In the darkness of night {Open}

[Nassu]

Nassu had become infatuated with a book. He had been pouring over it for two days now and was almost finished. He had it laid out in front of him and was tracing the line with his finger. His lips moved silently as he read. He was wearing his pajamas because he had snuck out of bed. He didn't need to sneak out since he wasn't a dibbun, but he had been raised in the abbey and they always told the children not to be out after bedtime.

His head shot up because he thought he heard a noise. He felt his heart pounding against his chest. Was he going to get caught? He hoped not. Just to be safe he extinguished his candle, sprang up from the table, and crouched down three rows from where his table was.

[Prankster101]

( I hope you don't mind Travi sticking his nose in here.. ...He is finished up on the stairs and Elicia hasn't posted in the Belltower...)

Travioso was sliding silently along the cold red walls of the staircase. He was out of bed at night and if he was caught, he would be in DEEP trouble....It wasn't the fact that he not old enough to be out of bed, it was the fact that he gets in trouble too often and isn't trusted, whether it's day or night.....If he gets caught, he'll be grounded for another week.

The full moon was out and dim light shown through the window so Travi could see where he was going, but he still clung to the shadows to keep out of sight. Travi was only out of bed, because he had a sudden craving for Shrimp and Hotroot soup and went to get some.... He, however, was smarter than most beasts who sneak out of bed in their white nightwear... Travi had requested dark blue nightwear, little to anyone suspicion at the time he had carefully planned that out so he would have better coverage during the night.

Travi continued to sneak quietly around the stairs when he passed by the library door, he noticed that the door was slightly a jar and a bit of candlelight flickered from inside. Who wauld
be a readin' at dis 'our? Travi thought to himself. he thought about seeing who was there, but he was really craving that soup...But as it normally does, Travi's curiosity got the best of him and he slipped silently into the library.

As Travi slipped into the room he saw there was somebeast poring over something with a single candle for light...Not wanted to cause a commotion, he silently tried to close the door...The door, however, had not been greased in a while and squeaked loudly as it shut with a muffled boom. Travi muttered crossly to himself. This was not going as planned. The beast that was reading had obviously panicked and snuffed out their candle. Travi however always brought along a spare candle, flint and one of his daggers when he went out during the night. Soon he had a candle going and had his dagger out, just in case...He called out to the beast he had seen before hoping that they would show themselves...

"Aye mate I knaw ye be aut dere..Sa stand up and step in ta da lig't naw saw aye can be a seein' ye.."

[Nassu]

Nassu breathed a sigh of relief. It was just Travi and not someone like the abbot or Oaklea. He came out into the light of the window and saw Travi standing there in his strange dark blue nightgown. He had always wondered why Travi had dark blue pajamas, but had never asked. " So what are you doing up here this late at night?" Nassu didn't like the way that sounded. It sounded to grown up for someone his age to say. He was still fun, or at least he thought he was.

[Prankster101]

" So what are you doing up here this late at night?"

Travi sighed and inward breath of relief. It was only Nassu, with a book. Ah least it wasn't da Abbot...Or Skipper! Travi thought. He would really get into trouble there........

However, Travi didn't like the way Nassu all of a sudden rapt out like that. What right did he have to be judging him? Nassu was only 13, and Travi was 16. Travi reared up to his full height of 6ft and 6inches and retorted. "W'at kind o' question be dat mate?! Yer da un dat be up before mea! Ah just be a checkin' who be burnin' a candle in da library in dis time o' night, and ye be a askin' mea w'at ah be a doin'? Ah shauld be a askin' ye da same question!" The candle flickered as he spoke. The flame causing shadows to dance across the walls and shelves....

[Nassu]

Nassu was taken slightly aback at Trav's sudden change in mood. He decided to answer in kind. " I have every right to be up here as I'm not in trouble every few days. I happen to be a model citizen, unlike you who seems to have to sneak around in your silly blue night gown."

Nassu's eyes grew really wide as he finished saying this. He was usually a very nice creature. He opened his mouth to apologize, but the words wouldn't come out.

[Prankster101]

" I have every right to be up here as I'm not in trouble every few days. I happen to be a model citizen, unlike you who seems to have to sneak around in your silly blue night gown."

Travi never had heard Nassu talk like this. Nassu was always the good guy following all the rules, but to see him get in a argument with one of the biggest troublemakers in the Abbey while out of bed after hours, was unheard of!.....This was going to be fun....

"Aye well, at least ah ain't gettin' ald an' dusty with me nose in a book! 'Ye 'ave ta da dis..Ye 'ave ta be'ave dis way..blah..blah..blah...!' An de ya knaw w'at a 'model citizen' be? A na-fun-bucket-o-jetscum. Plus, blue nightwear, 'elp ye travel in da dark unsean. Ah ga were ah want 'ere. W'at abaut ye! Ye stand aut like a candle in da dark in those stuffy white gowns."
Travi retorted with a gusto. He took pride in his version of insults that he derived from his natural sea otter lingo and the infamous hare speech from his friends at Salamandastron.

[Nassu]

Nassu was stung a little by his supposed friend's malicious attack. "So if you can go any where any time in this abbey, then why bother with blue night wear?" Nassu knew this would stump the otter with his inferior intellect. He smirked a little at this.

[Prankster101]

"So if you can go any where any time in this abbey, then why bother with blue night wear?"

"If ye knew w'at da definition o' fun ment ye mig't be able ta answer yerself, bat sence ye dan't 'ave dat ward anyw'ere in yer stuffy books, ah'll tell ye!" Travi lashed out. He didn't like the way Nassu smirked like that, so with his next retort he smirked right back....

"Naw fun is bein' different. Ye ain't always wearen dat habit-dress all da time, ye ain't all fussed up abaut bein' proper, an' ye da t'ings cause ye feal like it w'et'er dere be a rule er not. Ye can still be nice, but bein' a 'erassed-'edge'og-wit'-yer-spikes-da-wrong-way-in get ta borin' ta does woo knaw haw ta enjoy dem selves."

Travi set the candle down in a holder that was on the table because the wax was dripping on to his fur. He put the knife back in his belt that he had slipped on and waited for Nassu to reply, knowing that if things got really dirty, that he would win the fight. Mostly because even though Nassu could hold his own, he doesn't know the ways of the outside world like Travi did, and he probably would not fair well in the battles Travi had been through and knew how to win.

[Nassu]

Nassu knew there was no reasoning with a creature as hard headed as an otter, but he would try. "Fun is a relative word Trav. What may be fun to you, may not be fun to some. I enjoy reading and knowledge, and you enjoy causing trouble. It's okay that we're different that's what makes life worth living right?" Nassu bit his lip a little, he didn't want to argue with Travi, for he was one of the only other semi young creatures in the abbey.

[Prankster101]

"Fun is a relative word Trav. What may be fun to you, may not be fun to some. I enjoy reading and knowledge, and you enjoy causing trouble. It's okay that we're different that's what makes life worth living right?"

Travi rolled his eyes at Nassu. As much as Travi would love to argue with him, Nassu was right. And Travi knew it, but he would not give in to him.

"If ye did somet'ing interestin', yeed see different..." Travi knew the argument was over, but he wanted the last word before it really stopped.

The little candle Travi had brought with him was burning low so he grabbed the candle and re-lit Nassu's candle for some more light. As he did so, he saw the book that Nassu had been reading, still left open on the table. "Saw mate, w'at were ye readin' dat made ye came out o' bed at dis 'our?"

[Nassu]

Nassu sighed silent relief that the altercation had ended. He rubbed his chin wearily and walked over to where Trav had picked up and examined it. "Well it's a fascinating tome on the architectural designs of the abbey. There were plans for several tunnels and secret rooms. I know through out the abbey's history some of these have been discovered, but I've seen a few that don't seem to have been found." Nassu raised his eyebrows at that. Wouldn't it be fun if he and Travi found one of the secret places in the abbey?

[Prankster101]

"Well it's a fascinating tome on the architectural designs of the abbey. There were plans for several tunnels and secret rooms. I know through out the abbey's history some of these have been discovered, but I've seen a few that don't seem to have been found."

Travi used his rudder to bring the candle closer to the open book on the table as he leafed through the pages. He may not read much, but plans and maps always caught his eye, because there was always somewhere interesting to find in the maps and adventure that was better that the studying he was supposed to be doing. He ran his fingers quickly over the yellowed pages.

"Aye..." Travi said, his mind voicing his thoughts out loud. "...ah've been dere.....seen dat...'id in dat un' unce....." Travi flicked a few pages over. "...Knaw about dis....Naw w'at da ye 'ave 'ere?...." Travi peered closely at the page. "Why da be just o'r dere..." Travi mumbled as his eyes flicked back and forth between the pages of the book and a row of selves that extended beyond the light of the candle, total oblivious to Nassu who was still behind him.

Travi then picked up the book and candle and strode over to a bookshelf on the far wall. Still muttering to himself and holding the book open in one arm, he began to run is paw gently over the red-stone wall between a break in the self as if he was looking for something.......

[Nassu]

Nassu looked at the book and discovered that Travi was correct. How had he not seen that? He rushed over to where Travi was searching for something. He looked over his shoulder and pondered what exactly he was looking for. "What you looking for mate?" Nassu craned his neck trying to see. A smile stretched across his face. He loved exploring the abbey and hoped they would find something of historical importance.

[Elicia]

Brightly the mouse was standing against the wall outside, not so much as daring to breathe. He had noticed Nassu's obsession with that book, and had followed him out here. As such, the little mouse was still in his habit, although he had taken off his plain sandals. In one paw his little gem was being turned around and around, never stopping, always moving in the sweat of fear. Brightly could not be caught out here. Travi was in there, and Brightly thought of him as one of the vermin...and so was terrified of the beast, even though he was younger than the cook. He peeked in a crack in the wood door and saw the two looking at the wall, apparently searching for something.

The yellow stone fell from his paw and skittered underneath the door. The sweat had made it slick and Brightly had dropped it. Struck by a sudden, burning panic, Brightly flung the door open and scampered on all fours to the stone, part sheer panic, part scrambling paws, and part of him was sliding across the floor as his paws slipped and slid. He stood, clutching the little thing to his chest tightly. He couldn't loose this, not after so much had been taken from him.

Recovering from the momentary lapse in judgement, Brightly ran instinctively away from Travi-but in the wrong direction. He ended up racing towards, and crashing into, the red brick wall that the two were examining. His head bumped against some stone or another, and felt it give slightly. The force of the crash knocked him back to the ground where the little mouse sat rubbing his head ruefully and staring at the stone that had moved.

"Oy, mates, I think I've done something!"

[Nassu]

As Nassu was looking at the wall with Travi he heard a clang and turned around to see a small object that hadn't been there before. The door burst open and Nassu gasped as the brother Brightly the cook burst into the library. He was scrambling after that object and Nassu looked at him quizzically. What could be so important.

Brother Brightly was running pell- mell into the wall and bumped his head. Nassu winced as he did and bent over with his paw extended to help him up. "Aye sir you did."

[Prankster101]

((Welcome Eli!..hey can you do something for me?... .....Can you post at the gate so Renny can get in? .... ...))


"What you looking for mate?"

Travi snapped out of his inquisitive daze as Nassu posed a question. "Hu? ahow....Uh...Dis 'ere book be a sayin' dat one o' deis 'ere bricks ain't set in rig't, an dere be somet'in' be'ind it..just got to be a findin' it....." Travi then resumed murmuring to him self."... t'ree down....taw ta da rig't...Dis Un'!"

As Travi pointed out a brick at about his chest-hight, something smooth skittered across the floor behind them. Travi whipped around to find Brightly dashing through the door scrounging for the dropped object. Travi rolled his eyes. It had to be Brightly, but he didn't have enough time to speak as Brightly ran helter skelter toward the wall. Travi had just enough time to drop the book, open, on the floor and get out of Brightly's way as he rammed into the wall. As Brightly hit the wall with a bonk the brick that Travi had pointed to, moved in wards on the impact of Brightly's head.

"Oy, mates, I think I've done something!"

"Aye sir you did."

Travi ignored Nassu's obvious comment. As Nassu helped Brightly up, Travi turned to investigate the brick. The Brick had moved farther into the wall by about 3 inches. The rest of the blocks around it however were built so the would support it's missing weight and the wall would remain intact. Travi slowly pushed the brick in the space it had made util it fell out the other side. There was now a dark gap where the brick was. "Dere be a likkle room back dere...." Travi ahd begun to talk to himself again as he looked back and forth between the open book on the floor and the hole. Travi's curiosity had gotten a hod of him greatly now. Travi so wanted to see what was inside. So with out further notion, Travi stuck his paw through the hole feeling what was inside.......

[Elicia]

((Err, can't you just say that he's in the mountain by now? Eli can't open the gat alone...))

[Prankster101]

(( Nope! Wish I could! Ash's Breeze asked for your help to open the door! ))

[Elicia]

((WHAT?! WHEN DID THAT HAPPEN?!))

[Vikenti Whitedeath]

However, unknown to the three beasts, they were not the only ones in the room. Merce Whitedeath was also prowling about (he got in during open the gate.) He had been in the library all night, shadowing Nassu's every move. Merce couldn't read, but he understood maps, and new that there might be some great treasure in the room. As Travi and Nassu investigated the wall, the white weasel sat in a corner, just out of the light. He had thought about stealing the map, but, why not let the little creatures do it for him? He had not counted on Brightly. As the yellow gem skidded into the room, Merce instinctively leaped for it. But, Brightly got it first. Merce thudded against the ground as Brightly hit the wall. Merce was up in a second, cursing, just as Travi got his paw in the hole. He was now visible in the the candle light, his red eyes glowing in the flickering flames.