Brush

[Tirael]

Name: Prince Brush of Southsward
Age: 28
Birthplace: Castle Floret, Southsward
Gender: Male
Alignment: Lawful Good
Species: Red squirrel
Job/Position: Prince
Physical Description:

Brush is tall and slender, features enhanced by his upright posture. Despite having had ample means to do so, the prince has refused to let himself gain unnecessary weight; after all, he prefers to be an active sort, which would be difficult were he to become portly. His body is covered in relatively brown fur for a red squirrel, giving him a more subdued appearance. His eyes are a very solid mahogany brown, usually slightly lidded. This might give you the impression that he is bored, disinterested, or simply not paying attention. That would be incorrect, and in fact those seemingly lazy eyes dart around in quiet observation at all times.

Being of royal upbringing, Brush dresses accordingly. This isn't to say that he spends all his time in full regalia (he'd detest that), but his clothing is of fine enough quality that it's obvious he comes from a high background. For general, day-to-day life, he wears a green jerkin with silver buttons and trim over a long-sleeved white shirt. Sometimes, this will come paired with a green cap and a dark blue, silver-trimmed cloak. If the situation calls for more formality, he does have a narrow silver circlet, though he will not wear it in anything but a specifically formal context.

Belongings:

Brush did not take much as he left Southsward to go traveling. Other than his clothes, he simply brought a bag for supplies and his sword. The sword is really the only treasured possession he brought--it is a longsword, meant to be wielded with both paws. Like his clothes, it is largely simple; the only real ornamentation is the Southsward royal crest that forms the pommel, below the red leather-wrapped handle.

Personality:

By nature, Brush is generally easygoing. He is not enamored of overwrought anything--he does not expect, nor want, to be treated with constant fawning and deference by his subjects, particularly those with whom he's grown close. He is possessed of a rather dry wit, and appreciates the chance to indulge in it, particularly if that same good-humored banter is reciprocated. And it is important that it's good-humored--Brush is not a mean-spirit by any means. He has been raised to believe that a ruler's job is to compassionately serve his people, and he takes that to heart.

But as much as Brush isn't fond of rigid formality, he is very well aware of the duties inherent in his position. Therefore, his aforementioned wit is reserved only for those he knows well; amongst strangers, particularly within Southsward, he comes across as quite stoic and serious, if not necessarily unkind. While he doesn't enjoy constant humorlessness, however, Brush is strongly attached to the codes of chivalry and honor he's been taught by both his parents and the castle's Otter Guard. When this moral code is threatened or broken by others, the grimly serious attitude with which he responds is anything but forced.

These qualities work marvelously within the context of royal life. However, removed from the relatively ordered and tranquil Southsward, Brush's unwaveringly black-and-white principles can be rather unforgiving in a world filled with shades of gray. This is, in fact, the very reason he's gone out into the world; though he has yet to turn from his rather staunch ethics, the prince at least has begun to realize that the world is not quite as clear-cut as he thought.

History:

Brush was born to his parents, Jeran and Vanna, in their chambers in Castle Floret. He was their firstborn, and as his uncle, King Aiden, had no family of his own, he was third in line for the crown from birth. When Brush was three years old, his parents had their second child, a son they named Kerva. Two years later, they had their last child, a daughter named Brinly. Brush was, and is, extremely fond of both, though not above some oldest-sibling bossiness, especially where Kerva is concerned.

At any rate, Castle Floret was a happy home for the growing prince. However, it was not carefree, for as soon as Brush was able to learn, his education began. For years, each day would involve some type of instruction--whether that meant a dreaded day in the castle library, learning about the seemingly endless line of squirrels who'd ruled the kingdom, or a more exciting day sparring in the guardhouse. Initially, his combat training revolved around javelins. However, Brush showed far greater aptitude for swords than spears, so from the age of 11 onward, that was his focus. Of course, such training only occurred twice in the week, as a great deal of his time was spent learning how to rule in peacetime, not how to fight.

Over time, Brush grew from an eager child into a more even-tempered adult. He received his cherished sword once he turned eighteen, and began to engage more directly in the affairs of Southsward. But as his duties took him from the secure center of the kingdom to its fringes, he began to see firsthand that life was not always the way he'd lived it. Those living away from the protection of the Castle and its soldiers had a harder life, occasionally fraught with attacks and raids. For most of his life, the prince had simply assumed that the perpetrators were just vermin, acting as they always had, on a thirst for blood and power.

But coming into contact with an actual raiding party planted a seed of doubt in Brush's unwavering beliefs. He was 24, making an official visit to a small hamlet on Southsward's northern border, when a clan of rats swept in and attacked. As they hadn't known the prince--or, more importantly, the royal guard contingent with him--were in the area, they were quickly dispatched, the surviving attackers being captured and arrested. Brush was contemptuous of their prisoners, at least until their leader spoke up.

"We wouldn't'a HAD to attack 'em if dey didn't try an' chase us out in da FIRST place!"

Though he ultimately didn't consider this sufficient grounds for releasing them, it had shocked Brush that the rats hadn't simply been evil. Or at least, that wasn't their only motivation--they had been hungry, driven out of their territory by the farmers. The encounter bothered him for quite some time, and when his uncle stepped down two years later (citing the exhaustion of ruling alone), Brush asked his parents, now King and Queen, permission to go on a long journey. He needed to see the world for himself, knowing that a less sheltered view would serve him well when he eventually became King himself. His parents acquiesced, and so, at age 25, Brush set off north, alone.

Over the next two years, the prince headed in no particular direction, zig-zagging across the land and slowly making his way north. He did not encounter Redwall until he turned south again; here, he stopped, figuring that he should finally take a little time to rest before the final journey home. The Abbey was so pleasant a layover that he actually stayed for several weeks. Just as he was preparing to continue on his way, however, Redwall was swiftly invaded and, despite the efforts of Brush and any capable warriors within its walls, conquered. Since the fall of the abbey, Brush has toiled alongside the other captured Abbeydwellers, keeping his royal heritage a secret from their new masters.

[Treble Tiderunner]

Accepted!