markab
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Post by markab on Jun 25, 2017 22:38:46 GMT -5
"You mentioned vermin in Mossflower? Any attacks on Woodlanders?"
Cináed took a sip of water and shrugged. "Always vermin in Mossflower somewhere," he said shortly. "Found a couple dead hedgehogs on my way to Redwall. Would've been there by now, otherwise. Had to follow them nearly a week before I caught up a little ways from here, though I'd be surprised if that's where they're from. Far too close to the mountain, I think."
He propped his elbows against the table and drummed his fingers on the surface. "It's worryin', ye ken? I think about joinin' up here sometimes, but there's so little protection out in the woods for anyone not hidden in Redwall. And Redwall's hardly got much of a fightin' force. I'm not much, but then they don't have much. Wouldn't feel right to leave them."
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Tracy
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Post by Tracy on Jun 25, 2017 23:25:00 GMT -5
Ripley listened to the Northern hare with a frown, bristling a little. Mossflower was a very large area, but calling it unprotected was a little unfair. Beasts who decided to live away from big communities put themselves in that kind of risk. Cináed suggesting he was their last line of defense because the Long Patrol didn't do enough to protect them was unreasonable.
She stopped eating for a moment, cocking her head to the side. "Joining the Long Patrol doesn't preclude you from protecting Mossflower," she started, keeping her tone level. "We could empty the regiment out of this mountain today just to protect the Wood and it's not going to be enough to help beasts that want to live alone or travel without the ability to defend themselves."
Ripley took a sip of tea as she collected her thoughts. She wasn't sure how Cináed meant for his comment to sound, but the idea that he was better off as a lone traveler rather than have the support of the strongest fighting force in the land was completely absurd to her.
"Do you know why we're called the Long Patrol?" she asked, instead of going in on his comments.
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markab
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Post by markab on Jun 26, 2017 0:11:33 GMT -5
"Joining the Long Patrol doesn't preclude you from protecting Mossflower. We could empty the regiment out of this mountain today just to protect the Wood and it's not going to be enough to help beasts that want to live alone or travel without the ability to defend themselves."
Cináed tilted his head, oversized ears twitching. Cordin didn't seem inclined to continue what conversation he'd been trying to hold, and Ripley was frowning as she stared at him. Cináed was hardly one to get defensive, though, didn't reply as the other hare took a sip of her tea.
"Do you know why we're called the Long Patrol?"
It didn't sound as if she was too interested in argument, and Cináed shrugged, conceding the point. "You're right, of course. It's not practical. Redwall was my home for four years, though, an' cooped up around here? Instead of feelin' like at least I'm doin' something? You've all got duties, ten to one mine wouldn't involve what I care about most. Then what use am I?"
He sighed, shook his head. "Don't get me wrong. I'm not sayin' you're doin' a bad job of things, not attackin' the Patrol. It's just --" he drummed a footpaw on the ground, searching for the words, "infuriatin', that nothin' anyone does will ever be enough. There are too many out there who deserve justice. Wherever I'd be if I joined up with the Long Patrol I'd probably be feelin' like I could be doin' more back in Mossflower on my own, realistic or not. Not at the point where I want to give my own freedom to chase that up."
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Tracy
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Post by Tracy on Jun 26, 2017 17:59:43 GMT -5
Ripley shook her head as she finished up her pastry, taking a gulp of tea to wash it down. "Redwall's been relying on the Long Patrol since the day it existed. Considering it's still standing, I'd think the regiment is doing just fine protecting it. If you're just not wanting any real responsibility in your life, then that's on your head, but you can't tell me you're of more use on your own in Mossflower than with a proper patrol."
She pushed back on the bench a bit, lifting a knee to put her arms around it, still considering Cináed's response. "I lived at Redwall, too. I've been all over Mossflower both before and after I was a soldier. I learned more on my own about the Wood than I could've learned if I'd joined the Long Patrol immediately, and I won't change that. But I took my knowledge and I gave it to Salamandastron and the Long Patrol to make it better. I care about Redwall, too, or I wouldn't be... how did you say, 'cooped up around here.'"
The haremaid finished her tea. Placing her paws flat on either side of the bench, she did a light hop backwards to her feet. "Your life," she shrugged. "But I need to head out to the training grounds and teach some kids who decided this life was worth it."
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Django
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Post by Django on Jun 26, 2017 19:33:01 GMT -5
This was the most entertaining breakfast Cordin had yet been to. Even including that time his mate Silas had fallen out of his chair and dumped jam all over himself. Cordin was cradling a bowl of nuts, his eyes flicked from Cináed to Ripley and back again. He'd seen Ripley tear into other hares before, senior officers included, so he knew she wasn't afraid to cause some carnage. But his cousin seemed to be taking it all in stride. He was... not quite soft spoken. Opinionated, but not argumentative. Nothing like Ripley.
Cordin had to agree with Rip on this one, though. He didn't much care for vigilantes, and he found comfort in the structure of the Long Patrol. He knew he was distant from his cousins, and he was learning now just how distant. Not that it mattered. He never saw them, anyway. At this point, he was more interested in this Redwall place.
"But I need to head out to the training grounds and teach some kids who decided this life was worth it."
That reminded Cordin of his vague promise to that group of privates. Some of his own mates, too. They'd fallen over at the sight of his halberd, and begged him to let them have a go with it.
"Ah, yes, Cin, I'm afraid I've got some, er, kids waiting on me, too," Cordin popped one last pawful of nuts in his mouth, took one last drink of water, and stood. "Be alright on your own, mate? I can come back and give you a tour once I've finished, if ya like."
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markab
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Post by markab on Jun 26, 2017 20:41:23 GMT -5
Clearly neither was going to change the other's mind. Cináed didn't know what she was doing, he supposed; far as he knew she might be on a short break from patrolling. He just wanted to be out there, not on the whim of whoever assigned positions in the mountain, so he nodded absently through the one-sided argument or lecture or whatever it was supposed to be, polished off his pastry with a drink of water and got back to his feet.
"Your life. But I need to head out to the training grounds and teach some kids who decided this life was worth it."
"Don't let me keep you," Cináed said, dryly. Ugh. Trying to wrangle recruits sounded like his own personal hell. 'Course, he'd be the recruit if he joined up. He had time to think about it, though; he was still pretty young yet.
"Ah, yes, Cin, I'm afraid I've got some, er, kids waiting on me, too. Be alright on your own, mate? I can come back and give you a tour once I've finished, if ya like."
Didn't sound like a lie, and if Cináed was good at one thing it was sniffing them out at ten paces. He shrugged, surprisingly amiably, he thought, considering the vague irritation itching at the base of his skull. "All right. I'll take a walk around in the meantime."
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