Blood is thicker than water..(cont. "remembrance")

[greek101]

[[Ooc: Open to Enon/Skipp, Luke, Tirael, and whoever else wants to post! ]]


Rajani Nisha followed quickly behind her black-furred squirrel guide. The sun slowly starting to lower past it's zenith, it shone upon the traveling duo's backs as it filtered through the leaves casting a green light through the forest. Birds fluttered above their heads in a dance like flight singing sweetly to on another.

At least they're happy. Jani though to herself as her paws pounded light upon the forest floor. She wasn't having trouble keeping up with her squirrel guide. Having been force to run a whole lot faster during her training, it was more of a light jog for her.

However, Jani had to stop her jog short as the woodlands cut of into a large ditch. On the other side of the ditch was a wide dirt path, and on the other side of that...Redwall Abbey....

It is soo big! Jani thought to herself as she stood in the shadow of a large tree that grew into the edge of the ditch. She had never seen a place like it. The tall looming walls made of a red sandstone stood proudly in the light of the afternoon. The large wooden gate brought even further to the bright contrast of the rosy walls all the way from the ground to the parapets on top.

It was so beautiful and peaceful, yet terrifyingly bold.

Was Tirael in there? the squirrel had given a rather sarcastic answer when Jani had asked, and Jani took that to meaning he was. If he was, would he remember her? Or would he be afraid and ashamed of what she had become? And then there was this Tampa character. Was she his sister and Jani had found the wrong Tirael? Or was she his sister, but not by blood? Would Jani even be able to get in to Redwall, or would the deny her access because of what she was?...

With her mind spinning, Jani lept down into the ditch, sliding to the rather muddy bottom. Then with quick paw work and speed, Jani used the roots and grasses on the side of the ditch to scale the other side.

Climbing out on to the path, Rajani shook the little mud that was on her fur off and stood there. Looking up at the great gate. For one of the first times during her time as an assassin, Jani was terrified, even if she tried not to let it show.

She was so close! So close to having her brother back! So close to having a chance to be a family again, but yet, she was so scared. She wanted to run away, just run away and never look back. NO! She could not let herself run. Last time she ran away in fear, she lost the only thing really precious to her.

Jani's paw gently slid her locket out from with in her shirt. He felt the cold golden cover. Looking down, she opened it, looking at her last link to her parents. A picture of their once happy family. Closing the locket, she let it hang from her neck, exposed to the world. She was going to have to be who she really was if she ever wanted to see Tirael again.... Streamlilly ... the name once lost to her... Her true identiy... Streamlilly ....

[Maxodis]

Thump. Thump. Thump.

For the seventeenth time that day(The weasel had been meticulous about keeping count), the thought crossed Redin Outmir's mind that it was a strange world when one had to focus on the regular beat of a painless migraine to keep firm control of one's sanity. Not that the migraine was without symptoms, the slowly growing white spot in the center of the vision in his left eye could attest to that. There had been nausea before... yesterday? Had a full day passed? Had two? The burly weasel thought it odd that he could so easily keep track of how many times he had repeated a single thought, and then turn around to find that he had so quickly lost count of how many days he had been staying within the walls of the sandstone building(He also refused to call it an abbey. His entire life it had been known to him as a fort and he would always know it as such, no matter how many of its inhabitants he offended). He found these thoughts amusing, laughing inwardly at them. Then he cursed himself for failing in such a simple task as remembering what day of the week it was. Then he chuckled once more, externally this time, at how ridiculous it all was.

Above all else, it was becoming abundantly clear to Redin that his sanity was unquestionably slipping. And fast.

He'd come out to the ramparts that afternoon in hopes of stalling that inevitable process, not expecting the quiet seclusion to act as a catalyst instead. Perhaps he could reason this out, figure out what exactly is the matter with him, isolate it, figure out how to fix it, and he'd be fine. Naive thoughts, at best(An internal laugh, internal disgust, and as day follows night an external chuckle that sounded slightly too shaken. Perhaps reacting outside of his mind was what was keeping him from collapsing altogether. Maybe he should speak his thoughts aloud to himself. Oh he'd look real insane then). Instead, the confusion and doubt within his mind had eaten away at his security with fervor. Feeling decidedly less certain of anything than when he first made his way up to the wall for fresh air hours ago(Days maybe(shaddap)), he wondered if maybe he would need some external help to get himself straight. Sleet was likely the only one who could stomach all the secrets he had to confess, but it occurred to him that despite all they'd gone though, she might think of him differently, and she was all he had left.

Rising from his position leaning out over the edge of the wall, he rubbed his temples with his free paw before brushing a bit of dirt off the white linen sling wrapped around his other arm. He needed something to distract him, his own thoughts weren't safe anymore. Something. Anything. Like...

He glanced once more out over Mossflower, and his eyes fell upon a dark splotch in the middle of the path beside the Fort. "One helluva shadow..." He muttered aloud, squinting his eyes to see what could be casting it. When it moved, the weasel blinked. Shadows don't cast shadows of their own(Unless its not really a shadow, or maybe you're just seeing thi-(shaddap)). Covering his left eye with his paw he peered down at the figure, who was peering up. Too far to tell what it was, but its youth was apparent. Young. The weasel snorted bitterly at the thought. Creatures in this land didn't often live as long as he had. Technically, he was old. The thought was reinforced by his inability to decipher much about the dark creature standing on the path below him, it was simply too far for his amber eyes to see.

Yet... something sparked the weasel's curiosity about its appearance. This was generally a bad thing, as Redin had long since learned that his curiosity was what more often than not got him into trouble. The multitude of scars covering his muscular frame told stories of trouble that the violent weasel willingly threw himself into, and enjoyed thoroughly, but only his curiosity(and Sleet) could find him trouble that was comparatively distasteful.

So he drew back from the edge, his eyes lingering on the creature for a moment longer before he leisurely began to make his way to the nearest staircase leading to the grounds. He was in no rush, and absolutely certain that he was under no authority to open any doors for any creature anyway.

[Lucasaurusrex]

Leaf Eye followed them into a clearing, where there were no trees to hide in. He looked at the bare vallwy, the wind rufflig his fur so high in an Elm Tree. The wind was warm, feeling good on Leaf Eyes back. He saw the otter and squirrel cross a ditch, and slid down his tree landing quietly on the ground. He flattened against the grassy earth covered in light, and began to crawl towards the trench.
He was crawling down the trench watching the creatures when a root snagged his foot and he fell tumbling down onto the bare rocky earth. He ended up in a sitting posistion, dazed, knowing his cover was blown. He gulped, knowing he had to try his best to make friends. His first impression was not that of a good one.

[Tirael]

In the lee of the enormous western wall, a staff made a low thrum as it spun through the air, gripped firmly in the paws of the otter wielding it. Partly to work off his irritation, and partly to keep an eye on the distant Redin, Tirael had spent the better part of the afternoon practicing with it. Ever since his fight in the woods with that fox, he'd grown more confident with the use of it; he no longer had a tendency to thwack his own head with it, and it finally seemed to move as he intended it to. Granted, he was still no master, but it was the first time he'd ever felt a weapon suited him.

Movement from the wall caught his attention, and he turned his attention there (though not before planting the end of the staff squarely on the grass). Apparently, something had caught the weasel's eye, which merited Tirael's own interest. Loping to a nearby stairway while Redin was still distracted, he hurried up to the walltop. It took him a few moments, but he spotted the same thing: Enon and a stranger climbing out of the ditch. Squinting, he tried to make out the squirrel's companion. All he could tell was that it was an otter (the rudder made that abundantly clear). Neither seemed concerned about their surroundings; apparently, there were no enemies following them.

Leaving the walltop just before Leaf-eye made his less-than-grand entrance, Tirael practically flew down the stairs. He'd seen Redin heading for the gate, and he was determined to get there first. The weasel wasn't exactly the first creature he wanted this newcomer to see in Redwall; Redin, even more so than Sleet, was rather unpleasantly unpredictable. Panting by the time he got to the gate, he stopped to catch his breath for a moment before lifting the bar (with some difficulty) and shoving the gate open.

"Hey, Enon," he called, attempting to sound casual. "Who's that?"

[Enon // SoMtW]

Enon picked up a long sapling and laid it across the ditch before crossing it quite nimbly. Let the otter wade through the ditch if she’d like. Enon preferred not to. She turned her attention to the wall as she approached the huge main gate of Redwall. In other times, the gate may have been left open during the day. In these times, the creatures still remembered all too well 40 years of war.

The squirrellad who had been trailing them tumbled down the ditch. Enon judged this to be truth because the otter was now beside her, she refused to turn and look at the young squirrel. She knew his position because he had been noisy and then tripped over some obstruction. She didn’t need to look at his idiot face.

"Hey, Enon," he called, attempting to sound casual. "Who's that?"

“Some otter. Claims yer ‘er kin.” She growled and stalked past him. “I’m gonna go find Tam an’ Skipp. Brush’n Ah are leavin’ today.”

[Lucasaurusrex]

Leaf Eye scrambled up in the ditch. He saw the old squirrel inore him, and scurried out of the ditch. He followed, for a moment of awkward silence. Then he piped up, "Umm...May I please come to this castle with you? I know I didn't make a very good impression, but I was just..." Leaf Eye paused, tryin to thinkof something to say, "...anxious. To save my father and all that, or to get revenge. Maybe the Red Castle people will know who took 'im." He bowed his head in shame, wishing he had made friends earlier. This was his last shot. He would get nowhere if they said no, for the vermin band who kidnapped or killed his father had probally moved to sea by now, and no vermin in the woods knew anything about them. Red Castle was his last hope...

(im calling it Red Castle on purpose. Leaf Eye does nae know its true name.)

[greek101]

Rajani Nisha scanned the top of the wall as she listened to her squirrel guide cross the ditch on a branch and join her. Was there...? Yes. Movement. There was someone up there. As the shadow disappeared slowly, Jani's rudder tip twitched in anticipation. She was finally going to see her brother! After all these years....

A crashing thud sound halted any further thought of Jani's. Flicking her ears, Jani guessed it was their squirrel stalker. As she continued to listen, she decided not to move. He was fine. He didn't hurt himself. And Jani didn't want to take her eyes off the door. She might miss something. If that shadow on the wall came to the door and opened it, and Jani took her eyes off, Jani might miss her one oppertunity.....

"Umm...May I please come to this castle with you? I know I didn't make a very good impression, but I was just..." Leaf Eye paused, tryin to thinkof something to say, "...anxious. To save my father and all that, or to get revenge. Maybe the Red Castle people will know who took 'im." He bowed his head in shame, wishing he had made friends earlier.

"It's Red-wall. Not Red-Castle." Jani paused. "And I don't think they'll mind if you come in..." Not so sure about me..She thought to herself, her heavily hooded midnight blue eyes still fixed on the door. Her worry was becoming impatience. When was that door going to open? What if they never would...

No! Wait! It was opening! Jani took a few steps back as the great wooden doors swung open. Then she froze as she saw the creature who opened it.

It was a young, slim, slightly short otter. His chocolate-brown fur blended with his creamy white underfur and green tunic. And his eyes, his sweet, quiet, midnight blue eyes....

It was him....

Tirael!.....

"Hey, Enon," he called, attempting to sound casual. "Who's that?"

His voice, his sweet voice. Yes, it was him. It was him. What Tirael actually said, Jani didn't know. She could only stand there. Eyes moist, muscles locked, and heart pounding. The locket rising and lowering on her chest with her quick breaths.

“Some otter. Claims yer ‘er kin.” She growled and stalked past him. “I’m gonna go find Tam an’ Skipp. Brush’n Ah are leavin’ today.”

Anything that Enon said passed by Jani's ears like a swift moving breeze. In one ear and out the other. It was him...Her baby brother...after so long....He hasn't changed....

"Ttt..Tireal?..." Jani stuttered, struggling to find her voice. "Is it you?....Is it really you?" She asked, a tear spilling from her eye. Her first real tear. Was she happy? Yes. Was she sad? Even more. Baby brother...baby brother....

[Maxodis]

It was hard to miss the healer's undignified scramble to beat Redin to the gate. The sight of the young otter scurrying to make it to the large gate, unwieldy staff in paw, was enough to bring a snicker to the weasel's face, but not enough to dissuade his sparked curiosity in the creature outside. With all the casual ease of one who does not care, he stood back and watched as Tirael struggled to open the gate enough for a creature to squeeze through, withholding the comments about what incredible difficulty such a feat appeared to be.

"Hey, Enon, Who's that?"

“Some otter. Claims yer ‘er kin. I’m gonna go find Tam an’ Skipp. Brush’n Ah are leavin’ today.”

These words held no meaning to Redin, and he took no note of them. Realizing that the otter wouldn't(or couldn't) open the gate any farther, the weasel stepped up behind him, reaching over the short creature's head with his free, unbandaged arm and grasping the gate's door firmly in his large paw. With a soft grunt of effort, the muscles around his shoulders bunched as he wrenched the heavy door open farther.

Leaning out above Tirael(No difficult feat considering their significant difference in height and size), Redin peered out at the dark creature before them, hardly noticing the passing of the black-furred squirrel. He blinked once in confusion, uncertain if his eyes were deceiving him, given his condition. The illusion did not fade, nor could any impairment of his vision hide those tattoos. His countenance darkened as his amber eyes sought the strange otter's. Those tattoos were unmistakable. The weasel had recognized them... yet in his mental state he could not manage to remember where he knew them to be from, or their significance. But despite this, the impression that this creature's appearance was an ill omen failed to be masked by the cloud of his instability.

Without thought, he put his paw on the young otter's shoulder firmly to hold the creature where he stood as he scrutinized the newcomer. "Who're yew?"

[Tirael]

As he asked Enon his question, Tirael noticed another squirrel with them. Who is that? ...was he with them earlier? Trying to remember exactly what he'd seen from the walltop, he almost missed Enon's answer.

“Some otter. Claims yer ‘er kin.” She growled and stalked past him. “I’m gonna go find Tam an’ Skipp. Brush’n Ah are leavin’ today.”

He just nodded distractedly--at least, at first. "Oh. Well, that's--" cutting off as the black squirrel's words finally clicked in his mind, he gaped first at her, then at Jani, a mixture of confusion and shock plastered all over his face. "Wait, what?" The immense weight of what she'd said seemed lost in her casual, even grudging, telling of it, and he stared questioningly at Jani, who seemed equally intent on staring at him.

"Ttt..Tirael?..." Jani stuttered, struggling to find her voice. "Is it you?....Is it really you?"

Tirael felt incredibly uncomfortable. He had no idea who this otter was, but she was clearly becoming very emotional over him. That sort of attention was rare, and the fact that a total stranger was heaping it on him only made it worse. Resisting the urge to step back, or even hide behind the gate (as it would probably upset this otter all the more), he simply held back, clutching onto his staff like a security blanket.

"Who're yew?"

"That's a good question," Tirael breathed, failing to notice that it was Redin who had asked and was currently leaning over him. His gaze remained locked on Jani, though his look of frightened confusion was hardly a match for her hopeful, tear-stained affection. "I...why don't you come in..." This newcomer had a lot of explaining to do. "You can come in, too," he added, glancing briefly at Leaf-eye before retreating back through the gates.

[Lucasaurusrex]

Leaf Eye followed the black squirrel towards the abbey. He smiled joyfully that thy had let him come with them. He slipped through the door, and saw a large vermin open the door wider! He junped back in surprise! A vermjn! Who would've thought?! Then he realised, if the short otter was not afraid of him, the vermin must be a friend. He gazed around in amazement...He saw orchards, a large building, a gate-house, and even steps leading up to the walltop. He gaped at everything. It may have been an abbey, but it was fortified like a castle.

[greek101]

Jani watched her brother's reaction. He was scared... He was scared of her...

Well he should, I am frighting...

Jani was so happy to see him!...But he didn't recognize her...He held on to the staff in his paw like it was a baby blanket...He looked just like he did when he was sacred when he was little...

"Who're yew?"

Jani blinked. The voice broke her from her stare. Looking beyond Tirael, she could see a large, wounded weasel behind him. This weasel didn't look like a stranger to blood and warfare, but he didn't look hostile at the moment.

"That's a good question,"

Jani looked back at Tirael, her tearing eyes scanning his nervous face. "You don't remember?..." Jani sighed."It was along time ago, a life time ago....so I guess I can't blame you...."

Looking straight into Tirael's eyes, their midnight blue eyes locking. "I'm your sister,....Streamlilly." Her name felt funny to her own tongue. Streamlilly. Not Rajani. She wasn't a killer.

"I...why don't you come in...You can come in, too,"

Jani watched as Tirael retreated quickly inside the gates. He was frightened. Jani's heart sank and quickly followed him inside with her long smooth strides.

Redwall was even more beautiful on the inside than it was on the outside. The peaceful lawns, beautiful orchards and gardens, and the tall majestic buildings. It made Jani very uncomfortable. This place was so peaceful, but she wasn't.

If she made her baby brother this scared, what was everyone else going to think of her? He didn't even remember her....

[Maxodis]

That's a good question,"

"You don't remember?... It was along time ago, a life time ago....so I guess I can't blame you.... I'm your sister,....Streamlilly."

"I...why don't you come in...You can come in, too,"

More words, words that did not hold any immediate meaning to the weasel. His fragmented concentration was focused on digging up the obscure memory of where he had seen such tattoos. His expression, one of guarded caution, steadily blackened as the connection did not immediately make itself apparent. He knew, he bloody knew that this creature's description was familiar, agonizingly so. The recollection was just beyond the slowly clearing haze of his confusion, and he was almost certain that from what he supposedly knew, this creature posed little threat.

Almost.

Already torn by his own inward insecurities, as well as powered by a long history of staying alive through stubborn and often excessive caution, Redin was not about to leave anything to chance, even if it wasn't his place to make such a decision. The word 'sister' floated across his conscience, and he took mild note of it, resolving to bother with considering it at a later time when he could be bothered. Movement beneath his paw brought him out of his contemplation enough to realize that Tirael was slipping away from him, or probably to be more precise, the creature outside. The weasel took absent note that the other squirrel(younger of the two that had been outside, had he always been there?) as the creature darted by him.

Still standing at the gate, his eyes returned to the dark creature as she passed by him. In addition to her prominent tattoos(Damn their familiarity), the weasel did not fail to miss the contours of her body, or to be more specific, where those smooth lines were broken by the comparatively aggressive shapes that clearly defined the her weaponry. The sluggish process of his mind was grinding back up to full speed slowly after an afternoon of such destructive contemplation, and he finally took action. He turned as his eyes followed her, his voice betraying his quickly rising tension. "Oy, 'old dark 'un. Yew wait righ' where yer stan'in' fer a moment."

As he passed by, he fixed the creature with a meaningful, if not brief, glare, his strides long and purposeful as he quickly overtook the retreating Tirael. Reaching out with his free paw, Redin grabbed Tirael's upper arm, positively dragging the small otter behind him as be abruptly changed direction and lead him out of earshot of the supposed sister. "Moment o' yer time, 'ealer."

[Tirael]

"You don't remember?..." Jani sighed. "It was a long time ago, a lifetime ago....so I guess I can't blame you...."

The length of time had little to do with it; if anyone had come to collect Tirael a week after his family had died, they would have little better chance at evoking a memory from the otter. Time had filled an emptiness in him, but it had not created it. A slingstone to the head had taken care of that quite effectively.

"I'm your sister...Streamlilly."

The word sister dropped like a stone in Tirael's heart, and in his gut. At first, his mind rejected the idea in a split second. Tampa was his sister, maybe not by blood, but certainly by the ten years they'd spent as the Skipper's adoptive family. He was, for all intents and purposes, a Tiderunner, and the name meant everything to him. The name 'Streamlilly,' on the other hand, only seemed to hover somewhere around the back of his mind, as though he'd overheard it in conversation once.

But, he couldn't deny it seemed vaguely familiar. What was worse, other than her notably darker fur, this 'Streamlilly' did resemble him somewhat, especially in the eyes that wouldn't leave his. Feeling even more disturbed, he did his best not to look her in the eyes anymore; all he could think of was how his family was going to react.

...and if they were his only family.

"Moment o' yer time, 'ealer."

The way Redin was dragging him was uncomfortably reminiscent of N'tashi's slave guards. Tirael's attempt to free himself was feeble at best, however, and the weasel's grip remained unbroken. "What is it?" he murmured, his mounting anxiety becoming ever more apparent.

[Maxodis]

The young otter's squirming went unnoticed by Redin, who strode ahead resolutely with his charge in tow, fully expecting the creature to put one paw in front of the other fast enough to keep pace. The weasel would likely have failed to notice if Tirael had snatched up the fallen quarterstaff and begun to whack it over his head. The fleeting thought that his current actions, in light of his most recent encounters with the healer and Sleet, were more than likely unwise at best. He knew he was overreacting, of all things uncertain in his fraying mind he knew this with conviction. He knew because his thoughts were flying out of control, spinning in dizzying circles only momentarily comprehensible before his mind was bombarded by a new wave of thoughts.

Cain't be too careful, he thought darkly, releasing his vice grip on Tirael's arm as he came to a stop. He glanced over his shoulder, checking to ensure that his muscular bulk was solidly obstructing the newcomer's view of Tirael. They c'n read lips, them... bloody 'ssassins. Cain't be too careful with this 'un... cain't be too careful wit' any'un... As his thoughts trailed off, the weasel realized he had been muttering them softly beneath his breath. He blinked, his eyes focusing on Tirael. Now silent, Redin took several moments to both wonder why he was having trouble seeing all of the small otter and remember what he was going to demand in the first place.

He tilted his head to the side with a sharp movement, a dull crack resounding from his neck that seemingly went unnoticed by the weasel. Leveling what was intentionally a severe look at Tirael through his right eye, Redin worked his mouth soundlessly for a moment until words came out. "...Weapons. 'Er weapons. Cain't let 'er keep 'er weapons."

[Lucasaurusrex]

Leaf Eye looked around and saw the barbaric weasel pull the otter with a staff towards the gate. He heard something about assassins, but he was in Redwall now. He was safe. Nothing bad ever happened in Redwall. He had heard stories about it, but at the time he was young, his father had already left, and his mother had told him stories of RedCASTLE. Well, everone made mistakes, he reasoned. He turned towards the orchard, and sprinted there, pulled himself up limb by rough limb, to a post where he could relax and watch what was going on with the two otters. He knew he could not offer comfort. They weren't friends yet. He relaxed, and drowsily began to realise how tired he was.

Everything began to fade, and suddenly he was asleep. In his dreams he was trapped in a burning hut. He saw his father's back turned from him, perched in a window. His father turned around, but his face was that of a hideously scarred and demented squirrel. Leaf Eye was petrified. He couldn't move. He heard in a rocky scratchy high voice unlike his father, "Finnd meeee... Leaf Eye... I need youurr helllppp... Please! You have betrayed meee!" Leaf Eye looked up and met his father's gaze again pleadingly, he managed two words, "Im sorry..." He shed a tear in his sleep, as his feverish dreams began. Suddenly he was squirming, writhing in pain.
In his dream the fire was bruning him. He let out a scream in his dream (not in real life) and ran towards the window his father was perched on. He grabbed his father trying to pull him to a close branch. His father wouldn't move. He jumped this time, pulling his father with him, but his father stayed back. His father yelled, "YOU BETRAYED MEEE!! HELLPP!" Leaf Eye's father not jumping threw him off balance, and he plummeted out of the window (and his tree) towards the ground. He landed quietly with a thump and the crack of bones. His last thought was, "Who will find me? Did anyon see me go up? I landed quietly for someone to hea..." Then he blacked out. The clump of some type of black berries he had found on the dith landed near his hand.