Pottery Can Be Relaxing-Redwall Log

oz · 2017-02-13 06:52:12 PM

Redwall Log:
Oz-Papa Oz and abbey caretaker of dibbuns
Xander-Warrior in training and nephew to Oz
Benar-Abbot of Redwall
Zolomon-Hare/archer….and trouble maker?

Shortly after this log
http://forum.rwmuck.org/viewtopic.php?id=99

RW Abbey: Kitchen Yard
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Boasting a decent view of the Abbey's orchards and gardens, this
space is mostly a work area, displaying well trampled grass and the
occasional bare spot. An especially worn spot is the path that leads
between the kitchen gardens and the vineyards.

From one end of the kitchen yard to the other, the space is nearly
filled by the tremendous gnarled trunk of an ancient apple tree,
roots and branches and boughs trimmed off and piled alongside for
later use. A deep groove of mud-churned sod and torn grass leads
back to the orchard, from where the fallen tree must have come.

There are also a variety of workshops around the edge of the yard,
the wood-shop, the cooper for making barrels. The small smithy
where the abbey's tools are made, the potters kiln and the brewery.
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Zolomon had decided the first chance he got he would leave the kitchen yard before he even begun and sneaked back to the kitchens,

Xander frowns and proceeds on to the Kitchen yard to look for the abbot

The kiln is an open sides, three walled roofed workshop. The kiln itself takes up the back wall of the shed and there are three potters wheels spaced along the open side of the shed. There is a storage box for clay and a work table and Benar has changed out of his habit into a large apron, trousers and a shirt as he checks the temperature, "So Xander have you ever made anything with clay before? "

Xander looks around, he has never been in this area of the abbey but he does glace over at the forge before going over to Benar "No...I was never taught to work with clay before, guess it never came up as a skill to know."

Benar says, "Well my boy sit down," He motions at a chair, "I will get some clay and work you through the basics. It is pretty easy"

Xander nods as he sits down "ummmm...alright and I am..sorry bout the mess earlier, you don’t think Friar Lacota will be too upset do you, Zolomon said the friar would make me peel veggies for seasons"

Benar says, "Oh ignore Zolomon, he gets himself in so much trouble with the Friar it is no surprise he ends up with chores," He places a lump of clay on the wheel before Xander, "Now place your hands on the clay and start to work the wheel slowly, you can mold it under you hands."

Xander looks at the clay lump as he slowly starts to try and shape it, he experiments and figures out how to make the potters wheel move, at first a little too fast and then he slows it as he watches "This is....odd and sort of a little cold on the paws"

Benar says, "Heh yes it is somewhat slimy but it is workable," He sits at the other wheel and starts to work it under his own paws, "See how I am shaping it with small amounts of pressure."

Xander watches and does try it, he frowns then he applies too much pressure and sighs, but he takes a deep breath and starts again, a bit less pressure and it sort of forms a bowl shape" I...think pot making is hard for large paws maybe"

Benar chuckles softly, "Not at all, you just have to make them bigger," He depresses his clay and reshapes it into a large curving pot shape, "But see how I am doing it, it takes practice that is all Xander and it is a handy skill to have alongside being a warrior."

Xander looks confused "How is...making pots or whatever useful for a warrior?" He reshapes his clay going slowly and manages to get a better sort of large pot shape and smiles a little.

Benar chuckles "it isn't useful in fighting, but you have to have more interests in life then just killing Xander. That is what vermin are, beasts who know nothing other than how to kill. A warrior, a true warrior has many skills. They know how to lead, they know how to fight but they also know how to do other things."

Xander frowns at the word kill "I'm not wanting to...kill anyone, I want to protect others and killing is a last resort....so is fighting if it can be avoided." He listens "I can read and write very well and think have learned patience “

Benar smiles at Xander, "all very good skills and killing should be the last resort of any beast. But Xander, what will you do when there are no enemies to fight? Or beasts to protect? Will you sit around sharpening your weapons and training? Or will you find a task that you can do to help others when the ways of a warrior are not needed?"

Xander frowns remembering some words Jedrick said "I...still remember Jedrick...t...that wildcat that had me for couple seasons. He tried to get me....made me fight in fighting pits and I didn’t like it. But Jedrick is dead...and no I didn’t end his life someone else did" He knows who achally. "I think..I think I would like to learn other things also, maybe cooking...and this..pottery work it does seem....relaxing some" He manages a smile as he has managed to work the clay better, yes he flattened it a couple times but he has a good sized pot now, maybe a smaller opening than the one before, but this one is a little bigger "Is...is this a good pot or not so good?"

Benar looks over the badgers work, "A little lopsided but as your first creation it should be yours and yours alone.... now then try and make the opening a bit wider"

Xander nods and gets back to making the opening a little wider, working slowly and even making the pot slightly less lopsided, "I will have to work on making pots before can replace the broken one, and then do whats needed to make it less...ummm squishy and maybe more colorful"

Benar says, "Well that is the next step, let me show you," He opens the kiln, dry heat rolls out as he places the pot he was working on inside, "We bake the clay to make it hard"

Xander nods as he listens "So like heat.....dries it out and makes it useable to things like holding cookies or other things?"

Benar says, "Indeed, the heat bakes out the water and then we can paint it or use it"

Xander smiles "Sounds sort of neat...think I could practice here sometimes?" He looks at his finished pot he has, well finished shaping it " Like my 2nd one make one...well as perfect as I can for Friar Lacota a new cookie pot and maybe could try and paint it after its...umm baked in that" He points to the kiln. "Are you the only one who makes clay stuff and where does clay come from?"

Benar asks, "I am always happy to take on students Xander and show beasts how to make things out of clay," He settles down on his stool and gets to work on another, "A few others help but I am the main one and clay? Well I can take you on a trip to see if you like. It means going to the river moss."

Xander says, "I been to the river Moss before, it’s like about a day...maybe less north of here and I could make sure we get there safe, I may not have my family blade just yet but I will soon, I just know it but I do have another like temporary blade Uncle Zee gave me to use...till I get the family blade"

Benar says, "Well then we shall take a trip together and it isn't that far away, we don't need to go north. We go east into the woods and head to the bank there. It is much closer, maybe half a day walking, much better clay to be found there then up near the ford."

Xander nods "Alright, when should we maybe go...guessing one morning and try and be back that night or would we need to stay somewhere and come back next day?"

Benar asks, "A day trip should be more than enough, Perhaps we can go out tomorrow? Or possibly next week?"

Xander nods "Which every day is better either would be good for me" He watched Benar work on the clay some more "And with some more clay I could make a pot for Friar Lacota...after some practice that is shaping and reshaping one lump of clay"

Benar says, "Well let us maybe aim for tomorrow and if that is no good we'll go next week."

Xander smiles "Sounds like a good idea Abbot Benar and......I think I may like to learn pottery better, I...I may like it a little more than I thought I would"

Benar nods and excuses himself when an Abbey Sister comes to talk to him and he needs to head inside.

Xander is working on a pot, he made one earlier but this one is more practice than to keep, and the one is lopsided and a little too wide, just a little. He sighs and smashes the clay again when it doesn’t do what he wants it to do. But he tries again and is careful with it.

Oz ventures out this far sometimes and slows when he nears the other badger having been told he was out here. Beside him is another reason he is outside, a dibbun who didn’t want to go inside right away, a mouse dibbun staying close by.

Xander frowns, he then decides it’s enough practice, he reshaped it like 4 times and now he makes it a limp again and goes to put it away, when he sees Oz he walks over "Hey Uncle Oz, what ya doing?"

Oz smiles "A bit of a walk, it’s a good day for one around the grounds but it’s different to hear you in the kitchen yard"

Xander sits down "I am thinking of learning to work with clay, and make things with it. Did you ever work with clay or do anything in the kitchen yard before?"

Oz shakes his head "No, can't say I have.....Zork was at the forge a lot, even after he had an apprentice to take over, he would sit in his wheelchair and watch her, an otter named Silverstorm."

Xander says, "I don’t think I would be interested in the forge."

Oz says, "And that’s your choice and that’s ok, I never did learn the trade....then I was never interested in weapons, though I was made to learn to use a staff by a wolf named Silverfangs, ended up being me and Zork’s adopted father when our parents died one winter. Said it was wise to know self-defense one way or another"

Xander blinks and oh is he interested now, he looks around and stands "Can you show me?" Then he frowns as maybe he is rusty now, I mean how long has he been here like....well LONG time. He frowns "Sorry...just always thought of a staff as just for...walking with"

Oz frowns, he listens as he answers " They....can be used for self-defense....only when one has no other choice." He chuckles "Also sometimes staffs can be a bit...more, Uncle Zee's was...mine is a simple wooden staff, helps with walking in winter cause of my knee...it dislikes cold weather, a lot.." He shrugs as he seems to think, "But has been a couple times came in handy..." He chuckles as he makes sure no one is in the way of course before spinning it a couple times and moving it between his paws and over his back once...yeah he could kick some serious butt if needed, he then leans on the staff slightly when his knee starts to brother him muttering “Stupid winter..."

Xander watches and whoas, he then frowns and walks over to him, sounding concerned some "You ok?"

Oz nods "I am fine Xander, my knee is just brothering me a little, may get a little colder for a week or so, then again Winter is not over yet"

Xander speaks "I can help make sure you get back inside, maybe the Great Hall and I could make you some of that mint tea you like...I know how to make tea its easy"

Oz nods "Alright that sounds nice, let us head inside then"

Xander smiles and helps Oz inside and makes the mint tea and sits down with his Uncle to chat till dinner, he forgot to make cookies but then again, he wants to make the new cookie pot first.

Oz smiles and allows the help, enjoying the company of his nephew

Last edited by oz (2017-02-13 06:53:04 PM)

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#1 2017-02-13 06:52:12 PM

Pottery Can Be Relaxing-Redwall Log

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