The Turning of the Leaves (Ody; Open)

[greek101]

".... Wait, wot?"

Keith watched as Redin tried to figure out what Brink had said. Keith knew the feeling. Sometimes he wasn't quite sure he knew what she was saying anyways. Mole speak was hard to understand, even that the best of times...

Keith winced as the little weasel collided with Redin's legs causing him to jump a bit. Why he did? He wasn't sure. He knew that Redin was startled, but he most likely winced because he imagined the little one running into his own legs and the pain it cause him..

As the weasel tried to voice his question and Brink began to repeat what she had said, Keith decided if he was still to be included in the conversation, he would need to get over the roots in front of him. So with much pushing and levering with his paws on the offending trees, Keith slowly made it over the roots as the other creatures conversed.

"Oi'm Brinkenya. Brink fuhr shurt." She pointed to him. "Woiya yee bees nurta feelin gurd?"

"She'm said: 'Mah name is Brink, why yous notta feelin' goohd?' yeh silly raskler!"

When Keith finally made it over the roots and rolled over to the others, he came up behind the little weasel and chided him gently. "Now young un', you don't call your elders 'silly rakslers'."

[Maxodis]

"Oi'm Brinkenya. Brink fuhr shurt. Woiya yee bees nurta feelin gurd?"

"She'm said: 'Mah name is Brink, why yous notta feelin' goohd?' yeh silly raskler!"

"Now young un', you don't call your elders 'silly rakslers'."

The distressed weasel's amber eyes darted from one creature to another as they spoke in turn, hearing their words but making no sense of them above the imaginary voice that were yelling in his head. It had been far too many years since he had submitted to the practices of common courtesy, he had long since abandoned such frivolities, believing it easier to expect every creature he met to be out for his blood. In the world he knew, such a belief worked quite well. As his eyes fell upon each of the happy, distressingly friendly faces, it became all too clear to Redin that the world he knew had died with the hordebeasts that had occupied and suppressed the area for as long as most could remember.

The weasel realized that it was abruptly silent, as the peculiar gathering present were waiting for his response. At a loss for words, he looked down at the young one, who had since released his leg. On a sudden impulse, he slowly reached out with a paw toward the little weasel. Just as he realized the noises in his mind had fallen silent, a high-pitched shriek tore across his consciousness, followed by a female's desperate scream: Don't touch my baby!

Redin flinched as if burned, withdrawing his outstretched paw. How many times had he heard those words? Looking into the small creature's eyes, he was helpless but to wonder how many like this one he had made orphans. How many babes had he himself killed?

Perhaps the times had really changed. Perhaps the Mossflower woods that he had been born in, that had remained unchanging all his life, that had shaped him into what he was today... perhaps all that he knew was gone. Goodbeast and vermin conversing pleasantly without being at each other's throats? The age he had lived in was dead. He knew he was too old, too well-set in his ways to change. Even if he wasn't... the ghosts of his past would never cease to haunt him.

His audience was still waiting. What was it they'd asked? Probably inquired about his health. That's what polite creatures did, wasn't it? At a loss for anything better than I'm dying, and its probably because you and your kind aren't busy killing each other and ruining lives like the rest of us sorry bastards, he instead asked another question. Glancing up at the molemaid, then looking to the ferret(He couldn't understand moles anyway), he frowned slightly and pointed to the weaselbabe.

"Where's this'un's parents?"

[Rakko]

Brink ruffled the young weasel's head-fur with her paw as he spoke. At the sound of Keith's approaching chair she turned.

"Now young un', you don't call your elders 'silly rakslers'."

Brink giggled at the ferrets comment but the weasel did not seem pleased. He folded his arms in a humph and turned his back, muttering something about 'norrun arsked yoos...' Brink, however, gave the dibbun a stern looking and he turned back around to bow slightly to the seated being. He turned also to the elder weasel and dipped his head again. "Oi's surry fur callin ee a silly raskler..." he said with a sigh.

All was quiet for a bit and to the impatient dibbun it seemed like forever. He had been just about to turn and scamper off, bored with the silence and longing for a shiny, when Redin spoke.

"Where's this'un's parents?"

Shiver knew that Keith would not be able to answer the question so he spoke up himself. "Whoi they'm be deads sir!" he said in an eerily matter-o'-fact voice.

[Maxodis]

"Whoi they'm be deads sir!"

Dead. Spoken with an enthusiasm that only the young can conjure. Redin had supposed that was the answer that he would receive, and he supposed his next question would be to ask how they'd died. He was feeling the disturbing urge to know if it was possible that he had slaughtered this young one's parents, but the more he thought about it the less likely he ever was to know. It had been many years, and the weasel had the blood of so many on his claws...

No, new topic. All of this was becoming too much. How far had he fallen that he was so susceptible to weakness? There was time enough to feel sorry for one's self after death.

In a not-so-uncharacteristic abrupt shift in behavior, Redin collected himself, dropping all signs of his previous hesitation and conflict. His eyes flitted sharply back to the seated ferret, his expression darkening almost accusingly. "An' why," he mused, gaining an edge to his voice as he blatantly disregarded all conversation before. "Are yew inna chair? An' why dossit 'ave wheels? Wot kinda chair's got wheels onnit anyway, eh?"

[greek101]

The little one did not appreciate being chided by Keith. He humphed to himself and muttered to himself, but when given a stern look by Brink, the little weasel bowed to Keith and to Redin.

"Oi's surry fur callin ee a silly raskler..."

"Thank you little one." Keith replied. There was a long bit of silence between every beast, which made Keith rather uncomfortable, scene he was the only one sitting and the larger weasel would oddly flinch and his expression change. Finally Redin spoke.

"Where's this'un's parents?"

Keith looked down at the little one. He didn't know! The Abbey? Or was the little one an orphan? Keith had just arrived yesterday, he didn't know any beast! The little one knew however and replied.

"Whoi they'm be deads sir!"

Oh...They were dead..And the little one wasn't bothered by this? Keith didn't know what to say or think. His parent's were dead and had been dead for a while, but he had also cried for a long time...In fact, he still cried a bit when he had nightmares...This little one wasn't upset or anymore...A shiver went up Keith's tail. He didn't want to think about it..

Keith looked up at Brink and Redin to see their reactions of the little one's comment, but Redin attracted all of Keith's attention. His expression had changed. He didn't look confused anymore. His eyes were sharp and accusing and looking straight at Keith...

"An' why," he mused, gaining an edge to his voice as he blatantly disregarded all conversation before. "Are yew inna chair? An' why dossit 'ave wheels? Wot kinda chair's got wheels onnit anyway, eh?"

Keith sighed a bit to himself, even if he was a bit frightened by Redin's intimidating glare. Everyone got around to asking one time or another. Keith cleared his throat and replied.

"Well..I'm in this chair because..*sigh* Because I can't walk. The chair has wheels so I can move. " Keith looked down at his braced legs. Oh how he hated being stuck like this. He didn't want to keep answering these questions. He just wanted to walk..But alas, there was no possibility of that so he just got to sit here under the...frightening glare of a large burly weasel...

[Rakko]

Brink looked down sorrowfully at the dibbun who didn't seem to realize the emotion that should have gone behind that sentence. THe young weasel had come to the Abbey only a few days after it had been taken back. Brink had moved back int he first day creatures where aloud to go back home. The pair had been pretty much inseparable since they met.

Shiver was not quite right in the head and no one knew why. He rarely spoke unless Brink was around and he had the shortest attention span of any dibbun at the Abbey. The only thing he seemed capable of focusing on was Brink, shiny things and rocks.

The Abbey dwellers did not know of the young one's past; he rarely spoke of his parents. The young weasel's reaction to the elder's question was somewhat frightening. He seeme dot not care that his parents where gone. Brink's eyes where full of pain as she gazed down at the silvery creature. Shiver did, however, have a huge problem expressing emotion and he would often get them confused. He cried over a small cut but isn't bothered by a broken bone. He is excitable and bubbly in times of mourning and he often got angry when someone tried to give him food at the appropriate times. Brink assumed this was one of those times. Shiver was very sad about his parents, but his disorder, along with the fact that he would have been very young at their death, led him to this emotional reaction.

"An' why...Are yew inna chair? An' why dossit 'ave wheels? Wot kinda chair's got wheels onnit anyway, eh?"

Brink turned her focus to the ferret. She had not asked the back story of the young one in the chair. To be honest, she hadn't really cared. She was one of the rare types who hardly even saw the chair. She had a huge heart and focused on his personality, not his appearence. Regardless, she listened to his answer.

"Well..I'm in this chair because...Because I can't walk. The chair has wheels so I can move. "

Brink nodded. A very reasonable explanation in deed! After a few seconds of silence, the molemaid spoke up again, changing the subject from these touchy ones to something better. "Uhm, zuhr? We'ums wuhr jus on are wihy to ze brekkerist. Do'ums wanner johin uhses?"

[Maxodis]

"Well..I'm in this chair because...Because I can't walk. The chair has wheels so I can move. "

It appeared that Redin was the only creature unsatisfied by such an answer. Then again, the weasel was bull-headed and strong-willed, and had a poor habit of seeming to believe that any other creature he met should be the same. His mild(if not abrasive) curiosity slowly beginning to sour, he was about to question the ferret further when his companion spoke.

"Uhm, zuhr? We'ums wuhr jus on are wihy to ze brekkerist. Do'ums wanner johin uhses?"

Not entirely unprepared to decipher the molemaid's dialect(but still forced to take a few moments to be certain he'd heard what she said correctly), the burly weasel considered her offer. He could not remember the last time he had eaten, much less the last time he had eaten without feeling nauseated. He did remember the last time he had ventured into the place where these abbeydwellers served such meals, and the resulting reactions of panic and fear that sprang up in isolated bouts as a result of his presence.

A slight grin spread across his maw. Could be fun.

Bracing a paw firmly on the tree he was propped up against, Redin pushed himself up to his footpaws, managing to keep his swaying to an almost imperceptible level as his skewed balance slowly set itself in place. He dipped his head in acknowledgement to Brink, the sharpness of his eyes strengthening. "A kind off'r, an' I thank'ee kindly fer askin'. I s'ppose I kin eat..."

[greek101]

Keith watched the other creature's responses. Brink seemed satisfied. Redin however, did not. Keith didn't like the look that Redin had on his face. What more was Keith supposed to say? Did Redin want the full version of how his legs had been crushed by a giant flaming tree? No, no..Keith pushed the memory back down. Not now..Keith continued to stare at Brink and Redin as it appeared like Redin was going to question him further.

"Uhm, zuhr? We'ums wuhr jus on are wihy to ze brekkerist. Do'ums wanner johin uhses?"

Breakfast! Inwardly Keith thanked Brink for changing the conversation. It was beginning to become rather awkward for Keith. He really didn't want to be spilling all of his life secrets.

After a few moments of silence, Redin stood up and replied.

"A kind off'r, an' I thank'ee kindly fer askin'. I s'ppose I kin eat..."

"Great!" Keith added. Turning his chair around, he looked back at Brink. "As you are the Orchard Keeper Brink, do you know a way of getting out of these trees without too many roots? I keep getting stuck.."

[Rakko]

Brink could practically cut the uncomfort int he air wich is why she had announced breakfast. She was pleased with the older waesle's reaction:

"A kind off'r, an' I thank'ee kindly fer askin'. I s'ppose I kin eat..."

She grinned at him and walked over to pry the younger from his legs. "Bhur...Shivler, bees a good un an goo tull marster Tir we's acoomin." The young one nodded and ran off toward the Abbey. She shook her head affectionately as he raced off. Then Keith spoke up to her question.

"Great!...As you are the Orchard Keeper Brink, do you know a way of getting out of these trees without too many roots? I keep getting stuck.."

She turned to look at him, grinning. "Aw, It ain't that 'ard, zuhr!" She went overr to him and, deciding it would be easier to stear him out then try to tell him where to go, she grabbed hold off the back of the chair and loosened him from his stuck position. She started making ehr way out, avoiding all of the roots and large rocks, attempting to make the ride smooth for him. Of course, that wasn't 100% possible, but she tried. After a few seconds, she looked back and motioned for Redin to follow.

[Maxodis]

"Bhur...Shivler, bees a good un an goo tull marster Tir we's acoomin."

"Great!...As you are the Orchard Keeper Brink, do you know a way of getting out of these trees without too many roots? I keep getting stuck.."

"Aw, It ain't that 'ard, zuhr!"

Slowly gaining an ear for the mole's curious dialect, it only took Redin several seconds to realize what she'd said and that it was several seconds too late to stop the energetic younger weasel, who had already long since scampered off to fulfill his task. There was only one Tir that Redin knew of residing in the abbey. Tirael. The healer-otter. The creature responsible for the general heath of all those living within the building's sandstone walls, residents and guests alike. Redin had been making a point of avoiding Tirael, particularly as his health rapidly began to decline. The otter would ask questions and cause more trouble than he was worth. Better he deal with his issues himself, than tell-all to some agitating, uptight, poor excuse of a healer.

But it was just breakfast. What could go wrong?

The weasel stayed beside the tree as the molemaid began to wheel Keith away and pondered the situation for a moment. Ferrets who couldn't walk in chairs with wheels. Tiny attack-weasels. Overly friendly mole orchard keepers. Not even two full years ago such things would be unheard of. There wasn't much besides Fort N'Tashi and the environment its rule created. This new order, to Redin, was a world gone mad. More likely(he thought with a pessimistic chuckle), the world he'd known was mad, and this was and always would be the right order of things.

But then again, this was just an invitation to breakfast. No reason to make so much of nothing.

He followed along behind the two younger creatures, managing to keep from stumbling all but once, his face-bells jingling sharply at the disturbance.

[greek101]

"Bhur...Shivler, bees a good un an goo tull marster Tir we's acoomin."

Shiver? Like when you are cold? Keith thought to himself. It was a rather odd name for a little one, but somehow, it fit. Keith watches as the little weasel ran off toward the Abbey and Brink shook her head in an affectionate gesture. Keith wondered how Brink came to know Shiver, but the thought quickly slipped his mind as Brink came over and gripped the back of his chair.

"Aw, It ain't that 'ard, zuhr!"

Keith held on tight as Brink unstuck him from the roots and began wheeling him to the Abbey in as smooth as ride as she could. He knew that she was doing her best. There was a sharp bump every now and then, but it wasn't was bad.

A loud jingle reminded Keith that Redin was still following them. Looking behind him, Keith noticed that Redin had stumbled. "You alright back there sir?" He asked. Sure he thought that the large weasel was a tad bit scary, but that didn't mean he couldn't be polite.

[Maxodis]

"You alright back there sir?"

The question found the weasel muttering dark curses beneath his breath as he leaned against a nearby tree. He'd managed to stub his toeclaw on one of the thicker roots in the tangle of trees, and had mostly managed to keep his balance. The fiery lances of pain that were shooting up his leg hardly registered to the weasel, yet he was hindered from walking because despite how oblivious he was to the pain the muscles in his footpaw had decided to cramp up in mutiny.

"Aye," he muttered, curling his lips in a silent display of personal disgust. "Jes' a lil' bump. 'Tain't nothin'."

He set the footpaw back on the ground and slowly shifted his weight onto it. The lances of pain multiplied, and still failed to phase him. Though unable yet to flex his toeclaws, he could at least walk. It was only a few steps later that he found that leaves were beginning to stick to his injured foot, and upon a casual glance down he found further that they were sticking to the blood quietly pumping out from around his splintered claw. "Aw hell..."

[Rakko]

Brink continued to wheel the chair around the roots and bumps. When Keith looked back at theri follower, she did as well.

"You alright back there sir?"

"Aye. . . Jes' a lil' bump. 'Tain't nothin'. . .Aw hell..."

Brink blinked at him. "Prahps wees can gurt ee soom oice whun we get inner h'Abbey." She jerked her head in the direction of the building.

**Brainfart Sorry guys. And I like how you said he has a 'splintered claw' Max **

[Maxodis]

(( Yeah, there's blood vessels deep in animal claws, and its possible that their claw will split open and break that blood vessel. Happened to a couple of our cats over the years. Its a real nasty would 'cause the claw doesn't allow for blood clotting like skin does.))

"Prahps wees can gurt ee soom oice whun we get inner h'Abbey."

"Ice?" He resisted the urge to spit vehemently, must be less than venomous around new company. "Doan' need no ice. Pah." He shook the leaves sticky with his blood from his foot. "I said 'Tain't nothin', doan' worry 'bout it."

((I take your brainfart and raise you a lack of inspiriation.))

[greek101]

"Aye," he muttered, curling his lips in a silent display of personal disgust. "Jes' a lil' bump. 'Tain't nothin'."

Keith couldn't see Redin very well, but from what he heard. It wasn't nothing. Keith tried to spin around and look at him, but Brink was blocking all that he could see.

"Aw hell..."

"Prahps wees can gurt ee soom oice whun we get inner h'Abbey."

Keith managed to lean to his right, almost leaning out his chair, and was able to see Redin. He saw the leaf that was stuck to Redin's footclaw.

"Ice?" He resisted the urge to spit vehemently, must be less than venomous around new company. "Doan' need no ice. Pah." He shook the leaves sticky with his blood from his foot. "I said 'Tain't nothin', doan' worry 'bout it."

"Then how about a bandage? It looks like you're bleeding pretty hard..." Keith saw the bloody leaf as it fell from Redin's paw. From Keith's point of view, he couldn't tell what was bleeding, but what ever it was was bleeding pretty hard. Keith's kinked tail twitched with nervousness. What if it was really bad and Redin collapsed? Keith couldn't help him! Bah, if Redin was on the ground, Keith couldn't even reach him for that matter! Brink would have to help him, then Keith could go get help. In a wheelchair? Yeah right.

Keith hoped that Redin would be alright, because Keith was the last creature in Redwall that would be able to help him..