The Bane of Mossflower - REDWALL!

[CrazedBanana]

The golden sun shone down on Redwall Abbey, painting the old sandstone walls a dusty rose. Abbot Bulrum sat peacefully on an old oak log by the Abbey pond, reminiscing on days long past. The elderly otter's reverie was shattered by a squealing Dibbun, Roogle the Molebabe making a mad dash across the lawn. Hot on his trail was a young hedgehog of roughly 15 seasons.
"Hoi! You get back here this instance Roogle or I'll tan your tail!"
Unfazed, Roogle sped on, calling back in a bass voice,
"Hurr hurr hurr, youm nought be catcherin' this young moler, no zurr!"
Gaining ground on the infant mole, the hedgehog slipped on the wet grass, falling flat on his spikes.
"Don't you dare go in that pond young Roogle, or you'll be sent to bed without dinner, and scrubbed with a cob of bark!"
Roogle dashed right by the Abbot, who reached out to grab him.
"Gotcha you little rogue!"
But Roogle ducked the snatching arms, and hurled himself over the cool water.
"Here oi goooo!"
He shouted gleefully as he plummeted into the pond. Water splashed everywhere, including on the Abbot.
the young hedgehog ran up to the Abbot Bulrum and began apologizing profusely.
"I'm sorry Farther! I'm sorry! I tried to stop him, but he got away from me!"
"Oh, never mind it young Spikkle, Dibbuns need to have their fun. Look, here he comes now!"
The little mole was soaked head to toe, and chuckling like a rocky river.
"Hurr hurr hurr," giggled the infant as he climbed onto the wizened otter's lap, "Did youm see oi farder? Oi swam like um fishen oi did!"
"Yes, yes you did little Roogle, sometimes I think that you're more otter than mole, the way you swim about!"
"Good afternoon Father Abbot!" hailed a voice from the abbey.
"Ah, Vesper, good afternoon to you too! And what a fine afternoon it is!"
Vesper, the old fox healer trundled a cart laden with scones and cakes and cordials down to the pond.
"Wonderful! You've brought us our tea, how considerate. Won't you join us?"

[Falconer]

Vesper

The old fox gave a quiet nod, evidently waiting to be asked just such a question. "Certainly. The friar had just prepared these, and asked me to take some over to you here." His eyes briefly ran over the Abbot's drenched clothes. "A bit of trouble with the young ones, I take it?" he chuckled.

Vesper set down two glasses, pouring tea for himself the abbot, before gently setting himself down upon the grass. He drank deeply from the cup, before suddenly taking notice of the young hedgehog and his charge.

"Oi! Why don't you young fellers sit over here with the abbot and myself? There's plenty here for all of us, and its a fine day for a picnic." He looked up at the blue sky, with its white puffy clouds. "Never got weather like this on campaign." He mumbled to himself.

[Tackyhillbillu]

Taleth wandered up the Road, humming to himself in a loud and boisterous tone. It was a Sea Shanty he's learned from some Otters he'd hitched a ride with, and he was rather fond of it. He was in a wonderful mood. The Sun was out, the weather was great, and his destination was in sight. He'd been walking for quite some time now, and once he'd left, he'd be walking for a while longer. But for now, if this was truly what he thought this was, he could rest, taking in the hospitality of the Redwallers. In his home it was much spoken of, and has he had gone north, the tales had only grown. The Mouse stopped in front of the wall, and called out to anyone listening...

"Ho to the wall! Is this Redwall Abbey?"

The Mouse called up in his loudest voice, smiling widely. He didn't doubt it was. The Guosim (a nasty, shouty bunch, but they were easy to impress) had given him directions to the sturdy building. And it was just as it had been described.

[Xondoure]

Arvio makes his way along the path leading to the abbey. He soon notices the young mouse hollering at the walls of the old abbey. "Hey little fella! There not going to be able to hear you like that. You have to give it a good old holler, like this; REDWAAAAAAAALL"

[CrazedBanana]

"Hellooo down there!"
A silver striped head peeked over the battlements. It was a middle aged, female badger.
"Come in, weary travellers," she shouted down from the wall, "all are welcome at our Abbey. Open the gates!"
After a few moments, the great wooden and metal gates slowly swung outwards.
The badger from the walltops stood at the door, beckoning them in.
"Well, come on!"

[Tackyhillbillu]

OOC: Apologies. Editing now.

Taleth shrugged, not about to be 'fellered' by any Old Otter.

"I'm not little, nor am I a 'feller.' I'm Taleth, the Showmouse, and I have traveled here from the land of Southsward to see if the tales told of Redwall there are true."

With that, the Mouse walked into the Abbey, smiling as he looked about.

"Hmmm, can't seem to quite believe I made it."

[CrazedBanana]

At The Pond
Spikkle and Roogle scurried over to where the elders were sitting, and grabbed an apple scone apiece. Roogle proceeded to sit down on the grass in front of Vesper and Bulrum, and taking an enourmous bite out of his scone.
"Ho umm, that bees a gudd sconer roigh there! Zurr Vesper, won't youm tell me a story? Oi gurtly loike a hearin' stories," the molebebe intoned in his deep voice, wiping crumbs from his snout.

[CrazedBanana]

OOC: TackyHillBillu, Arvio's an otter, not a Hare.

[Xondoure]

(I'm the young sea otter)
Arvio laughs at the mouses defiant attitude. Wandering into the Abbey ground, the young otter gazes at the towering architecture thinking to himself, 'So this is Redwall Abbey, I've heard the stories, but I never thought it would be this grand.' He tucks his scimitars deeper into their sheaths across his back, and lets his nose carry him through the abbey grounds, hoping to find the source of the delicious aroma. On the way, he strikes up conversation with the old Badger. "Well hello there ma'am. My name is Arvio Brinetail, and I'm a traveller of sorts. I've come to this abbey hoping for a break from the open road you know? It's not every day you can experience the legendary hospitality of the abbey dwellers."

[Falconer]

The fox gave sighed. "Very well, though I'm not exactly a showbeast, I do know a few.

Setting his tea back on the cart, he leaned back for a moment, deep in thought. Rising up again, he produced a small carving of a bird from some obscure pocket in his robe.
"Here. I used to tell this one to my cubs when they were your age." He handed the small carving to the molebabe.
"Cover that with your hands and hold it tight."

"There was once a sparrow by the name of Greytail. And Greytail achieved fame throughout these lands by being quite clever. Here is one instance of his cleverness. One day, a large badger came along, by the name of Two-Stripe. Two-Stripe was far from the brightest of all badgers, and he was something of a bully, too. And that particular day, he was extremely hungry. He leapt upon Greytail when he was asleep, and told him, 'I'm going to make you my dinner, sparrow! I am Two-Stripe the Mighty, and no one has ever escaped me!' As you can well imagine, Greytail was more than frightened. But he was still very clever, even when he was frightened. And so he told the stripedog: 'Very well. If you really are as strong as you say, than surely I am doomed! But really, you wouldn't want to eat me. There's a much bigger, fatter sparrow that lives in the cave out yonder.' The badger licked his chops and, letting Greytail go, ran over to the cave."

Roogle piped up. "Woot 'appened then, mizter?"

Vesper gave a dark grin. "Well, it just so happened that an adder lived in that cave..."

Roogle's eyes widened. "Yoo mean 'e...'e got eated, zur?"

Vesper stammered for a second. "Erm...no, of course not. What a...terrible ending that would be. What really happened is that Two-Stripe wrestled the adder, and escaped, but Greytail was nowhere to be found. Indeed, look in your hands now!"

Roogle saw that the small carving had, indeed, vanished. Vesper gave a clever smile, and held up the carving, now in his own two hands.

"See how clever he was?"

[Tackyhillbillu]

Taleth followed the badger, as he had his questions as well. Hospitality of the Abbey Dwellers sounded wonderful, but there were a couple of things he wanted to check first.

"Madam Badger, could I ask that someone show me the way to the Belltower? I have a promise to keep."

[josh13905]

Marnello Curmudgeon Fleetpaw [Mistaken for being in the game before I've posted]
[A hare]

Outside Redwall and singing an old marching song Marnello the hare was walking casually towards the Abbey, but when the Abbey was in sight he yelled with all the air in his lungs,
" REDWALL!!!"
Marnello begins to hasten his pace until he is at the door.

[CrazedBanana]

At Arvio and Taleth
The badgermaid turned her head to Arvio.
"Pleased to meet you, I'm sure. Yes, many travellers stop to rest at our abbey, and just as many for the hospitality and good food. By the way, my name is Mella."
Turning her striped head to the young mouse, she said
"Oh yes, in fact, why don't we go right now, its just this way."
Leading the wandering pair across the Abbey lawn, Mella spotted the Abbot and Vesper taking their tea by the pond.
"Oh, look, it's father Abbot and Vesper the fox taking tea on an old log! Why don't we pop down for a scone or two. It'll give you a chance to sample our delicious Redwall fare."

[Tackyhillbillu]

Taleth's eyes narrowed at the word Fox. Urgan Nagru was long dead, and most who could remember him had passed on as well. But it wasn't forgotten, and the word Fox still rang in the young Mouse's ears.

"A fox? They are creatures with unsavory reputations, even in Southsward."

Taleth's hand had reached inside his cloak, almost pulling free a dagger, before forcing his hand down. His travel's had forced him to become quick with such things, but even the little he knew of Redwall said that such would not earn him the favor of the Abbey Dwellers.

[CrazedBanana]

At the Gate
A stately old volemaid in a violet bonnet and apron grumbles upon seeing Marnelo
"Oh dear, a hare! We'll all be etted out of 'ouse an' 'ome!"
When the hare gets to the gate, she tells the hare
"If you want a tour of the Abbey, Mella just left with some other travellers. If you run, you can catch up to them quickly enough." she said, waving in the general direction of the abbey pond.

[josh13905]

Marnello

The hare looked at the volemaid with a smile on his face stretching from ear to ear. "Thank ye marm, I'll be sure to get in line for the jolly ol' tuck line when the time comes, but for now there's a tour to be had." After much walking and questioning, the hare arrives at the group."Is this the jolly ol' tour group? "

[Xondoure]

Arvio notices the fox, but pays him no mind. 'I won't bother a creature in his silver days. As long as he keeps to himself I have no problem.' The young otter turns to meet the incoming hair. "I would assume so, as Mella has been kind enough to show us around the abbey. You are another traveller I take it? My name is Arvio Brinetail; wandering sea otter, and part time mercenary when time calls for it."

[Tackyhillbillu]

Taleth turned to the Hare, smiling. He liked Hare's. Despite their many, many, many flaws, they knew how to have a good time. From this one's demeanor, he guessed he would be rather similar. Meldrum's bunch (the old campaigner had long gone to his rest, but they still got called that) were good fellows. He remembered another one of his promises with a smile.

"Hello Sir Hare. I am also traveller as well. Taleth the Showmouse. Would you happen to be from Salamanderstrom, or however you pronounce it?"

[josh13905]

Adopting a rigid demeanor Marn says, "That's Salamadastron laddie buck and you best not forget it, wot!" His face fell back towards a smile and he laughs long and hard. Smiling he says, "You don't know where a fellow could get some honest rations around here, I nearly starved on my way here doncha know! Oh and my name is Marnello Curmudgeon Fleetpaw or you can call me Marn."

[Tackyhillbillu]

Taleth nodded, smiling, before snapping into the Young Mouse's best approximation of attention (it wasn't very good), and pulling free a cresaed envelope. It was worn, and looked to have something spilled on it, but Taleth knew the letter inside was still in good condition.

"Then I have the honor of handing over the commnications of Field Marshall Valeleaf Fallowthorn, Sir. I am to turn it over to your keeping, to be delivered to the Highest Ranking Officer of the Long Patrol, Sir."

That done, the little mouse relaxed, reverting to his smile and his relaxed posture.

"I was asked to deliver that Letter to the first member of the Long Patrol I met. Valeleaf is known as a bit of a windbag, takes after his Granduncle that way, so don't hurry. I doubt there is anything of substance in it."

Taleth had a half dozen things like that to check on. Frankly, he wished he had never told Pips that he was leaving Southsward to find the half mythical Redwall. He should have known Pips was going to talk. Though how was he to guess that all these important people would descend on him. He might have been able to get Fallowthorn to lay off, but when the Queen asked you to do something, you did it.

Oh well, none of them are that difficult.

[CrazedBanana]

The group arrived at the pond, chatting away. Abbot Bulrum looked up from his tea,
"Oh my, visitors! How lovely, especially since we have a feast planned for this evening. My name is Abbot Bulrum. You four look hungry, would you like to join us for tea?"

[Draxonicar]

Excuse me, but may I join you? A voice coming from a slender hedgehog in a black cloak says. holstered at his belt is his dagger, but his hood is back to reveal a wry smile

[CrazedBanana]

Miles to the east of Mossflower, another meeting was taking place, a meeting of more insidious portent.

The blazing sun sent tendrils of steam spiraling into the air.
Tents spread out across the rocky earth, nearly as far as the eye could see.
In the center stood an elevated stone hill, with a small pond at the top.
Around it stood a grey wolf, a rat, and ferret with mysteriously red fur.
"Halskar, prepare the troops to march, we leave for Mossflower tomorrow."
said the ferret, turning to the wolf.
"Wyrt, gather a group of able bodied soldiers, scout ahead, and see if you can recruit any local vermin."
"Yes lord." they said simaltaniously, bowing and turning back down the hill.
"Quake in fear, Mossflower," he said quietly to himself, "For the days of
Reven the Red are coming!"

[josh13905]

Marnello The Hare

Marnello places the letter in his pack saying, "Ah, Valeleaf, I've heard stories of him. I'll deliver this next time I'm back. Course if the tuck here is as good as ever then that may be awhile yet. With a smile Marn turns toward the hedgehog, ""Hello my spiky friend, I'm Marnello Curmudgeon Fleetpaw, or Marn, what's your name? "

[Draxonicar]

You may call me Blackfang He says, revealing a pair of shadow colored teeth in his mouth

[Xondoure]

Arvio turns to engage the abbot. "Pleased to meet you father. My name is Arvio Brinetail, and I've been travelling for the ast few seasons... but thats another story for when we have a little more time on our hands and no young 'uns around." He winked at the molebabe. "I was hoping I could stay for a few days, get some rest after the road you know? As long as I'm not imposing."

[Falconer]

Vesper simply sat on the grass, calmly sipping his tea and examining this new arrival, before piping up.

"Indeed. That's why I am here also: rest from the open road. That, and Redwall food is, I had heard, among the best in Mossflower."

He held up a half-finished scone.

"And indeed, they don't disappoint. Some of the best I've had in all my years."

[Xondoure]

Arvio nabs a scone from the tray and scoffs it down with a single bite. "Mrmf... I see what you mean, truly amazing."

[CrazedBanana]

The Abbot chuckles
"No, you would not be imposing, Redwall is open to all beasts. You may stay as long as your heart desires."
Mella took Roogle by the paw and said,
"I believed you wished to see our belltower? It's just this way."
And with that, she headed for the belltower.

[Tackyhillbillu]

Taleth nodded to all assembled and followed after Mella quickly.

"Thank you, Madame Badger."