Wildcat Attack!

[The Skarzs]

Argunath stood uncertainly for a moment, then went to the "visitor's chair" to sit down.
It broke beneath his weight.
Looking around at the astonished faces around him, he removed the fragments of the late visitor's chair, mumbling that he would be fine sitting on the floor.

[Cornflower MM]

OOC: Argunath and Arya are early.

BIC: Arya heard splintering wood and turned around, and saw Argunath on the floor amidst the remains of the visitor's chair. "Oh! Well, it was a bit rickety anyway." She said, telling the truth. "Good thing that our carvers decided to replace it, and were going to tonight."

[The Skarzs]

"Oops."
He rose to get rid of the broken pieces. Great, he thought. I'm going to destroy everything here. This place wasn't built for creatures like me.
"When will the Abbess be here? I need to ask her something."

[Jukka the Sling]

Kaylan the young ottermaid entered Cavern Hole for a moment to see if dinner was being served yet. She immediately spotted a large cougar standing by a pile of splintered chair. The ottermaid had heard about some big cat visiting Redwall, and she had been surprised that the Abbess would have permitted such a thing. After all, there was an army of wildcats coming to attack the Abbey, and there was a very real possibility that the cat was a spy. And now here he was, right in front of her, with her new friend Arya close by.

She stood at the bottom of the steps without speaking to the cougar, but nodded at Arya. But at the same time, she was wondering why, with the threat of war looming, nearly everybeast seemed to trust the cougar - what was his name, Arkumath? Well, she definitely didn't trust him. He's totally a spy, she thought. She'd already mentioned her suspicions to several other Redwallers, but hadn't had a chance to talk to Arya about it yet. The ottermaid mounted the stairs to Great Hall and ran a paw over the bow and quiver of arrows slung across her back. I just know he's up to no good. I have to convince Arya. I just don't get why nearly everyone I talked to blindly trusts the Abbess even if she allows a CAT into Redwall. She headed up the stairs, intending to go to her room for a little while before dinner. She determined to talk with Arya later, when Argunath wasn't around.

The ottermaid wasn't naturally malicious - she was well-liked by her friends - but her prejudice against "vermin" was deeply ingrained. It wasn't her fault, really; she'd been orphaned as a Dibbun and raised by Skipper and his ottercrew, many of whom believed vermin were irredeemably evil. It was only natural that she'd come to believe the same thing.

[Cornflower MM]

OOC: Jukka, Great Hall is only used for big occasions, like Feasts. Dinner, however, is being served in Cavern Hole.

BIC: Arya started cleaning up the pieces, and was straightening up when she saw Kaylan., who ignored Argunath but nodded to her. "Hey, Kaylan!" She said, then sighed. "Um, I'm going to go get the new chair, OK?" She said, then went up the stairs and left Cavern Hole, and headed for Kaylan's room, hoping to catch up with her. She walked quickly, and soon saw the ottermaid. "Hey, Kaylan! Can I talk to you, please?"

[The Skarzs]

Argunath watched Kaylan out of the corner of his eye. This was most definitely one of those who did not trust him. He put a paw on the hilt of his sword, still sheathed at his side, then took a deep breath, taking his paw off it. Now is not the time for rash actions, he thought. Not everyone trusts me, and making a scene will only make them even more distrustful.
Arya went toward the ottermaid, and he wondered what would come of it.
The cougar turned, stumbling on a fallen piece of the chair. Biting back a cry of pain, he looked at his leg wound: it had opened up again. Dragging himself to a corner, he lowered himself down, tightening the dressing on the wound. He would wait until food was served to move again.

[Jukka the Sling]

OOC@Cornflower: Oops, I thought they were in Great Hall. I've fixed it. Skarzs, you may want to tweak your post slightly 'cause now Kaylan just stands there and then leaves, and doesn't walk past Argunath.

BIC: Kaylan turned to see her friend Arya. "Sure, what is it?"

[Cornflower MM]

Arya took a deep breath, then spoke, "Kaylan, I know that you don't really like vermin, but Argunath saved a Dibbun earlier, which would be why he's wearing bandages right now. Couldn't you be just a little more welcoming?" She asked, hoping the ottermaid wouldn't take it the wrong way./She didn't mean it rudely, or meanly, but in an semi-understanding and hopeful way. "I'm not asking you to go up and hug him and that sort of thing, just acknowledge him, please." Arya said, then put an arm around her shoulders and said laughingly, "Now, dinner's about ready. Perhaps we should see what kind of gruel they're serving?" She said jokingly, fervently hoping to lighten the tense mood.

[The Shade]

"Well, if yer don't mind, could ye hurry up with yer talking? Cuz I'm stavin'." Yassen said. The cat didn't wish to be rude, all he wanted was a bite to eat.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Falco and Reven sat down silently at the table. They marveled at the amount of food displayed, but then again, hadn't they heard the legends? Redwall held enough to keep everybeast full for seasons. 

[The Skarzs]

Aggril spoke quietly to Bryony. "He know where the wildcat camp is; that could be helpful. At the same time, that isn't what we left to do, and we're already taking a great risk going out remotely near their camp. What do you think?" He glanced at Yassen. "I'm not about to deny a little food, even if they are a vermin."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Argunath watched creatures coming in for the meal; he would wait a little longer before he joined them.

[Jukka the Sling]

Kaylan let Arya speak her piece, but then replied, "Look. There's an army of cats about to attack this place, and Abbess Rosemary allows one inside! He's probably a spy or something! I'm not mad at you, I'm annoyed that nearly everybeast seems to trust that guy - whatshisname, Arkumath?"

The ottermaid paused, looked at her friend, then grinned momentarily. "Alright, let's go and eat. But I don't want to sit anywhere near that cat," she continued, face sobering. She left her room and headed back down the hall towards the stairs, then turned. "Coming?"

[Cornflower MM]

OOC: Shade, the food ain't served yet.

BIC: Arya grinned, then frowned when Kaylan said her piece. She jogged to catch up to the ottermaid, and looked at her. "Kaylan, I know you don't like vermin, and I know that wildcats are going to attack, but he hadn't heard of the horde. You very well that I have a gut feeling of whether or not I'm being lied to, and it said that he truely did not know. Please, Kaylan. Just be a bit more welcoming. Do I have to make you sit next to him?" She said, finishing off teasingly. But still, she was worried: What if Kaylan's insistence that Argunath was bad and a spy convinced
Abbess Rosemary to show her the away out of Redwall? Then she was broken by her thoughts when they passed some woodworkers with the new chair coming out of a room ahead.

[The Skarzs]

Argunath stood up with a little grunt, watching the proceedings. Arya had brought the otter back, and a new chair was being brought in. Looks sturdier than the other one, he thought ruefully. He swished his tail in anticipation for the meal; he was quite hungry again.
Walking back to the tables, he waited.

[Cornflower MM]

Arya noticed that Argunath's bandage was rather pinkish, but did not say anything. Yet.

[Jukka the Sling]

Kaylan seated herself at a table next to a family of mice and waited for the food to be served. She watched Argunath warily out of the corner of her eye. Arya's just too trusting. Okay, so maybe that cat saved a Dibbun, but that was likely just a clever ploy to get everybeast to trust him. She'd heard of a similar incident before, and didn't want her Abbey friends to all be killed thanks to their apparent gullibility.