They Thought Redwall was Safe! (Is Redwall as Safe as they Say it is? Part 3!)

[Ashleg]

"At least I know what rivers look like!" Maxy retorted.
Snorting, he wandered ahead of Stumbly to take a look at their path.
"Are you sure you know where you're going?"

[LT Sandpaw]

OOC: Clearly Rayne is of the mind that it is disagreeable. 


"That may be the case, but I, and I believe Abbot Grant would agree with me." Rayne said, collecting her bowl and plate in her paws. "That nobeast should just take whatever they want from the Cellars, especially alcohol. It isn't right, as I see it." Swishing away, the little mouse stalked off in high dudgeon to find somewhere else to sit.

~*~*~*~*~

Frozen in place, Laclin watched the devastation in morbid curiosity. Those beasts, mostly hedgehogs and stoats fell like wheat before the scythe. Mercilessly cut down without even a fighting chance. She'd never before seen such a thing, having never taken a life or herself, nor seen a beast slain, and what she saw shook her.
Laclin heard the black squirrel before she saw him, and she turned in surprise. "A good job?" She gasped, her eyes wide as twin full moons. "That was horrible, and I - I helped..." Perhaps the blind creatures deserved it, she didn't know, these Riverblue creatures certainly thought so. But the smell of burnt flesh and fur made her shudder in revulsion.

[Groddil]

Nobeast should just take whatever they want from the Cellars, especially alcohol.

OOC: I guess Stumbly lucked out by getting Drubble as a foster parent then, huh?

BIC:

A grin crossed Charm's face as she whirled on the black squirrel.
"Asher... It's been so long... But it's done. At last."
She turned to Laclin, green eyes colder than a Northerner's heart.
"Horrible? Aye, a lot o' beasts'll say that. But what we've done was a necessary evil. If they'd lived, more and more would die. That cave would fill with more creatures, turned to their ways. And when somebeast else finally decided to take the fight to them, then what? Far more would die than than today."
The otter kicked Muddle's corpse back into the flaming log pile.
"Death is inevitable. But if we can slow it down for those who deserve that..."
The Riverblue Guards milled around, a few nursing bites and scratches.
"Better move out if'n ye want lunch. You've earned it, after all."



Stumbly snorted, snatching the October Ale flagon from Maxy's basket and took a swig.
"Oh, aye, if'n ye mean the Abbey Pond. See the sun? Jus' keep it on yer right until we 'it th' river. Then we just go left. That northern part o' the river? Best waterway around."

[Hickory]

Asher nodded in agreement, images from seasons ago flashed across his memory. "Many an eyeless corpse I've found in the forest while wandering," he said. "Nobeast will miss these wenches."

[Ashleg]

Fangfang stood up.
"Rayne! You too, eh? All I have is Rappy, he's more loyal'n...any of you!" The rat chuckled and swayed before sitting awkwardly back down.
Rapshade glanced at him through hooded eyes.

Duncan signaled to Rayne with a wave of his paw. "Sit here, Rayne, join the Abbot and I."
"I think somebeast needs to talk to that rat," Grant uttered, arms crossed and tail flicking. "He can't just bring the prisoner in here like that and then start raving."

--

"Look who suddenly knows all about waterways." Maxy grumbled, white fur sticking out like a flag against the grass.
"Hey, hey, don't drink it all! If we get lost we'll starve."

[LT Sandpaw]

"He's tipsy," Rayne diagnosed, thwacking her food down and adjusting her tail so that she could sit. "That rat is tipsy! I was wondering what he was about, acting strange as he was. Father Abbot this will never do." Rather moodily the Abbey sister ate her food, grumbling under her breath between bites about misconduct and the dangers of drinking.
Hearing Grant's issue with the situation Rayne laid down her spoon, looking over her shoulder at the vermin duo. "Yes, it's a bit off-putting. Who was supposed to be watching the prisoner? Bracklew?"

~*~*~*~*~

"We'll, there's nothing to do about them now." Laclin observed, finally tearing her gaze away from the pile of burning logs and bodies. She felt as if the eyeless sockets of those dead were staring at her accusingly, she shuddered trying to block the thought from her mind.
"Would I be welcome in Riverblue?" She asked, changing the subject to something less morbid. "I've always wanted to visit, I just didn't think it'd be under these circumstances. I'm Laclin, by the by, I don't recognize you, you're certainly not from my colony." Laclin said the last bit to the black-furred Asher.

[Hickory]

"Not from anybeast's colony," said Asher gruffly. "I live alone.

[Ashleg]

The Abbot's paw traced the rim of his glass.
"Bracklew, maybe, come to think of it I'm not sure. I think it was Bracklew..." He continued speaking, but whatever he said was drowned out by an angry shout from across the room.

"I ain't Tipsy, I'm Fang! Get it through yer thick 'ead!"

Duncan rose.
"He needs to be sedated."

[LT Sandpaw]

"I'm from the Lochbough colony, just north-west of here, you probably haven't seen them. We- I mean they like to keep to themselves." Laclin stated, doing her best to sound calm even though the shock of what she'd just witnessed made the words catch in her throat. "Surely you had a colony before, or a drey? Where else would you've come from?"

~*~*~*~*~

Rayne's ears turned bright pink, and she very slowly folded her paws in her wide habit sleeves. "I would be happy to provide the necessary tranquilizers, master Duncan. I have this new formula that I believe could knock down a full grown badger, given the right dose, and I've been itching to try it out."

[Hickory]

Asher smirked. "Maybe when I was young. Which was a while ago. Besides... never good to have attachments like that."

The squirrel stood silent for a few moments. "Trust me."

[Ashleg]

"Maybe you could try it out on both of them," added Duncan with a grin, only half joking.
He shrugged casually as he rose and then turned on his heel and stalked off, whistling down the hallway.

Abbot Grant clicked his teeth at Rayne. "My, does he like messing that ferret up."

[Groddil]

Charm nodded.
"You would know, wouldn't you?"
She turned to Laclin.
"Why would you not? Trade, travel, talk, doesn't matter. All are welcome."

[LT Sandpaw]

Unsure of what Asher meant, Laclin took the advice with a grain of sand. She'd never seen any reason to not be close to family.
"Great," she wasn't sure how to properly respond to either of them. "Well, I'll come along then. If that's alright."

~*~*~*~*~

"And I can't say I blame him." Rayne said, returning to her half finished breakfast. "He's got that ferret to blame for the deaths of his entire family, if you don't count Maxy. And now Rappy is hiding in Redwall, permanently trapped within the walls. Tt'd be sure death for him to step outside, the Guosim would hunt him to the ends of the earth. Not that I can blame them either." Rayne thought about her next words before saying them, making sure to lower her voice. "Sometimes I wonder if we'd be better off just exiling Rappy and letting him run from his enemies, rather then letting him hide in Redwall."
She didn't press the issue to Grant, knowing the decision would be the Abbot's alone to make. But many a Redwaller would be more then happy to kick the ferret out and let him fend for himself.

[Ashleg]

"I feel like Duncan wallops him behind our backs," Grant whispered. "Not that I care much, but what with that and Rappy's servitude, he is getting his due here. And why keep him for thirteen seasons and then send him off?"
The mouse paused. He felt kind of guilty, but he also felt justified--and a separate part of him also agreed with Rayne.
"Perhaps if it wasn't a death sentence for both Rappy and Fang I would consider that longer."

[LT Sandpaw]

"Why would Fang be in danger, besides being in company with Rappy?" Rayne asked, genuinely curious. "I imagine the shrews wouldn't slay him in cold blood. It isn't like he could fight back and he's done nothing to them."