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oz

Member

Registered: 2016-11-20

Posts: 1,658

A Deal Is Made-Ferravale Log

Patch was behind the counter cleaning a coupe of mugs, it wasn't very busy right now and he was glad of it."Yo Otis...check those rolls will ya"The stoat rolls his eyes at the rat and mutters something to which Patch just snorts at. The tavern had a couple of recent changes but nothing major just a beast to keep an eye on the fighting pits when a fight happen and there was fewer tables around now.Other wise the same tavern as before the rat became the owner of it.

The Outer door opens with a gentle tinkle of small silvery bells, which is not the usual way the door opens. Following the sound inside is a shrew, his long braids the source of the tinkling sound as he pauses in the doorway, fingers playing over the hilt of his sword as he eyes the customers then moves toward the bar. He nods at Patch in greeting, "Hello there, am I right in thinking you are Patch?"
   
Patch arches an eyebrow at the shrew and studies him a moment before he speaks "Yeah.....wait a moment thar, let me guess bad news? Someone missing or dead or sumthing?" Least this is his guess as why look for him for, it's like give the rat a message, or maybe its something else, "Or..some other news of de day..I try ta know all or most things around Mossflower after all"Well he is still a spy after all.   

Oswald looks surprised at that and tips his hat back, "No... I was told you where tha owner of this place and as the GUOSIM and your village are on speaking terms now. I thought I'd see if you had any need of an entertainer, a bit of extra coin to help my mates out won't go amiss and I miss performing."   

Patch tilts his head and seems to think on it, "Maybe....most in de village respect woodlanders like ya guys and the abbey, sometimes others...thar is a small few who just put up with em and...well been a case, though rare, where someone out right hated someone." But he is curious "What kind like singing or music or sumthing like that? I can also let Chiefy know too, though she may be away couple days de abbey is having their Spring Feast..tomorrow I believe"   

Oswald says, "Aye I will be at the feast, the Abbot and I go back a ways, but I want to do more performing then just at tha odd feast. I can play several instruments, I can sing a whole host of songs. I used ta travel as part of a performing troop until I joined back up with me Log-a-Log."
   
Patch nods"Meet that Log-A-Fellow before, interesting beast....maybe in a couple weeks, could be a likr every couple week thing perhaps.I myself am not going to the feast, gonna stay 'ere."   

Oswald says, "Ah you will miss out, but I understand you have a business to run," He nods his head, "Well if you want to hear a sample of me work I am happy ta do so. But as this place is pretty close ta the camp I figured i'd offer me services here"
   
Patch says, "Yeah you are by the river, I know...before I owned it Stripy did...kind of surprised me when he gave ownership ta me, sort of thought he was joking at first"
   
Oswald smirks, "Old Stripy, that'd be Xander right? I think he decided ta go back and actually spend time with his pregnant wife," he shakes his head and smirks, "Silly beast was off having adventures and running this place and leaving her home alone in that old Abbey."   

Patch nods"Yeah..Xander.....I mean family be important after all, maybe adventuring is a badger thing I don't know.Anyways....wot sort of song or music do ya know?"
   
Oswald says, "I know all sorts of music," He hops up onto a bar-stool and swings the case on his back around and plops it on the bar, unlatching it he removes a lute and grins, "Depends what mood you are in, sea-shanties, woodlander harvest songs, long-patrol marching songs, GUOSIM rowing ditties, I know the Rat-Cycle and the Ballards of the Bats." he strums the lute, a chord of deep rich melodic sound, "I am Oswald, I am a Bard, I have stood before the King of Southsward and sung the Anthem of Squirrels and I know the Otter log-chants."

Patch hmmms "Interesting so you been many places....wot sort of sea-shanties ya know?" A couple of tavern beast start to get curious of the shrew now and watch to see just how well he does know some songs.
   

Oswald smiles and hops up onto the bar and strums his lute, the tone is energetic with a bounce to it. The bells tied into his braids tinkle and chime in tune with his claws plucking the metal strings of his instrument.   

The shrew then turns and lifts his head and starts to sing a up-beat rapid song in a deep bass tenor voice that reverberates around the tavern.   

"Would yer plunder from yer mother?   
Yes I would, yes I would,   
For me mother always said I was no good.   
Im a searat bred an born,   
An Im sailin in the morn,   
Stan aside, me lucky buckoes, let me go!"
   
The lute changes key and the Shrew starts to tap one foot on the bar, thrumming the strings faster as he launches into the second verse.
   
"Cut me teeth upon a cutlass   
Yes I did, yes I did,   
An me pore ole daddy ran away an hid,   
Sayin, Thats no child o mine,   
Let im sail across the brine,   
Stan aside now for the vermin, let im go!"   

With the third verse revving up the shrew eyes the patrons in the bar and grins at them and when he starts the third voice several of them join in on the last booming words of this ancient sea-tune.
   
'If theres plunder in the offin   
Thats fer me, thats fer me,   
An I never charge, Ill kill you all fer free.   
Give me lots o lovely loot,   
An a cask o grog ter boot,   
Up the anchor, loose the sails an. let me go!"
   
   
Patch moves aside as he watches him sing and move to the music.Some others start watching him as well, a couple even get into the song and chuckle a bit. Patch nods and grins,this is good...very good and it helps the tavern make more money as well to which the rat is most pleased with.The rat nods after the song is finished "Ya know wot, this could be good...and ya can earn ya self a free meal and drink too for ya performance"   

Oswald strums a closing chord and plops himself down on the bartop and grins at the rat, "I won't say no to a free meal and drink, but if I am going to help draw in tha crowds and raise yer profits I'm going to want a cut of the money we bring in."   

Patch takes a deep breath, he wasn't always one to like to share, but this could still bring in crowds who hear of it...for sure if he lets beasts know when to see a show."Wot...sort of cut of profits we talkin' bout?"   

Oswald grins at the rat and plucks a few strings of his lute, "Well aye could just put out a hat and collect whatever people throw at me, but the real money is in beasts ordering food n drink... I'd say on a night I was performing..." he eyes the rat and grins, 40% of your takings that night," it's an outrageous sum and he knows it, but he expects Patch to haggle.   

Patch listens to the shrew and of course he is gonna haggle some with this, he likes money after all..."30%.....and 1 free meal and drink."He waits for a reply to see the shrew's thoughts on this.   

Oswald quirks his brow and then holds out his paw, "Deal," He says, he was expecting the rat to start out much much lower then that and get 20% if he was lucky. But he'll take 30% and a free meal and drink, "But I get as much water as I need whilst performing."   

Patch nods, water was fine.He then shakes his paw "Sounds good ta me...as I said maybe a free days after de feast at the abbey, just need ta know when ta expect ya"   

Oswald nods his head, "Well I have GUOSIM duties and such as well, I could probably work meself free ta playing once or twice a week though. Whenever you'll ave me"   

Patch nods "I will figure it out, tis always good to have more beasts in 'ere....long as they behave that is" Yes there has been tavern fights, it is a vermin village after all but not been a fight, least outside the fighting pits, for a while.   

Oswald smiles softly, "So I could probably do my first night... two days after tha Feast on Saturday if you be around?"   

Patch nods "I should be around...I am around most of de time, me office is upstairs after all and my home is not too far from de tavern."   

Oswald says, "Well sounds like we have a good accord then patch, I look forwards ta working with ya"

Patch nods "It will be good ta have some entertainment here more often, not really had much 'ere....once in a while yes,but not very often"   

Oswald grins, "Well I hope we can make it a regular thing then, I won't object that's for certain"   

Patch again thinks on the matter and grins, in the long run more coin for him even if he loses a little he is likely to gain more than if there wasn't any show to see, "Of course...as ya said once a week or maybe once every couple weeks be good"   

Oswald says, "Sounds like it should be good, so I should get back ta camp we need to ehad down to the Abbey but i'll check in when we get back"

Patch nods"Alright sir shrew, I shall see ya in a few days time then"

Last edited by oz (2020-04-29 11:46:15 AM)

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I play:
Brother Gorvenalus-Redwall Abbey Recorder,  Private Cole,a runner, of the Long Patrol
Oz( Yes named after Papa Oz) young adult and Novice in Redwall.