The Beginning

[.:Fawn:.]

~~Mission Impossible: Complete~~

"Cross! I brought yew Martin!" Called Koa, webbed paws cupped around his mouth as he yelled through the door in an effort to make his presence known. "Leander, can yew open the door please?" The dibbun called, his polite little voice ringing out in the hallway. He glanced at Cyle and Trace on either side of him, not quite sure why they looked so...tensed, as though they were ready to spring up at any moment and make for the stairs.
They weren't in trouble were they?

Now that Koa thought about it, sure they probably weren't supposed to have moved the tapestry, but the otterbabe thought it would be okay so long as they put it right back when they're done. Cyle and Trace would help him put it back, right? He couldn't exactly reach the hooks the tapestry had been hanging from, even with the help of the javelin.

Oh wait...the javelin!

He'd left it in the Great Hall!

Oops.

I'll go'n'get it later, Koa pledged, making a mental note to eventually make his way down there to get it. He wanted Cross to meet Martin first.

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[Cross]

"Cross! I brought yew Martin!" Called Koa, webbed paws cupped around his mouth as he yelled through the door in an effort to make his presence known.

Cross heard Koa's voice and nearly jumped in surprise. He looked around the room, his focus no longer on Leander. Koa's sudden disappearance and reappearance had noted him out of his thoughts. As if to assure himself the otter babe wasn't in the room anymore, the big sea otter stopped looking around and turned his attention towards the door.

"Koa, what's--" he was cut off by a groan of pain as he tried to sit up. His torso felt like it was on fire. He opened his good eye, setting his gaze on Leander and spoke each word through much pain. "What does he mean, 'brought you Martin'?" Hadn't the other otter said Martin was dead? And where on earth had Koa gone in the first place?

((Man, my posts are short today, in all my threads! D: ))

[Promatera]

"Cross! I brought yew Martin!" Called Koa, webbed paws cupped around his mouth as he yelled through the door in an effort to make his presence known. "Leander, can yew open the door please?"

Distracted from his thoughts, Leander finally realized that Koa may have just caused a great amount of chaos.

"Oh no, Koa..." Leander grumbled as he rubbed his temples.

"Koa, what's--" he was cut off by a groan of pain as he tried to sit up.

"Oh no no no no no no! S-stay put please!" he spoke pushing Cross back into his bed. He then turned to answer the door. What had the little otter meant by bringing Martin?

Leander opened the door to let in Koa and was about to lecture him when he noticed what the little otter was carrying and who he was with.

"I-is that...?" he couldn't even finish as his surprise choked him up.

[.:Fawn:.]

"Koa, what's--" he was cut off by a groan of pain as he tried to sit up.

"Oh no no no no no no! S-stay put please!" he spoke pushing Cross back into his bed. He then turned to answer the door.

"I-is that...?" he couldn't even finish as his surprise choked him up.

Koa nodded proudly in response, leaning around the shocked otter to look at Cross carefully, expecting words of praise or a nice hearty pat on the back for bringing him the tapestry of the armor-clad mouse. “it's vury 'eavy,” He strained, staggering his way past Leander, the tapestry held above his head on little quivering arms, the webbing in each of his forepaws visible in his efforts to support it. Setting it down on Cross's lap, Koa began unfolding it as though he were unfolding a blanket to tuck Cross in with, brown eyes gleaming with concentration.
Winded after this was done, the otterbabe sat down next to the bed that held the injured otter, squeaking up at him while he wiped a bead of sweat from his brow.
”Here's Martin, Cross. Yew can talk to 'im now, but then I gotta take 'im back down da stairs so I don't get in trouble.” He informed, letting his friend know that Martin's visiting hours were very very short.

Frankly, the otterbabe didn't understand why everybeast got into such a fuss when Martin's tapestry wasn't on the wall behind the Abbot/Abbess's chair, lots of times the Abbey Dwellers thought it had been stolen, but such a thought did not occur to Koa Shorehound. To put it simply, he always assumed Martin the Warrior wanted to go for a bit of a stroll – it must get boring, hanging up there in a tapestry all this time, and with grounds as nice as these, why wouldn't he wanna go for a walk?

((If that went too fast, let me know! If you want the alarm to suddenly start sounding, lol, let me know, I'll bring it into the next post.))

[Cross]

"Oh no no no no no no! S-stay put please!" he spoke pushing Cross back into his bed. He then turned to answer the door.

Cross didn't try to resist as Leander pushed him down onto the pillows once more. What was Koa up to, now? From the look on Leander's face, it probably wasn't good. He went to answer the door, but the big sea otter couldn't see much past him. He didn't need to, really, for Koa trundled in just then, dragging what looked like a large, heavy blanket.

-----

Cyle and Trace gave Leander their best, most charming, and most obnoxiously guilty smiles as the otter opened the door. Trace dumped the tapestry into Koa's paws and then darted off with his sister. The twins raced down the hallway and out of sight.

They'd cashed in their favor. Koa would take all the blame for the missing tapestry. Besides, even if he did rat the twins out, Cyle could come up with a million excuses for not being involved in the caper in any way.

-----

”Here's Martin, Cross. Yew can talk to 'im now, but then I gotta take 'im back down da stairs so I don't get in trouble.” He informed, letting his friend know that Martin's visiting hours were very very short.

Cross felt the weight of the heavy tapestry in his lap, and he tried to sit up again, ignoring the agony in his torso. He cradled the emblem of the warrior mouse in both paws, his breath coming in short, ragged gasps. That confident smile, the armor, that sword . . . Cross had seen Martin before. And now he remembered.

Cross was walking along an unfamiliar shoreline, dark clouds gathering overhead. The sea was restless, and waves pounded the sand relentlessly. Cross had a vague sense of wanting to turn around, but he hesitated. He didn't know what he'd find, and he didn't think he wanted to know.
To his left, he noticed a large river spilling into the sea. Rain began to pour down from the heavens, and a driving wind picked up, whipping his dense fur. Lightning flashed across the sky, and Cross wondered how long this storm would last, and if there was shelter nearby. He finally turned away from the surf to find a dark figure approaching him. He instinctively reached for a nonexistent weapon. Where was his javelin?
He tried to call out and warn the other creature to stay back, but whoever it was kept walking towards him. The figure materialized out of the rain, and Cross saw a mouse, dressed in full armor, carrying a beautiful sword. The look on the mouse's face was kind and welcoming. He took Cross's paw in his, locking gaze with the soaked sea otter.
"Follow the eye of the River," the mouse said.

And, then, Cross woke up. He sat there, the tapestry still held in his paws, his eyes wide. "Follow the eye of the River," he breathed inaudibly. Then, in a louder voice, "Follow the eye of the River!"

[Promatera]

As the twins dashed off and Koa entered with the tapestry of Martin the warrior, Leander stood by doorway, mouth agape.

”Here's Martin, Cross. Yew can talk to 'im now, but then I gotta take 'im back down da stairs so I don't get in trouble.”

Handing the tapestry to Cross, it had an almost immediate effect on the sea otter.

"Follow the eye of the River!"

Leander came to his senses and then rushed to Cross' bedside. "W-we n-need to get t-this out of here!" he spoke with concern all over his face.

"I-I'll go run t-this back!" he then grabbed the tapestry and dashed out of the room. Leander was thankful that there was hardly anybeast around, but when he arrived at cavern hole several abbey dwellers had gathered around the spot where the tapestry would have been. As he dashed in they all turned to see Leander carrying the tapestry.

"Oh no..." he sighed.

[.:Fawn:.]

"Follow the eye of the River," he breathed inaudibly. Then, in a louder voice, "Follow the eye of the River!"

"W-we n-need to get t-this out of here!" he spoke with concern all over his face.

"I-I'll go run t-this back!" he then grabbed the tapestry and dashed out of the room.

Koa felt an unpleasant stab of guilt in his stomach. Cross didn't mean follow the eye of River Moss, did he? Because he really didn't want Cross going back there, especially not by himself. The otterbabe, in his worry, took a few seconds to realize Leander, a nervous wreck already, had dashed out of the room with the tapestry. Well, on one paw that saved him the trouble of having to lug it down the steps, but on the other paw, Koa realized, Leander might get into trouble if they think HE took the tapestry.

Oops.

Whirling around to face the doorframe, it was obvious he was torn between going after Leander, and leaving Cross's side, the otterbabe chewing on his bottom lip with indecision.
"Yew don't 'ave to follow da Riva, do yew Cross?" He murmured, giving his friend a worried look. Normally Koa was all for adventure and the unknown, but that was before he realized the unknown included falcons.

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[Cross]

As the tapestry was snatched from his paws, Cross found he was too surprised at the sudden movement to do much. His mind was still reeling from recalling his dream of Martin. That was probably the first good dream he had had in years.

'Follow the eye of the River,' Martin had said. Leander's last name was Rivereye. That meant something. Was Cross to follow Leander when he left the abbey? It certainly sounded like it. But why?

"Yew don't 'ave to follow da Riva, do yew Cross?" He murmured, giving his friend a worried look.

Pulled out of his thoughts by the little otter, Cross looked down at Koa. Why did the babe look so scared? Was it because of their last encounter in trying to reach a river? That would make sense. The sea otter tried a smile.

"Don't worry, Koa," he said softly, leaning back against the pillows. "I think Martin has something else in mind for me than looking for River Moss."

((Meh, not the best.))

[Promatera]

Leander nearly fell to the floor, ears ringing, with the response he received by the abbey dwellers. However, there was little he could do about it, instead he just cooperated and handed over the tapestry. He remained silent as they began to question his motives.

"What were you doing with this?"

"Why did you take it?"

"Are you mad?"

"Such impudence!"

Even though Koa was the one who actually took the tapestry, Leander believed that he was still partially to blame for the whole incident. After all, he did fail to keep his eye on the young otter. For now he just hoped they wouldn't force him from the abbey. Shuddering he did his best to close out all the questions and remove himself from the situation.

However, his thoughts were just as chaotic and disparaging as those around him.

Why did he let Koa out of his sight?

How could he have let this happen?

This was all his fault.

For Leander there was no escape.

((OOC: Okay Fawn, Koa can come in to save the day! Well...if you want him to that is xD))

[.:Fawn:.]

"What were you doing with this?"

"Why did you take it?"

"Are you mad?"

"Such impudence!"

The sharp hearing of a young female otter picked up on the accusatory tones sounding just around the corner, a natural curiosity overcoming her previous goal of making it to the kitchens. Switching directions in a blink of an eye, Freya Shellpaw walked in on the peculiar image of several Redwallers accusing a familiar looking otter of removing the tapestry of Martin the Warrior. Freya was no fool, and knew better than to assume whatever she wanted to, based on what she was seeing alone. Poor Leander, she mused, eyebrows raised. From what she'd seen of the shy, sometimes anxious otter, he was no vandal, and while he had probably not removed the tapestry without a reason, he was too submissive under this kind of harshness to defend himself properly. Well Freya would just have to see to THAT!

"Leander!" She called, flashing him a pretty smile. "You dusted the tapestry like I asked you to? You have my thanks, mate." Pretending to be surprised, she regarded the crowd of accusers with accusing eyes of her own, intending to turn their own tide of hostility right back upon their little assumption-making heads. "Shame on the lot of you! Accusing poor Leander of stealing it! Why don't you all think before you accuse some poor beast of something as indecent as that?" A withering stare was given to the older mouse who'd been glaring at Leander with actual disdain, as though the youngster were unfit to even look at the tapestry, let alone hold it.
"Especially you, Mr. Withersthingy! Keep staring like that and your face'll stick that way. ....Sir."

Turning to the young otter, Freya tried to give him a friendly expression, the flower behind her ear quivering in the breeze from a nearby open window. Freya had enough good sense about her to not ask why Leander was carrying the tapestry, because it was honestly none of her business, and she was sure Leander had his reasons.
"You okay mate?" she murmured out of the corner of her mouth, fixing him with a mildly concerned look, brown eyes flickering. "Don't mind them, they're like a pack of wolves when they haven't had their afternoon tea yet."

"Don't worry, Koa," he said softly, leaning back against the pillows. "I think Martin has something else in mind for me than looking for River Moss."

"Oh," replied Koa simply, as though the only thing he ever had to worry about was another trip to River Moss, the otterbabe not at all taking into account the other possibly horrifying things that lurked in Mossflower Wood.
"Is Cross all healt now?" Turning his huge, concerned eye upon his otter friend, Koa made his way over to Cross's side, resting his cheek on the sea otter's arm as his own little webbed paw snatched up Pike the stuffed otter, and made him frog march across Cross's knees. The otter plushie then proceeded to bunny hop towards Cross's chest, Koa's gaze straying to the heavy bandages wrapped around the sea-otter's middle like bark on a tree trunk.
Well...he looked better...ish...

Struck with an idea, Koa set about looking for something, a determined glint shifting in his big brown eyes as he began opening cupboards and little drawers full of medical supplies -- until at last he found the bandages. Unceremoniously unwinding a roll, Koa began wrapping it around Pike's middle, intending to take them off again whenever Cross took his off -- so that way Cross wasn't alone during the healing process. Koa would wear the bandages himself, but he was in the mood to go play in the Abbey Pool, and the little fella had enough good sense to realize they'd get soaked.
So Pike the otter plushie would have to do for now.

Pleased with his work, Koa held out the stuffed otter to his friend, smiling as he forgot all about the drawers and cupboard doors he'd left open in his search.

[Cross]

"Is Cross all healt now?" Turning his huge, concerned eye upon his otter friend, Koa made his way over to Cross's side, resting his cheek on the sea otter's arm as his own little webbed paw snatched up Pike the stuffed otter, and made him frog march across Cross's knees.

Cross smiled in content, watching the little stuffed otter traverse over his torso. Another dim memory surfaced, then. Little webbed paws holding a crudely-made doll of seashells and dune grasses. And it was over. Whose doll was it? He may never remember.

As Koa rummaged through the drawers and cabinets, Cross cringed. "Uh, Koa," he said hesitantly. "I don't think you should be--" But he stopped when he saw what the little otter was up to.

The little plush doll wrapped in bandages was the final straw. Cross's already raw emotions couldn't handle it anymore. He began to weep unreservedly. Taking the toy gently in a trembling paw, he smiled, tears spilling from his eyes and down the creamy fur on his face. He wrapped one arm around Koa, clutching the doll to his chest.

"God, Koa," he sobbed, gently leaning his head upon the little one's. "Thank you."

((EEE!! I'm gonna cry!))

[Promatera]

Leander was drowning in a sea of negativity, though he did his best to hide his inner turmoil; trying to endure what he could.

"Leander!" "You dusted the tapestry like I asked you to? You have my thanks, mate."

Suddenly a raft had come along to pull Leander to safety. Leander turned to see a fair, young ottermaid arrive in the great hall. She stood out like a beacon amongst all the other creatures. For a moment he gawked at her, shocked that she had actually jumped in to save him. Then he realized that even though she knew his name, he couldn't even remember hers! He had never met with her face to face and so he would not be able to remember her name even if he tried. He should at least say something though!

"Y-yeah..." he nodded.

"Shame on the lot of you! Accusing poor Leander of stealing it! Why don't you all think before you accuse some poor beast of something as indecent as that?" "Especially you, Mr. Withersthingy! Keep staring like that and your face'll stick that way. ....Sir."

As an outsider, Leander could understand his harsh treatment and he had always had a tough time fitting in at Redwall because of it. However, the ottermaid made him feel comfortable, as if he had always lived in the abbey. He didn't feel like an outsider. Slowly the abbeydwellers offered up their apologies before returning to their regular schedules.

"You okay mate?" she murmured out of the corner of her mouth, fixing him with a mildly concerned look, brown eyes flickering. "Don't mind them, they're like a pack of wolves when they haven't had their afternoon tea yet."

For a moment Leander looked at her with a completely blank expression before realizing he was meant to respond.

"O y-yah!" he chuckled as he slipped into otter slang, "Ah'm doin jus fine now! Thank ye!" He desperately hoped her name would come to him as they spoke, but for now he had no such luck.

[.:Fawn:.]

"God, Koa," he sobbed, gently leaning his head upon the little one's. "Thank you."

Koa didn't understand why the otter plushie had moved Cross to tears, but he had been given the chance to hug the big sea otter and took it without hesitation, the otterbabe wrapping thin arms around Cross's neck. Maybe nobeast had ever thought to give Cross a stuffed toy before? Maybe he'd grown up without having any toys at all? Yes, that must've been it. Koa glanced from Cross to the stuffed animal and said kindly, ”Yew can 'ave it.” The otterbabe trusted him to take good care of Pike the plushie, and besides, it wasn't like he couldn't see him every day should he miss the plushie's company; Cross seemed like he needed it more than he did. Proud of his offering, Koa gave the big otter's shoulder a nuzzle with the side of his head, climbing onto the infirmary bed in the process to snuggle against Cross's arm. ”Yew don't 'ave tah cry, Cross,” said Koa sleepily, ”yew be gettin' better soon.” The otterbabe seemed to seal this promise with a smile, nodding at the big otter in an effort to reassure his weeping friend. Whenever he started crying, somebeast would usually hand him some tissues, give him a hug and a few candied chestnuts to make it all better. Glancing around, Koa could spot neither – Brother Halifax having neglected to fill the jar again, and the box of tissues nowhere to be found.
~*~

"O y-yah!" he chuckled as he slipped into otter slang, "Ah'm doin jus fine now! Thank ye!" He desperately hoped her name would come to him as they spoke, but for now he had no such luck.

Freya smiled, curtsied once and then offered him a friendly paw. ”Freya Shellpaw, nice to meet you. Sorry about them – Redwallers can get a bit touchy about that tapestry,” her eyes darted to the space on the wall where the tapestry of Martin the Warrior had just been re-hung. ”It's their pride'n'joy, you see.” The ottermaid's mouth turned up in a curious little smile as she added slowly, ”That being said, I wouldn't mind knowing why you were carrying it around with you. You don't have to tell me if you don't want to, I'm only curious.” She didn't want to force Leander into another verbal corner, by having him think she was accusing him of stealing it. That wasn't the case at all – the ottermaid's curiosity had, once more, gotten the better of her, and against her original desire to respect his privacy, Freya just had to ask.