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oz

Member

Registered: 2016-11-20

Posts: 1,658

The Buried Chest Says Go Where??!!

**Mossflower Woods somewhere **

Xander held the shovel, the map he let the rat hold as they walked along the snowy path. His longsword was on his back. He had cleaned, polished and sharpened it as it was his and he was caring for it till he found The Blade Of The Northwind Storms. “Doing ok Patch? We could head back, it has been a couple hours” They had left right before sunrise as he wanted to get things done early, so they wasn’t out all day, least he hoped they were not out all day.

Patch waves his paw in the air, “Its fine, I am tough and that keeps one alive stripy and also no offence but one can only stay at that abbey place for so long before one goes insane”

Xander frowns as he walks along the creek, “I like the abbey, I see it as home, well sort of. I do have my Uncle’s hut in Ferravale but it’s sort of…lonely without him around.” He looks around  and stops when they find a small area of pine trees as some do grow in Mossflower, just very few “So where next?”

Patch looks at the map " Says  go right and keep going till ya see some berry bushes and has a picture of the leaves, course the berries most likely are not there….well duhh its winter”

Xander nods and heads that way “Well come on.” He stays alert as he walks, mostly silently.

Patch follows “So ya ok there stripy, not talked much since…well ya know”

Xander frowns, “Don’t want to talk about it. I..I killed someone…possibly two someones and I almost died the other day. I saw…things I rather forget so…ok?”

Patch frowns “Yeah but it was a kill or be killed sort of thing, I mean even in that Redwall place there is a only raising paw to do battle when our life at Redwall is threatened by treachery and the shadow of war…well not that there were a war or anything but ya life..threaten…I mean who just stands there and is like…kill me please. No they fight back to live, as you did…you didn’t want to die so you fought back. And you’re going to train to be a fighter, a warrior and warriors do kill ya know.”

Xander just frowns and keeps walking in silence, looking up every so often for the bushes mentioned.

Patch didn’t go too far ahead and soon stopped as he looked around, “Something bout the tall weeds, follow  thorny path to…a marked rock and your be close?”

Xander goes to take the map and reads it, he looks around the tall weeds that’s across from the bush and frowns at the thorns, but he carefully moves his footpaws so he gets less cuts from the thorns. He moves slowly and growls once when a thorn cuts across his lower leg till he finds an area that is somewhat clear and a small pile of rocks, he blinks and “Letters……” He moves them around for a little while and smiles..”Winters….X marks the spot….” He smiles and uses the shovel tip to move away some thorns and starts digging till he is rewarded with a clink noise and  then digs up the chest.

The chest is about the size of one that may be able to hold a paper, it’s a little bigger than the one Patch had and a bit taller.

Patch watches from the sidelines.

Xander opens the chest with the key and looks at the paper “The next chest will require some walking boy…seek out Corporal Flint, ya remember him right? …Uncle Zee…” He frowns and slowly goes back over to the rat after gathering the stones and  refilling the hole. He puts the rocks in a pocket in his cloak and the key and note he found in the chest goes into his pocket as well.

Patch looks at the badger “What is it now?”

Xander answers “I have to go to Salamandastron…he must of gave one to Corporal Flint when the hare left the abbey to go home….why do I have to go so..far” He looks at the rat like the rat has the answer.

Patch frowns “No clue…hey ya want company?”

Xander sighs “Vermin can’t go there, I am sorry.”

Patch shakes his head “Butttttt….the village, that sea port place we BOTH could so SO go there, why waste a trip” Oh yes  a city, a sea port at that the rat could truly enjoy himself! “What ya say, ya know you go chat with Mr. Hare and I  check on things in the village..Halyard think it be called” He hides a grin and rubs his paws together. “We need supplies…and maybe a boat, yeah I know a guy…who knows a guy…who knows this really grumpy one eyed river vole, who has some hermit who has a boat, yeah so when we leave ?”

Xander frowns “I can’t just go walk off. I have to tell the defenders and Uncle Oz where I am going or they would totally freak out!!” He sits on an old tree stump and places his head in his paws and looks ready to have a mental break down.

Patch walks over and lays a paw on his arm “Calm down stripy…we can tell them and ya won’t be alone I will tag along, help you avoid dangers…what could go wrong? “

Xander gives him a…really? After earlier…..look and stands “Need to get to the abbey and …think how to do this, it’s a little over a week by boat, without a boat a little over 2 weeks and the snow will slow both most likely” He heads to the abbey.
Patch nods as he follows “That’s true….but the river isn’t 100& frozen, not in the middle! You know where boats go…hey wait up!” He walks a little faster to keep up.

The two make it to the abbey shortly after  lunch time, so a late lunch is had before supplies are gotten and making sure beasts know what is happening so no one worries about them.

RW:Entry
…………………………………………………….
You stand on a grassy sward between two cottages.  To the south you see a small, calm pond.  To the north lies an open space where the Abbey has its feasts in the warmer seasons. To the east is the Great Hall, a massive structure that rises far above the abbey walls and is completed with large towers that pierce upwards into the sky.  The main building is completed with a large, iron banded door that would allow one into the Great Hall.
Coolness has swept into the air now, bringing with it the autumn leaves of the orchards.  Coating the trails that lace and move through the dying grass and flowers.  Regardless of the death of plants, the area is beautiful in it's gold and orange season.  The abbey is sporting the colors in full pride.
……………………………………………………
=QUICK NOTE  IT’S WINTER SO SNOW IS ICLY AROUND THE GROUNDS =

Oz is in the entry listening to dibbun play a little ways from where he stands. It would seem he is also waiting on someone to come home.

Xander enters the abbey but walks on past Oz “I got to get supplies, it won’t take long”

Patch hurries alongside him “What?...Like now?”

Oz raises an eyebrow “What is going on, where is Xander going.” He walks up to the rat ”Well.” The tone means he should be answered rather quickly.

Patch gulps “Umm…..”

Xander is away maybe half an hour, poor Patch, and has a sack with about a 3 day supply of food and some drink, he stops as a couple novice speak to him and sighs walking over to the rat and Oz ”Its ok Uncle Oz and…well Salamandastron. I am supposed to talk to Flint and I won’t stay long just get the chest and go…unless of course there is more to it.” He wouldn’t be surprised either.” And I can send word when I get there and word on if I am staying long, heck word saying hey I am on my way back…plan is I stay at Uncle Zee’s hut, me and Patch and should get there by nightfall…or little after. Get other supplies, maybe stay a day and head on to the badger mountain. Patch said he may be able to get us a boat, small but there is just us two and whoever steers the boat”

Oz listens and frowns, “Its..a long trip Xander, are you sure you won’t wait? What of your training with the defenders?”

Patch nods “Yeah not ta worry there ummm….yeah no worries sir, this beast that has the boat owes me, so no problems in getting the boat and if it’s needed to get a new one back, well it’s a sea port  so should be able to find someone…right?”

Xander rolls his eyes, “I am not a child Uncle Oz. I can…sort of fight and THIS time I..WILL avoid trouble, if it finds me I will fight or runaway”

Oz frowns “DO not  roll your eyes at me” Whoa how does he know? He takes a deep breath and exhales “Fine…just be careful and avoid the swamps, then being winter should be fine. From what heard from past trips beasts took the swamps are not to go through. I believe the river barely touches the swamp area……I think”

Xander frowns, but answers “I know Uncle Oz. I know my way as came from there before, remember with…”He sighs “With mother and Jedrick had me in Halyard and took the river to the bridge….though he planned to go North and I am glad he didn’t get to keep me and that I was rescued”

Oz goes to hug Xander, ”Just promise your return safe, even if it’s in the spring.”

Patch just stays off to the side and watches.

Xander returns the hug” I will be back…one way or another. Just….you be here to greet me when I get back”

Oz smiles “I promise” He kisses Xander’s forehead and steps back “You best go if you’re getting to Ferravale before sundown”

Xander nods “Come on Patch…let’s go” And he takes the first step on his trip, he is a little afraid, ok a lot afraid but he is hiding that. He is not alone if your counting Patch, but still it’s a bit of a big step, he gets the longsword and is out the gates, he suddenly rushes back in and hugs Oz one more time and then heads off and on to Ferravale, the first stop on his way to the Western Shores.

Patch waves, even though he knows he can’t see the wave, he eeps as the badger rushes back in for a moment and then goes to follow him to Ferravale.

---

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.