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[[FF]]



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::The summer of the Redlong Sky::

::The air was heavy and warm all around, weighing down the wind until all was still, and not even a blade of grass could move under it all, making it especially hard for the tracker to keep moving...::

::Every scent seemed perverted, every track distorted, and he couldn't help but think this was all a lost cause... but the chief would never like that answer, oh no, not that answer, he would not...::

::His eyes flung this way and that, as he clung to the earth and crawled, frantic for cover beneath the bushes, as he realised he was getting closer and closer to those red walls...::

::And then, just when it seemed like all hope could be lost, and his inner dibbun was about to crawl away and bawl, he saw them... the pointed ears... the bushy tail... the slim muzzle... fox::

Gotcha... ::He murmured, tensing up, as a fat little smirk began to split its way around his head... just a little more... just a little closer he crawled... and then finally... POUNCE!!!::

::Suddenly he had her, and the fox didn't even have time to cry out as they went rolling down the grass, until he was on top, and his victory in his grasp!!!::

Gotcha!!!! ::He cried out triumphantly, laughing::

Antoine, I didn't know Turan was teaching you to tackle the abbes... ::Faith laughed slightly, wincing as she got up, always had to be the sore leg, didn't it, that played up...::

Sorry, marm... ::Antoine reported with an almost characteristic discipline, as he immediately clambered off, stood up, and bowed apologetically, the small skunk boy and warrior in training stood there, green threads and brown leather clothes and all, with a wooden sword strapped across his back, a belt with an ornate dagger holder around his waist, and a genuinely warm look in his large blue eyes, now focused apologetically on Faith::

::She rose, quickly tucking away the tell tale sign of unravelled bandages back up her habbit sleeve, the standard abbey green, with a weaved pattern of roses and plants all along the hems of her clothing (although hidden at the sleeves where they had to pull them back until she grew into it a little more...) which covered all except her bushy white tail - a slit made into the back of the habit, and her face::

::Seasons before, always hidden under gauze, she smiled so brightly now, a petit, still dibbun-ish face, covered in snow-white fur, strawberry colored eyes, and a long flock of headfur that travelled down to her shoulders::

::Still on the ground, she sat up with a sigh::

Well, would your master be anywhere at all?

You KNOW Turan's probably already been watching that entire display from afar, don't you?

((Weirded out by the power over your own destiny? XD))

::Faith smiled, reaching out with her paw to take his and lever herself up, one thing she wasn't particularly good at, as she smiled and nodded, just managing to gain balance:: Thank you, Turan, goodness knows where I'd be without a great warrior as yourself to come pick me up all the time!

::She spoke only with him so out of turn, so over the top, a mutual little relationship between abbess and warrior that allowed them to stay so informal, as she played herself so over the top, her face brimming with warmth and simple, childish joy, when Antoine came forward again::

Your staff, marm?

Thank you too... ::She gently accepted the long, ash stave... unfortunately, as she shifted her weight about, Jasmine had been right all that while about Faith's mobility... but while leg would not work so well, Faith made sure to make up for it with her other leg::

::And as an extra quirk, she had gained a love of the staffs made for her by many different beasts, each as intricately made and patterned as the last, like the one she held today, a black ash from Salamandastron's lord, where several long coils began at the bottom of the staff, working their way around it several times, before reaching a silver top, shaped like a bell, each coil painstakingly carved to show trails of the abbeys history, warriors, villains, abbots and abbesses, one and all, and only one of her collection of a dozen and growing!::

::The choice however, meant she felt in a very ceremonious duty today... she was planning something, possibly to announce something large... she ALWAYS used that same speech whenever she wanted to round everyone up and see them about something...::

I was wondering if we could talk about some business, when you're finished today and all...

::Antoine stood prim, strong and proud, not inching a budge out of his practised attention stance, only watching on there, while Faith looked back to Tracy, waving one paw, while her other adjusted for a good grip on the staff supporting her::

Nothing that can't wait until we've all had a little something for our stomaches... ::Faith snickered, watching Tracy on Turan's shoulder there...:: I would be a fairly cruel abbess, letting all my friends starve themselves on my account, wouldn't I?

::Although Antoine nodded, he didn't seem to take much of the instruction to ease up until Faith turned as well:: You have my official and consented permission to do all the crazy things an abbey dibbun should do.

::And Antoine nodded stiffly, right before crying out with a whooping joy, and then performing a hand over head rolly-polly down the grass and onward towards the abbey, leaving them behind, as Faith laughed again, holding onto her staff to support her from the effort not to fall over doing so::

You should know it's Rosa who asks him to be like that, she thinks it's a right pride and duty to see him trained under as strong a warrior as you, Turan...

Many a beast who'd look up at that position for seasons, dreaming it was them...

::She made to move forward, and then suddenly looked around::

Although... tell me if I've had too much sun... but shouldn't there have been a second student out here with you today?

I SPECIFICALLY remember a mouseling of sorts...

::Faith watched on at Tracy with a half-smile, quiet on the dibbuns account, only speaking now for Turan's reply and gentle politeness::

I'll have a word with Rosa later perhaps... ::But from there, she carried herself with practised ease on the staff, a long used tool now of several seasons, although perhaps a time or two she slowed down, Turan needn't have slowed pace, yet it was definitely appreciated as he lead the way in, past the guards on gate duty and the other beasts, as she nodded and smiled to each along the way, only to stop when the doors were held open for her, as she nodded once more with a smile::

Thank you, sir-

Mother Abbess!

::And instantly, Faith's expression positively drained of all life, as her ears flopped and her eyes almost watered:: Oh, by the abbey bells...

::She barely had turned around when Jasmine had made herself very present and noticable, alike Turan, not much had changed for the vixen, albeit a few greyer furs here and there, but she sternly looked down on their Faith:: Mother Abbess! ::She repeated incredulously::

Mother... ::She murmured quietly, looking around in the hope of no other beast was watching this display:: You know how... strange that sounds to me whenever YOU call me Mother Abbess... is there anything really wrong with Faith...?

Positively not, dear Miss! ::She instantly grabbed Faith's paw, yanking back the sleeve of her habit to unveil the constantly unravelling bandages beneath which she immediately set to::

I've told you once, I've told you a hundred-thousand-thousand times fold, you should be in here, no place for a gentle Abbess as yourself to go rolling down grassy knolls all nilly-nilly!

::The grass... well... either Antoine had already reported himself for discipline, or it was the errant flicks of grass sticking out of her neck that gave it away, and Faith could do nothing in reply but look pitifully upward:: I only wanted to find Turan-

If there's something you want or need, you're supposed to have one of us come along and do it for you, honestly, you'll come undone one of these days, and I'll have to follow the loose bandage you let unravel behind you!

::The young vixen, and so-respected abbess looked beggingly up at Turan with an awful cringe, looking for a way out of this one quickly and as painlessly as possible hopefully... whenever Jasmine got hold of her, she couldn't help but shy away a little more each and every time...::

::Faith's smile definitely warmed to Turan at his defense and especially more so to hear she was neither lazy nor irresponsible, but instantly, Jasmine was back in the frey:: She can move fine and well all day IN the abbey, if she likes.

But the second she steps out those gates without telling me, or letting anyone else go with her is nothing short of foolhardy!! ::Faith's ears wilted again, definitely guilty of that last part...::

This isn't just about being abbess, but it's about me nine seasons old daughter going out those gates all by herself to goodness knows what!!! ::She harumphed, puffing out her chest there, turning sternly on him::

And as memory turns to matters at paw, aren't you overdue your seasonly check up in my infirmary?

::And then her eyes strolled to his accomplice by association, Tracy, although at least she softened for that part:: You too, young miss...

Now, honest to goodness, what are all of you doing up here, in there, fill those bellies and hear what my daughter has to say, chopchop!!

::And so she retired, leaving Faith covering her eyes with a habit sleeve as her mother slid away to whatever other duties she had, or whichever poor beast she came across next::

I daresay you'll be shortfound to find an abbess as tragic as I in the abbey records... ::Faith laughed finally, shaking her head, and tapping her staff gently as she watched her mother leave, before looking to Turan, her smile warm and gentle as ever:: She's only thinking best for me.

[ Message temporarily off-line ]

LOG
Who: Eula and Constantine
Where: Infirmary
What: Constantine passes the torch.

Eula: My my, it was bloody hot today! Eula had been spending most of the afternoon inside poring over the dozens upon dozens of books of chronicled Redwall history. Enjoying both the stories they told and admiring the skilled calligraphy that each Recorder from the past had seemed to possess, she was enthralled with all of it. It had also occurred to her, not today but recently, that she could do this. She had always kept her own journals, and they were rarely personal - she much more enjoyed reporting things on more of a community-based level. Although she could probably use practice in her handwriting, her print certainly wasn't bad.

She placed a book down and picked up the most recent one, flipping through the pages lazily, and her still somewhat prevalent egocentrism caused her to get just a little touch of pride every time she saw her name in the print. She came to the final page and gave a little sigh. The book had not been written in for a number of weeks now, what with Constantine ill. She got a spark of guilt there... How rude of her to not have checked upon him lately.

Now with the guilt weighing in her stomach, she placed the books back in their proper places and headed up to the infirmary. She gave a light, polite knock before letting herself in without waiting for a reply.

Eula had matured beautifully. She was a very pretty young hare, and though she hadn't gotten much taller, she had a well-toned athletic figure that she took care of daily. She wore more feminine clothing - still the attire of a warrior with earth-toned tunics, but it was clothing that was more form-fitting to her feminine figure, unlike the loose clothing she wore when she was younger.

She closed the door quietly behind her and made her way softly over to where Constantine lay. She walked over slowly, unsure if the ill badger was awake or not.

Constantine: ::The infirmary was never a very cheerful place to be. You could paint it as many bright colors as you liked, add as many flowers to the table as you could pick, the feel of the place was always sickly, and as of late, dwindling of hope. The old badger had been there for months, but his condition looked no bright than the day he came in. He was sick, with common symptoms of a flu, and in his old age it seemed to be taking it's toll on him. Some days were better than others, some days were worse. Luckily, that day seemed to be one of the better ones. He'd slept almost all through the night and he was awake now, his glasses perched upon the edge of his nose and an old book open in his lap, his paw wrapped around a quill and working diligently on writing. The recorder couldn't help but feel the need to do something, he'd been cooped up for so long.::

::Hearing the gentle knock, he turned his tired face up to the door and watched as Eula slipped herself inside. She really was a sight; a beautiful young maid she turned out to be. Constantine couldn't help but smile at the sight of her, and he gently waved her over:: Aren't you a sight, miss?

Eula:Eula walked over, quirking a half-smile at the badger's odd greeting. "What, do I look horrendous today?" She asked jokingly, smoothing out her clothing and her headfur as if she was concerned that they were mussed up. Shaking her head a little, she walked across the room and snatched up a stool, coming back by Constantine's bed. Hopping onto it, she nodded down at the badger.

"You look well today. How are you feeling? I really ought to have come to visit you sooner, I apologize." Eula was incredibly polite to Constantine, and actually in general she had obtained a much more tolerable personality. This wasn't to say she wasn't still sarcastic and hard-headed, because she still took the cake for both of these personality traits. However, she knew the appropriate times at which to use her sarcastic humor... usually.

She sat there now, head tilted just a bit to the side, bright violet eyes studying Constantine.

Constantine: No, not at all. I just haven't seen your face in some time. ::He smiled warmly as she took a seat beside him. Constantine was just a genuinely nice creature, that was all there was to it. But there were times you could tell when the hospitality was forced, fake, or waning. Now, he seemed to be truthfully pleased the young hare maiden had stopped by for a greeting, almost as if there was something on his mind he wanted to speak with her about. Because, there was. But there would come a time for that. First, he would exchange pleasantries::

I'm alright. ::He replied, which was usually all anyone got out of him when they asked. Constantine was also the type of creature that refused to bother others with his own problems. Even was he was literally dying, he'd rather not worry anyone else:: And don't apologize, young'n, you don't need to drag yourself in here regularly like Woodrow tends to do. Tell the little thing he should really go out and live. ::Although he spoke in a light hearted tone, deep down he truly meant what he said. He hated seeing the small boy in here so often, letting days pass him by when he should be out training, becoming everything he's ever wanted to be::

How is everyone doing? ::He asked after a moment, keeping the topics light.

Eula: Eula smiled and shook her head a little to herself. Constantine needed to stop being so nice! She nodded a little, knowing full well how Woodrow had wiled away his hours in this infirmary worried sick over the old badger. She really felt bad for the young mouse; it wasn't fair that he had no real parents growing up, and now the closest thing he ever had to a father was old and ill.

She tried to laugh a little at that and nodded. "I'll try to keep the half-pint out of your fur. He ought to keep up with his training, he's made amazing progress with Turan, I'm impressed."

"Everyone is doing well," she said with nod, before giving Constantine a look as if to say 'Well, except you apparently...' "Everyone's been holed up inside today for the most part though, blister of a day out there."

Constantine: ::He smiled at hearing how well Woodrow seemed to be getting with his training:: Good to hear. It's been the only thing he's talked about for seasons, now, he best be getting good. ::He ended up laughing at his own joke, but the deep laughs turning into deeper coughs, and it took him a moment before he was breathing properly again. But he went on with speaking and paying attention to Eula as if nothing had happened::

Ah, I bet the young ones are pretty upset about that. ::he paused, remembering his orphanage, thinking of the few creatures he'd appointed to take care of it in his absence. He wondered how they were all doing, but that was far too much for one hare maid to know, so he didn't bother asking. Although, he did bring up another point, one he'd been meaning to discuss::

There's something I've been meaning to ask of you, lass. Now that you're here and I'm awake, I was figuring you could help me with an answer.

Eula:Eula smiled a little at Constantine's good humor, adjusting herself a little where she sat there on the stool, crossing one leg over the other and clasping her paws in her lap. When Constantine went into a coughing fit, she looked concerned, opening her mouth to ask if he was all right. When he went along as if everything was fine, she quieted, realizing Constantine would rather go along talking as if nothing had happened. She had her eyes trained on him for a long while, as if she could extract his thoughts just by looking at him.

"Oh, of course," Eula said, seeming surprised and a bit confused that the old badger would have something to ask of her. "Any way I could help, sure."

Constantine: ::He didn't care how this was all going to sound or how Eula would take it; Constantine could only hope the Eula understood what he was going to ask of her and be alright with it all::

You're a bright hare, you know ::He started, adjusting the glasses on his nose and setting the book he'd been writing in aside.:: You know as well as I do that I'm not in my best of health. But, despite this, the world isn't going to stop. Someone needs to keep up with those creatures out there. ::he motioned to the door leading outside vaguely, hoping she was beginning to catch his drift:: You seem to always be on top of things. I was hoping I could count on you to keep things in check.

Eula: Eula already knew the direction the conversation was going, especially when Constantine started by complimenting her. She bit back a sigh and nodded along as the old badger spoke. What was with creatures and wanting to give her death-bed speeches? She had even tired of the old fabrications, all those "Oh, don't say that" and "I'm sure you'll be back in no time" and so on and so forth. Eula wasn't one for sugar-coating and most certainly as not one for lying.

She nodded blankly at Constantine, not really sure exactly where he was coming from. Eyebrows drawn together, she looked at him in confusion for a moment. Her gaze strayed down to the book and quill the badger had in his paws and what he was asking seemed to apparently dawn on her. "Oh... oh. Of course. I could do that. You know, funny thing, I had actually been thinking of it myself. I rather fancy the idea of having my own writing there for historical purposed. Leaves a legacy." It was hard to say if Eula needed ANY more ways to leave a legacy than she already had, but hey, she was one for the spotlight.

"In fact, I'd love to have the position, and I'm honored you thought of me."

Constantine: ::Her reply was obviously the right thing to say, for Constantine smiled warmly and nodded his head:: I couldn't think of anyone better, miss.

::He took the book and quill he had been using back into his paws and stared at them a moment, before holding them out for Eula to take:: It's my newest book, but I can only write so many times what's going on inside here before things get repetitive. ::He joked with a grin.:: You use it, now. Fill it up with everything and anything you see. ::He coughed lightly here, pausing a moment to see if the coughing would get worse. Luckily, it receded, and he looked up.::

I'll be looking forward to read it when you're finished. ::this last bit was added, of course, to lighten the mood, and give some hope to a seemingly dry situation::

Eula:Eula looked down at the book being offered to her. She paused for a moment, then slipped down from her perch and took the book and quill from his paws. She hefted the large book in her paws for a moment, then rested it in the crook of her arm. She looked down at Constantine for a moment, the nodded and smiled. "Thank you."

Running a paw along the smooth cover of the book, she looked to Constantine, and quirked that half-smile she had earlier. "I promise I'll try not to write negative things about others in it." Eula said, raising her right paw as if she were swearing an oath. She lowered her paw and her smile widened. "At least I'll change the names so no one's offended."

Constantine:::He gave a wink at her last comment:: That's the way, I knew you'd catch on soon.

::He sighed, laying back against his pillows and closing his eyes for a moment. He wasn't really tired, per se, just out of breath. Plus, he had to chose his next words carefully.:: Make sure that friend of yours takes care of the Dibbuns. ::He didn't doubt the ability of the other, but it was natural he would question, or want to make sure:: I just want to be assured they're in good paws.

Eula: Eula nodded. "Absolutely," she smiled. "I think you could trust him with anything concerning Dibbuns. He's absolutely pathetic around them. Anyhow..." she had watched Constantine close his eyes and actually become exhausted from just talking. A frown line appearing on her forehead, she made a judgment call.

"Okay, well, I should go now, and let you rest," Eula said lightly, taking a tighter hold on the book. Not wanting the badger to feel like it was his fault the conversation was ending, she quickly chipped in, "Plus I need to go down to lunch. Apparently Faith is making some kind of announcement and I'm to be there for it. It must be important, she's wearing her I've-Got-An-Important-Announcement robes," she said with a grin.

"I promise I won't wait so long to come visit again."

Constantine: Good, that's good ::He replied, glad to hear that this Donato he had put in charge seemed to be the right creature for the job::

::Although he did find their visit to be short, Constantine understood why Eula was leaving. She had other things to attend to other than to talk to an old badger. He gave a wave and smiled at her:: Well, if the abbess needs you, then by all means. ::He said light heartedly, resting himself even more so against his pillows.:: I'll be looking forward to our next visit, young'n, it best not be too far from now. I have to teach you the tools of the trade.

Eula: Eula tilted her head and smiled at Constantine, a thoughtful look on her features. "Well," she took a breath, and held the book against her chest. "I will talk to you later. You get some rest, you have an apprentice now."

Running her paw along the bottom of the book, she looked at the older badger for a moment longer, and then turned and left the infirmary without another word.

((This is the format we can all use if we should have an IM RP, so everyone else in the role-play can see what happened. Also, this can be used should you write anything that only concerns your own characters))