Tolling the hour [Open]

[Nassu]

Nassu the mouse was up in the bell tower. He was contently waiting for the hour to come so he could ring the bell. He loved his job for he could sit in the bell tower and read his books. He had chosen a tome today from early in the abbey's history. There was something about the sword of Martin being lost and a young mouse like himself finding it and defeating a terrible rat. Nassu scratched his developing chin hair and looked out at the sun coming down over the flatlands to the west.

[Wildrun]

Oaklea stood, contemplating the stairs that wound up the insides of the belltower like a great wooden snake, or perhaps a wooden central vein that connected everything. Not that there was much to connect in the belltower--the bottom and the top, as far as she could make out.

She could also make out the fact that the top of the belltower was very, very high.

Don't be a baby, the irritated mouse told herself. There's a railing, isn't there? It's not like you're going to fall.

Even so, as she took a deep breath and began the ascent to the bells, Oaklea's grip on the railing was tight enough to hurt her hand. At the moment, though, she was too busy trying not to look down behind her to notice something as simple as an aching paw.

After a while of climbing--really, it was only a few minutes--Oaklea's head felt light and she paused, sucking in a deep breath. Opening her eyes again, a thought struck her. The Bellringer was probably already up there. He probably had to stay there all day. Grimacing at the thought of a startled bellringer falling ove the edge, Oaklea decided to announce herself.

"Hello? Anyone up there?"

[Prankster101]

I hope you don't mind if I pop in? ;D

Travioso walked swiftly through the Abbey Orchard, trying his best not to be seen. He had gone out of the Abbey for some fresh air on a beautiful day, he had really wanted to watch the greyling in the abbey pond as he had seen it moseying around the dock the other day, but he would be seen if he went there. Truthfully he wasn't supposed to be outside because he was on Abbot's Report and grounded after "the Abbot's Chair in the Dinning Hall" incident that happened last night, but today was too good of a day to be stuck inside and he didn't want to be caught now that he just got out. So he decided to head over to the bell tower, the only beast in there was the Bell ringer and if he could avoid them he was golden. Once he got inside, he realized there was some beast else in the bell tower. He muttered a few words to himself in disgust, that probably would have gotten a tounge-washing if any beast had herd, but he ignore that fact and went to the ropes. From the bottem of the tower he could see the mouse maid climbing the stairs about 2/3s of the way up. He herd he call out. Deciding he was stuck anyway from the noises that he could hear coming from the Abbey, he decided to have a bit of fun. He grasped the Mathias bell rope, just enough so that the bell would not ring but was firm in his grip and shimmied up the rope. It was not hard for him as he had done it before, and made it to the spot where the mouse maid was in a flash. "I dan't knaw if anybeast else be 'ere mate, but I's be rit next t4a ye." Travi said with a flash of his pearly whites, the Mathias rope was conveniently 2 ft from the mouse maid's face.

[Nassu]

Nassu heard the creaking of the stairs as some one was coming up them. He also saw the Matthias rope wriggling. He closed his book and peered over the edge of the railing. He saw a young creature climbing his rope talking to Oaklea, a mouse he had known for a while. He smiled and called out, "What are you two doing down there?"

[Prankster101]

"What are you two doing down there?"

Travioso looked up into the face of another mouse. He inwardly rebuked himself by being caught by more than one beast hanging on a bell rope while he was supposed to be inside, but he put on a bright face and smiled.

"Aye was a talkin' ta dis blushin' beautie down 'ere, and a askin' 'er wat she was a doin'. She ain't told me yet. Wat ye be a doin' up dere?" Travi shouted upward.

[Wildrun]

Oaklea met Travioso's grin with a grimace and replied to the both of them, "I'm trying not to kick myself for coming up here. It's harder than it sounds."

Peering upwards, she sighed, then turned her head to hand Travioso a ferocious glare. "Why is it," she demanded, "that you can climb that thing? I have an issue with these stairs! These tiny, narrow, stairs..."

Sucking in a deep breath through her nose, she smiled at Nassu weakly. "Hey. Got a good book?"

[Prankster101]

Travi looked back at the mouse maid, his eyes glittering with counseled laughter.

"Ah dan't knaw whay ye would want ta be a kickin' ye self, tis only stairs."

Travi then proceeded to slide up the rope a few more feet, locked his legs and rudder around the rope, and let his upper body swing down so he was a talking to the mouse maid upside down.
As he began to talk again he caught his hat which was starting to fall.

"Ah, got ya , me lil' cap. Well, ye see matey, aye be a sea otter mate, and we always be a climbin' ropes an our ships. Sa tis' natural ta me. And tis' a lot more fun tan wallkin' all da wey up dose stairs. I be a sein' ye aroud da abbey, but I nay recall names, dose be ma weakness o' sorts. 'elp me ol' noggin out and tell me ye name again?"

[Nassu]

Nassu grinned at the two beasts. "I'm supposed to be ringing this here bells in a minute, but it can wait a few minutes for you both to get up here. And Yes I do have a very good book ma'm. It's about the time of Matthais and how he saved the abbey from Cluny the Scrouge."

[Elicia]

OOC: Do you mind if Brightly pops in to annoy you?
IC: He was smiling, as usual. Brightly the mouse, with his green habit rustling, raced after the others climbing the belltower. He tried to get up the stairs very quickly, but was huffing and puffing almost immediately. "Wait for poor Brightly, please!" The jolly mouse bustled up the narrow way as fast as his little legs could carry him. "Brightly wants to sit with you in the Belltower!" He had almost overtaken the maid, for it seemed that she was going slowly for some reason. "Missy, are you afraid of heights?" Brightly beamed at Oaklea. "I'd be honored to walk up with you, if you wouldn't mind me!" Still smiling, Brightly looked at Travioso. "And young Master as well! Ah! And even Nassu to talk with! Hallo, Nassu!" The green-clad mouse called up. "Reading, as usual I see! So it's Matthais this time, very good, very good. I've never actually read it, but you know how everyone tells tales, so I know a bit about it! Not much in the way of a reader, though!" Brightly was still hurrying up to the top of the stairs, although he did not know why. When he finally hit the last stair the jolly mouse practically glowed at Nassu. "Hallo again! Nice to see you well, I don't have the eyes of a hawk from way down there! Hallo!" He said again, unknowingly repeating himself. "Nice to see you!"

[Wildrun]

((Sorry he couldn't have been a hamster. He's cute. X) And sure, go ahead.))

The thought of the huge bells clamouring above her while she was still stuck on these old stairs lent Oaklea a burst of speed as she hurried along behind Brightly, who had passed her. Giving Travi an incredulous glare as he hung upside down, she muttered, "My name's Oaklea, and yes, I hate heights."

Upon hearing the name Matthias, she blinked and looked up. The name sounded vaguely familiar to her--having not been born at the Abbey, she wasn't the most knowledgeable of the stories. Not all of them, anyway, but Matthias was a name she could always connect with Martin, and she knew all about Martin. "You mean when Cluny--the rat, right?--tried to take over Redwall?" A wry expression came to her face, the idea of the great stone Abbey being invaded absurd. "I'll ahve to brush up on that one. Sounds good."

Remembering that the bells were due to ring and there was still an otter hanging upside down, Oaklea risked a peek over the railing of the platform and told the scallywag, "If you're hanging like that when Nassu rings the bells, I fear for the shape of your head! C'mon, mate, get up here!"

[Prankster101]

Travi, still hanging upside down, just rolled his eyes as Brightly ran past, the mouse's mouth going 90 mph. He figured Brightly wouldn't tell on him, on the fact he was supposed to be in the Abbey, but his mouth never stopped, and a blabbering witness is never good at a conviction trial.

"If you're hanging like that when Nassu rings the bells, I fear for the shape of your head! C'mon, mate, get up here!"

Travi expertly sung his torso up wards and grabbed the rope so he was right side up again and said, "Ah, ye warry ta much Oaklea. Da only t'in dat 'appen if Nassu ringin' dat bell is I be a swing round. I ain't ganna fall."

In seconds Travi had climbed up to the platform and sung himself on, without ringing the bell. "Tis' 'arder ta 'old on ta a rope when yer ship be in a storm at sea. Den I wauld want ta try en be safe. Mathias huh? Don't pay etnchin in class des days. Ah da knaw dat that is one o' da names o' the bells."

Travi began readjusting his hat back on his head so it sat in a jaunty angle across his face when he suddenly remembered what Oaklea had said. His face became ashen with anger, his smile disappeared, and his normally sparkling eyes became cold.

"Did ye say a rat mate?....."

[Nassu]

Nassu was surprised that so many creatures were coming in his bell tower. He smiled a little and was glad to see all of them. "Well hey brother. How are you doing today?" Nassu grabbed the bell rope. He steeled himself to pull it. "I'm going to let the bells ring if every one is here." He pulled mightly upon the rope. He pulled four more times. He put his paws to his ears and let the vibrations shake his body.

[Prankster101]

Travi's face was still ashen as he snapped out at Nassu.
"Ah ain't a brot'er mate. Get en ta to much trubble."

He then stood stiffly as the giant bell rang boldly out in the belltower, he waited until the bell had calmed down and all was quiet again and he turned to Oaklea and said, "Ye were a sayin' dat dere was a rat in dat dere story, right?" His face stern and cold as rock, his mussels tense with anger.

[Wildrun]

The sounds of the two enorumous bells were beautiful--Oaklea inhaled deeply and felt the pounding reverbrations rock up through her feet and fill her head, pushing the headache induced by heights away. She wished she could ask Nassu to pull the rope again, but that was ridiculous--he'd get in trouble for giving the wrong time, and Travi didn't look in any mood for bells anyway.

Coming back to herself, she looked between the book on the floor and the sea otter. "...Yesss," she said, drawing out the word a little bit. She turned to Nassu, vague on the details. "You said his name was Cluny? The rat with the barbed tail."

[Nassu]

"Yes Ma'm. He was a real scoundrel and I'm glad the abbey hasn't seen trouble like that in many a season. So what are you all doing here in my humble sanctuary on such a beautiful day?" Nassu was glad of the company, but thought it a little strange. He usually didn't have any company when he rang the bells. He was beaming at all of them.

[Wildrun]

(( *pokes Elicia* Your turn. ))

[Elicia]

((Sorry.))
Brightly smiled at Nassu. "Enjoying the view, of course! I like it up here!" The mouse smiled, and looked over the assembled creatures and the bells. "So pretty...." He said. "So very pretty." Referring, of course, to the bells, not the company. It would have seemed rather odd for him to be calling two guys pretty. Calling a young maid pretty, however, was not outside his expertise. He prided himself on his flattery, and tried it out as often as possible. So, of course, his next comments were expected from those who knew him well:
"And a pretty maid such as yourself, what are you doing here? Charming the sound out of the bells with your beauty, little miss? Or perhaps to entertain such poor mice such as myself?" Brightly gave Oaklea a sweeping bow, attempting to charm the mousemaid. Although it might not work at all, it was worth a shot.

[Prankster101]

"You said his name was Cluny? The rat with the barbed tail."

Travi muttered words under his breath. Even in his anger he was smart enough to keep his voice low...However, as his anger began to brew his voice rose with emotion.

"...Stupid rats..Ain't good fer nothin'..vermin be evil...and VERMIN DIE!" Travi said still glaring at the book before him as if it was his worst enemy.

"Yes Ma'm. He was a real scoundrel and I'm glad the abbey hasn't seen trouble like that in many a season. So what are you all doing here in my humble sanctuary on such a beautiful day?"

As Nassu spoke it brought Travi's mind back to the present.."Mate..ye did be a sayin' dis rat was dead rig't?.."

"And a pretty maid such as yourself, what are you doing here? Charming the sound out of the bells with your beauty, little miss? Or perhaps to entertain such poor mice such as myself?"

As Travi took a few deep breaths to cool himself down, he rolled his eyes at Brightly. Yes, it would be Brightly that would try and flirt now. Travi dismissed that thought and continued to try and cool down....'e ain't alive naw more...Naw need ta be a gettin' all worked up naw....Dere be naw virman 'ere at Redwall..sa stap actin' up!...

[Nassu]

Nassu looked at Travi with concern. This beast seemed to hate rats, but he was an outsider and knew more about the world than Nassu did. He tried to calm him down by saying, "yes, Cluny was killed many scores of seasons ago mate, and as far as I know we haven't seen hide nor tail of any vermin for several seasons."

[Wildrun]

The mousemaid absorbed the sudden outburst from Travi with barely a tail flick--she knew how he felt. Had stoats been mentioned, her mood would have been different from hieght-induced nervousness. As Nassu put Travi at ease, however, Oaklea's mood did change--from tingling nervousness to sardonic amusement.

She bowed back to Brightly, tipping an imaginary hat and smiling. "I doubt I could charm anything. You, sir, have a gift."

Then, tipping her head to Nassu, she frowned. Why had she come up here? Not for the view, surely. Although...even Oaklea Wildrun would admit, the sight of the sky above the very tops of the trees and the eye of the glaring sun was beautiful. Suddenly, as if the clearness of the sky lent clearness to her thoughts, she remembered her purpose and groaned.

"That's right. I came up here to get over my fear of heights and slide down the railing." Because I'm a confounded idiot. Oaklea sighed, exasperated with herself, and said to no one in particular, "Could someone please remind me to keep away from the strawberry fizz? It's as muddling as mead."

Still, she'd made it this far.