Singing Wildflower [open]

[Tirael]

“Are we almost at Camp Moss yet?”

A faint smirk formed on Tirael's lips. Gesturing around the three willows with a sweep of his paw, he said, "You're lookin' at it." To him, the opening between two of the willows was as clear as day; he was aware, however, of the confusion she would probably be going through as she looked for something of note.

He was having quite a bit of fun today.

[Treble Tiderunner]

"You're lookin' at it."

Puzzled, Fern made a slow trip around the three willows. Surely Tirs was joking? How could all the beasts he’d told her about fit in the tree. The only thing she saw where the three huge willows and a crack between two of them. That couldn’t be it, there certainly wasn’t enough room for a beast to get between the two willows. Was there?

“I give up.” She said quietly, looking to Skipper and Tirael with a little shrug. "You've got to be joking."

[Tirael]

"I give up. You've got to be joking."

Tirael looked at Skipper, making a 'well, if she says so' face. He walked over to the opening, running his paw over the edge. Suddenly, he ducked into the crack and vanished through the opening. After a moment, he popped his head out. "Ooh, you two better get through here quick- somethin' smells like pasties!" Grabbing Fern's paw, he led her through the opening and into the passageway. Leading her down, down, down, they came into a much larger cavern than the entranceway. Creatures bustled here and there, preparing the cavern for lunch. Several greeted Skipper and Tirael, offering smiles to Fern. Releasing her paw, he said, "Welcome to Camp Moss, Fern."

[Treble Tiderunner]

Skipper was highly amused and could barely hold his mirth in as he watched Fern encircle the trees. Finally she gave up, and he could not resist chuckling as Tirael slipped right into the crack she had passed right by. Twice.

"Ooh, you two better get through here quick- somethin' smells like pasties!"

Fern blinked with surprise as Tir disappeared. The entrance to Camp Moss was very well concealed. "Pasties?" She asked, hurrying after Tir as he grabbed her paw. Her eyes lit up as they went deeper.

"Wow."

"Welcome to Camp Moss, missie!" Skipper boomed, beaming with delight. "Ho, look up 'ere, maties!" The big otter cupped his paws around his mouth and bellowed. "This 'ere's Fern Wildflower, from up north!" He continued in in a somewhat lower voice as the echoes died down and the creatures looked up from what they were doing.

Fern scuffed a footpaw, looking down under all the curious stares. "H-hello." She said in a quiet voice.

[Tirael]

"H-hello."

A throng of creatures came up to meet the pretty ottermaid, now that they had been somewhat invited to. One older mousewife, Holly, was particularly warm. Shaking Fern's paw vigorously, she said "Oh, it's an absolute pleasure to meet you, miss Fern. Will you be here awhile? Oh, I'd better get an extra table setting, then..." She hurried off without really waiting for any form of answer.

As the greetings and introductions went on, a small mass of young ones gathered near, but not next to the new arrival. They peeped at her curiously from behind chairs or columns, curious enough to look but not enough to go up to her. Unfortunately, Camp Moss's various inhabitants had been appearing in clusters for lunch just as the three otters arrived; most went up to Fern and introduced themselves. Noticing her discomfort, Tirael saved her for the second time that day, this time by bringing her to a seat. In a minute or so, everybeast was seated, and lunch was served.

The fare was a simple yet tasty affair, common of Camp Moss when nothing of note was going on. An array of salads and soups graced the table, as well as trifle, pies, and breads. The pasties that Tirael had smelled were fennel and onion pasties, and were prepared in ample number. To wash down the meal, cooled strawberry fizz, dandelion and burdock cordial, and pennycloud cordial were tapped into dozens of beakers. The room was rather like what used to be Cavern Hole at what used to be Redwall; some creatures opted to sit at the table, while others preferred to sit on the more casual ledges along the walls. To avoid the incessant attention that would have been heaped on Fern, Tirael had brought her to a ledge. As they ate, he gathered up his courage and asked, "So, umm, Fern...whe- uhh, that is, how'd you come to Mossflower?"

((Kinda long, huh.))

[Treble Tiderunner]

"Oh, it's an absolute pleasure to meet you, miss Fern. Will you be here awhile? Oh, I'd better get an extra table setting, then..."

Fern warmed immediately to the matronly mousewife. “Nice to meet you too, ma’am. I hope so.” She said, smiling. She watched the mouse bustle off, and soon was swamped by creatures wanting to meet and greet the new arrival.

Tirael tugged on her paw again, and gratefully she followed him to a ledge, where she sat and soon melded into the system of passing various containers of food around. She tucked into one of the pasties after a short dance between either one of her paws to cool it.

"So, umm, Fern...whe- uhh, that is, how'd you come to Mossflower?"

Fern wiped her mouth on a napkin as she considered. “Well, first my father died. My grandmother died a few seasons later, so I burned her in the holt and started off down-mountain. And here I am.” She spread her paws, a bit dramatically. “What’s your story?

[Tirael]

“Well, first my father died. My grandmother died a few seasons later, so I burned her in the holt and started off down-mountain. And here I am. What’s your story?”

Tirael listened quietly as she related, in a nutshell, her sad tale. He wished he could compare it to his own and find a connection somehow, but his response explained why he couldn't.

"Well, I wish I could tell you. I don't remember anything before I was here; they-" he indicated the creatures laughing at the table-"found me running from a band of N'ashi's vermin and saved me. I was little, around...five, I think. The vermin had hurt me pretty bad, and I was unconscious for a good few days. When I woke up, I couldn't remember anything but my name." He kept out a good portion of the aftermath: the confusion, the desperation, the self-imposed isolation...it had gone on for months before he began to accept his new life. He had pushed it out of his mind, and now here he was, sitting on the ledge with Fern.

[Treble Tiderunner]

"Well, I wish I could tell you. I don't remember anything before I was here; they-" he indicated the creatures laughing at the table-"found me running from a band of N'ashi's vermin and saved me. I was little, around...five, I think. The vermin had hurt me pretty bad, and I was unconscious for a good few days. When I woke up, I couldn't remember anything but my name.”

Fern listened, her eyes wide and sympathetic. “I’m sorry…” She said softly. She couldn’t imagine losing her family and her memory like that. The memory of her father and grandmother and the stories told of her mother she held dear to her. Impulsively she reached out and hugged her new friend. “At least you have your friends here, Tirs, and I hope you count me as one.” She let go and sat back, watching the other beast, all of a sudden too shy to look at Tirael.

[Tirael]

"I'm sorry..." As she moved into a hug, he said, "No, it's..." He didn't finish out of surprise at her kind behavior. He hadn't been attempting to garner sympathy; he never did, as he thought it rude to make others sad for his own benefit.

“At least you have your friends here, Tirs, and I hope you count me as one.” Suddenly, she drew out of the hug and looked away. He felt bad for having caused her any discomfort, and wanted to say or do something to make her comfortable, though he hadn't the slightest idea what that might be. As he opened his mouth to improvise, a group of young ones came up and started chattering to both him and Fern. Half focused their attention on Fern, having decided that she was safe to go up to. The other half began to pester Tirael. "Trees inna Woods, mista Tir, Trees inna Woods!"

Tirael regretted singing that song to himself before; why did the Dibbuns want to hear it now, in front of everyone? Tirael glanced at the table and saw a small group of beasts look down sharply, trying not to laugh and look like they were just eating. I'll get them for this later, he thought. Sighing, he turned back to the expectant children grouped around him. "...Alright. But just once." As they cheered, the otter turned to his new companion. "Do you know 'Trees o' the Wood'? I bet you have a great voice, and it sounds better as a duet anyway."

[Treble Tiderunner]

Fern was regathering her courage to say something else when suddenly they were thronged by dibbuns exclaiming; "Trees inna Woods, mista Tir, Trees inna Woods!"

"...Alright. But just once." As they cheered, the otter turned to his new companion. "Do you know 'Trees o' the Wood'? I bet you have a great voice, and it sounds better as a duet anyway."

Fern's smile grew into a grin as the dibbuns badgered Tirael into singing for them. She was a little thrown off by his request, but she didn't take long to consider.

"Aye. My Grandmother taught me to sing. Why don't you lead off?"

[Tirael]

"Aye. My Grandmother taught me to sing. Why don't you lead off?"

Tirael nodded, then chanced another quick glance at the main table. The same group looked down quickly, and he launched into the song still looking at them for a few seconds.

"Abroad I strolled in the forest one day,
I walked till me paws were sore weary,
I heard an ould mistle thrush close by me say,
'O here's to the woodland so cheery!
There's ash and beech and rowan and oak,
Weepin' willow with leaves trailin' down O,
Many rowans I've know full o' berries when grown,
And laburnum that wears a gold crown O.
So of all the trees growin' here in the wood,
Tell me which is the finest and best, sir,
I'll find that one ere springtime is gone,
And I'll surely build me a nice nest there.
There's cedar and elm and hornbeam and yew,
Sycamore buckthorn and alder so fine,
Sweet chestnut and fir and shrub elder where,
Grow dark berries on which I can dine.
Aye I'l find a stout tree for to make a safe nest,
Just like a good-livin' bird should,
Then me chicks will all fly and just like I,
Seek a tree for themselves in the wood!'"

It took a few seconds after the song ended for Tirael to remember that he had just been singing in front of a crowd. Some had understood his embarrassment, and kindly pretended not to notice. Others, either in banter or in ignorance, had listened to the duet and applauded cheerily. As they set into another potential singer at the table, Tirael turned to Fern. "I was right; you do have a great singing voice." He was glad that he had asked her to sing with him. Not only had her voice been beautiful, but listening to her harmony had helped him ignore the attention of others.

[Brooke]

Violet leaned over to Skipper. "Looks like Tir got himself a girlfriend."

"I have never heard him sing and then lil' Miss Fern waltzes in and he sings in front of all of Camp Moss."

She clapped and quietly giggled when she saw Tir finally realize that he had sung in front of the crowd.

"I was right, you do have a great voice." That put her over the edge and Violet dissolved in helpless giggles.

[Treble Tiderunner]

Fern joined in after Tirael had sung a few lines, creating a round of sorts. Her clear voice rang out the last few lines after he had finished.

"Aye I’ll find a stout tree for to make a safe nest,
Just like a good-livin' bird should,
Then me chicks will all fly and just like I,
Seek a tree for themselves in the wood!'"

She blushed a little under her fur at the thunderous applause and curtsied in acknowledgment of the praise.

"I was right; you do have a great singing voice."

Fern ducked her head, in further acknowledgment of the compliment. “Thank you.” She said quietly.

Skipper had been watching the two interact surreptitiously from the long bench table where he sat. It seemed to him that his adopted son and the newcomer were hitting it off pretty well. The big otter was a tad romantic, and was just starting to scheme on how to get the two together when a young mouse, Violet, leaned over and spoke.

"Looks like Tir got himself a girlfriend. I have never heard him sing and then lil' Miss Fern waltzes in and he sings in front of all of Camp Moss."

Skipper winked at Violet, giving a her a conspiratorial grin. “Oh, ‘e sings t’liddle’uns to bed from time to time, but I’ve never ‘eard ‘im sing in public afore!”

[Tirael]

“Oh, ‘e sings t’liddle’uns to bed from time to time, but I’ve never ‘eard ‘im sing in public afore!”

Holly, who was sitting near Violet and Skipper, gave a little laugh before saying her thoughts. "Ha, well he'd never met Miss Fern before. That little maid's got 'im wrapped around her paw, she does!" She laughed again, as did several beasts around her.

Tirael glanced sharply at the group laughing at the table. Violet seemed to be collapsing to a giggling breakdown, and everyone else looked like they weren't far from joining her. He knew he was in for embarrassment for the next few days; resigned to that fate, he sighed. It was in good fun, anyway.

“Thank you.”

"Y- you're welcome." Tirael said, just as quietly as Fern. He looked around, a sure sign he had no idea what else to say. "Well...umm..." He looked down, irritated that he wasn't able to come up with something.

[Brooke]

“Oh, ‘e sings t’liddle’uns to bed from time to time, but I’ve never ‘eard ‘im sing in public afore!”

Violet shook her head in agreement. She walked over to where Fern and Tir sat.

"You two sounded really good together. My name's Violet." She stretched out her paw, "I hope you'll enjoy your stay here."

As she walked away she turned around and winked impudently at a Tir. "Oh, and Tir you have a Luverly singin' voice." Before dashing away to sit before she would just collapse on the floor in another giggle break-down.