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

[Ashleg]

The Abbot smiled bitterly.
"I'm sure we will...oh, tell that young fellow to back some oat farl in there as well..."


--

Fangfang nudged Rapshade in the ribs, causing the ferret to double over.
The rat laughed uncontrollably, "Did ya hear him? Volunchoose! Ahahehehe!"

"I heard," gasped Rapshade, standing up.
"I volunchoose you t' be quiet..."

[LT Sandpaw]

OOC: Skip to when they are in Mossflower?

IC:

"Will do." Rayne said, relaying the instructions to the assistant who quickly scurried away, returning with the requested oat farl. He packed it away while Rayne dusted her paws, glancing about to check she hadn't forgotten anything.
"That seems to be everything. Anything else we should take Grant?"

[Ashleg]

"Nought but our own common sense," said Grant.
He smiled wisely, but inside the Abbot was a paranoid old mouse.
"Perhaps we should take a dagger."

OOC
sure thing!

[LT Sandpaw]

Rayne nodded in agreement. "A good idea Grant, sometimes the ivy and willow bark is difficult to get off with my bare paws. A blade could be useful."
This decided the two mice exited the Abbey, strolling at a casual pace across the Abbey lawns to the gatehouse, where a small collection of armaments were stored for safekeeping. These weapons were the assorted remains of the horde's gear, now most of the blades were dull, and the metal rusted but Rayne found herself and Grant a decent knife apiece.

"These should serve us fine," she said, storing her dagger in her satchel.

~*~*~*~*~

Flushed with his new power, Bracklew spun around in his chair pointing an commanding claw at Fangfang. All in good fun of course. "And what about you? Any plans for the day? Because if not I'm sure I could find something useful for you to do. Sweeping floors, pulling weeds, trimming candles, all work that needs to be done."

[Ashleg]

Grant headed off at a brisk pace until they reached the brim of the forest, when he stopped to catch his breath.
"Right..." the mouse panted, ears perking, "Where to?"

--

"That's all Rappy's work!" exclaimed Fangfang with a wail.
At the table, Rapshade his his face behind his paws to conceal a smirk.

Fang's blue eyes glinted playfully as he took a step towards Bracklew. "Besides, I'm older 'n yer. I should be tellin' you whatcha have t' do--"

[LT Sandpaw]

"Well," Rayne consulted her list of needed herbs, running down the different plants to pick the best path to take. "We should head northeast a ways towards the river, it runs closest to Redwall in that direction. We can get most of what I need around the riverbank."
Stuffing the list into her pocket Rayne set out, picking her way through the trees and underbrush occasionally pulling her habit free of clinging branches. "Keep your eyes peeled for any patches of yarrow or feverfew, and especially motherwort."

~*~*~*~*~*~

"Uh-uh." Bracklew scolded, waggling a claw under Fangfang's nose. "Age has nothing to do with it, or ol' Brother Benjamin would be dictator for the rest of his seasons. Nope, Father Abbot, erm, Rayne left me in charge which means I give the orders around here now."

[Ashleg]

"Since when did anybeast care what Rayne says? Grant always leaves Duncan in charge," Fang countered, grinning. "An' who's Brother Benjamin again? Must be so old I can't see 'im."

--

The Abbot nodded.
Nobeast had to know he didn't know his herbs.
"If I remember correctly," the mouse said, "I know a shortcut to the riverbank."

[LT Sandpaw]

"He's that mouse over there." Bracklew pointed out Old Brother Benjamin, an elderly mouse entirely covered in silver fur and frail enough to be blown over by a light wind. He was mostly deaf too.
"And Duncan wasn't here, as in the Great Hall, so they put me in charge." Bracklew continued, not backing down from his newly acquired power. "You heard Grant, he more or less went along with it."

~*~*~*~*~

"You do? Oh, wait a moment." Rayne bent down, examining a patch of yellow flowers. "Yes, these will do, just blossoming too what luck." Plucking a good portion of the flowers, roots and all, Rayne wrapped them in cloth and stored them away. Straightening back up she rubbed her shoulders. "My poor back isn't what it used to be, ah well. So Grant, you said you knew a short cut, please lead on."

[Ashleg]

"Heard 'im?" Fang echoed, screwing up his eyes.
"I didn't hear 'im say nothin'..."
The rat glanced back at Bracklew in a moment. "Wait. I think that's 'cause he didn't say anything."
He grinned widely.

--

"Are you sure you're okay?" Grant asked, taking Rayne's paw.
I wouldn't mind going back to Redwall myself, he thought. "Right, the shortcut. Right this way."

[LT Sandpaw]

"He said 'sorry'," Bracklew quoted. "Or something like that anyway. Sorry as in, sorry for leaving you in charge of an Abbey with a insubordinate rat."

~*~*~*~*~

Following Grant, and occasionally stopping to pick some herbs or another Rayne tried to enjoy the relaxing walk. But it was proving difficult, Grant seemed to be distant and tense, and every now and then her back hurt. But she didn't mention it again. She was beginning to wonder if bringing Grant had been a good idea when the sound of running water caught her ear.
"Your shortcut worked." She said, deciding to imprint the memory of the trail into her head. "We can take a short breather by the river, maybe there'll be fish jumping today. Mmh, I didn't bring a line, I should have thought of that."

[Ashleg]

"I-I thought we came looking for...herbs." panted Grant bluntly, padding to the edge of the grass to sit down. He dabbled his paws in the water and glanced back at Rayne.
"I see no fish. The water is oddly still."

--

Fangfang bared his teeth.
"You're still not my Cap'n, an' I don't have ta do nothin'!"

[LT Sandpaw]

OOC: We could have them meet Roscoe soon.

IC:

"Yes, but I thought it sounded, fun." Rayne said, taking two flasks of cordial out of her satchel and passing one to Grant. "Who doesn't like an occasional spot of fishing? Never mind, we can't even if we wanted to. We didn't bring a line."
She cast a sideways glance at the water, noting its stillness. "Hm, I see what you mean. The river must be running slow this season."

~*~*~*~*~

For the first time Bracklew looked a little annoyed, and the cheeky grin faded from his face. "You don't have a Captain, Fang. You haven't had a captain for a long time, you live at Redwall not on a ship."

[Ashleg]

OOC-
That's what I was getting at.
And where are you, @Groddil ?!
IC-
Rapshade looked up.
Fang, agitated, took a step towards Bracklew.
"I'm stupid, not blind," he said, "If the word cap'n bothers ye...then..."

Duncan entered discreetly into the room and cut a swift path behind the squirrel and rat to retake his seat at the table, but his single ear pricked at their argument.
In a swift motion, he snapped his claws and pointed at the door.
"Rappy. The hallway. Go."

"Then you kin talk t' Rappy about it..." Fang hissed.

Rapshade snuck out of there in a flash, though Duncan remained and padded up to the two.
"Say, what's goin' on here? Something wrong?"

--

Grant shut his eyes and listened to their surroundings.
Birdsong.
He gazed at Rayne, smiling dully.
"It isn't even summer yet. I am sure by then the fish will return and the area will be prosperous, even if I am not there to see it."
The healer went blurry and out of focus as for a moment the old mouse's attention drifted to an area further down the stream.
He grabbed Rayne's paw.
"Don't look now, but there's a vermin trio walking towards us."

OOC-
This isn't Roscoe, by the way.

[Groddil]

IM ON MY WAY TO A TROPICAL ISLAND PARADISE THANK YOU VERY MUCH. DONT YOU GO TI FRONT LAWNS?

[LT Sandpaw]

OOC:

IM ON MY WAY TO A TROPICAL ISLAND PARADISE THANK YOU VERY MUCH. DONT YOU GO TI FRONT LAWNS?

Not often.

IC:

"No problem really." Bracklew said. "Just a sour apple on a low hanging branch." Standing up the squirrel warrior dusted some crumbs off his tunic.
"Grant and Rayne left to go gather herbs. they'll be back by evening. We've got the Abbey until they're back." He informed Duncan, casting a scathing look towards Fang. "Happy?"
He'd decided to appease rather then press the issue further, after all, it had started as a joke.

~*~*~*~

For a moment Rayne froze, but she took a deep breath, closing her eyes to keep her wits about her. "Don't pull out the knives, mayhap they'll pass by." She said hopefully. "Even some vermin respect Redwall's peaceful ways and benefit from our larders and infirmary." She plucked at her green habit sleeve, it was well known throughout Mossflower and the unwritten law that Redwallers should be unhindered. Whether these vermin respected that was the question.