dead when he saw the mess he had created.
"Oh," he realized, then seemed to shrug that off and picked his way back to the open doorway, "Anyway, here it is." He affirmed, and unrolled the scroll so Minerva could read over his shoulder. It read:

To go the place named after midday,
From the north-leading path one must not stray.
Past forest green you might call home,
And further north than white-capped dome.
One must tread the wild plateau
That contains danger lurking from below.
Watch out for worms of slit tongue,
And make haste for the safe river long.
The rapids hold death, but also hope,
For the elusive side stream one must grope
If they want to see the vale of noon.
Continue on: your journey ends soon!

Leo popped a grape into his mouth, and began his tale, always ready to show off, "Well, it stahted when Redwall was attacked by this fox, wit 'er 'orde. She wanted Redwall, and fought to get it. While that was goin' on, Ah got a dream, from Mahtin the Wa'iah."
The hedgehog now pointed to the tapestry, depicting Martin standing strong, with all sorts of vermin fleeing from him. Rats, foxes, and yes, stoats.
"'E told me to leave the abbey and fahnd 'is sword. It had been lost a while back, y'see, when its last 'older drowned inna swamp. Ah, bein' a rebellious sort, didn't listen tae 'im an' tried to fight that fox meself, wit only a little sword anna shield. Ah lost." He looked fairly self-conscious then. That part had not been his best moment, "Ah ran away, decided tae listen to Mahtin an' found 'is sword. Ah came back, kilt the fox, and hung up Mahtin's sword. Ah got no use for it meself."
He pointed again towards the tapestry, but this time to the sword above it, "That's Mahtin's sword, right there. It's kilt many-a-vahmint."

[Mari]

"There are a lot of warnings here," murmured the old mouse, squinting at the faded words, reading the poem in the dim light of the moon. Redwall's warrior would have to travel to the far north, this seemed evident, and no Redwaller had gone so far in seasons. They were enjoying an era of peace, and the Abbess was pleased with this. In all, it was a clever little riddle, giving advice and warnings alike, as well as hope. Still though, she worried for the two travelers. Corsair or not, the stoatmaid was still rather young. Leo was also still in the beginnings of adulthood. With a sigh, the Abbess put her paws in her habit sleeves and told Twigger this: "I have a feeling the two of them will want to leave as soon as the sun rises. We'll have to give them these directions in the morning, along with their supplies..."

Redmane's eyes flashed as she examined the tapestry. Honestly, the whole thing seemed like a joke! Who could imagine a mouse in armor, cutting down hordes? There were stoats in the pictures too, and she had to stop herself from snorting with laughter. She looked over at Leo, as if expecting him to tell her he had been pulling her leg the whole time, but no. This history seemed very real. Incredulous, the stoat continued looking over all the woven pictures, listening to the hedgehog tell his warrior's tale. Redmane smirked inwardly, thinking of Leo battling a fox with a tiny blade. Lost, indeed!

She looked up to where he was pointing, and her heart soared. Look at the size of that stone! And the sword, so shiny and perfect looking... she couldn't believe it was hanging here, dead, when it could be out, alive! There were small words carved just under where the sword was hanging, and her sharp eyes spotted them after a few seconds. It read I AM THAT IS, but Redmane had no way of knowing that. Instead, she pointed and asked the hedgehog, "That, there. Whassit say?"

[W0NWILL]

Twigger nodded agreement, "Young beasts like that, they'll be halfway there by breakfast, they'll leave so early." he snorted, amused, at that(through frankly, it wasn't very funny), "I'll go let the friar know, all right?" he marched off toward the abbey, not realizing he was still holding the scroll.

Leo stared a few seconds until he realized what she was pointing at, "That's AH AM THAT IS. An anagam, left by Mahtin for Matthias, another wa'iah of Redwall. It led Matthias t' kill Cluny the Scrouge." he grabbed a small piece of pepper from the fried veggie platter and munched it reflectively, "There's a lota histroy in Redwall, Ah don' know it all, not me area; ye better off askin' somebeast else." he stood and stretched, "Ah'm gonna go to bed early tonahght, before we head out. Ye should too." Redwallers tended to supper late, meaning the moon had risen not long before. Leo walked slowly towards the stairs, planning on getting his weapons in order before going to sleep.

[Mari]

{{Sorry for cutting ahead so fast to the morning, btw! If you have anything to add from the night please feel free too.}}

Minerva opened her mouth to call out to the energetic old squirrel, lifting her paw in the process, but then paused and though better of it. Twigger would be here all the same in the morning; what did it matter who held the scroll? Instead, a yawn bubbled forth and she clapped her paw to her mouth. "Oh dear, it's quite late," she murmured to herself, hurrying towards the main Abbey building to get some well-deserved sleep...

As Redwallers cleared out of Cavern Hall, stumbling to their dormitories, a few sneaked some suspicious glances at the young stoat. She was still there, staring up at "Mahtin". He looked so carefree, leaning on his sword, surrounded by beasts of all nature. All vermin. Redmane glared up at the picture, baring her teeth slightly as she spoke quietly, "Don't care, mouse. Y'don't scare me, Redmane. I was born in dead o' winter, y'hear? Dead o' winter!" Satisfied that she had put the portrait in its place, she turned on her heel and went straight for the private little room the Abbess had provided. As she had suspected, there was a nervous looking mouse and a stout looking otter waiting for her to enter. Redmane ignored them and pushed open the wooden door, and heard it close with the click of an outside lock.

No problem.

She hopped onto the bed and rubbed her aching footpaws, then threw her paws behind her head and stared up at the ceiling.

Her eyes shut slowly, and she had an image of that strange warrior mouse, leering at her...

--

Leo would have a rude awakening, it seemed. The stoat was inches from his face, crouching by his bed, looking annoyed and visibly frazzled. Her red mane looked quite unkempt and the fur of her tail was sticking every which way. It appeared she had not enjoyed a good night's sleep.

Redmane stared at the slumbering hedgehog. He wasn't awake yet! How come?! She didn't want to shake him and risk accidentally injuring a paw on a pricker so instead began speaking, directly into his face, "Lee. Leo. Leo. It's morn! chicken crowed ages 'nd ages ago! We got t' be on th' path!" By her were two rucksacks full of supplies and food. Redmane had not gone through hers yet, but had been impressed by the weight of the supplies and durability of the material the sacks were made out of. Good enough for her.

"'Nerva 'nd tha' ol' squirrel, he be out there wi' her, 'nd they waitin' on us!"