Mission Impossible: Moving Martin!

[.:Fawn:.]

The otterbabe winced, rubbing where the javelin he'd been dragging had whacked him in the knee -- his eyes locked on the huge tapestry that hung above him. The mission had been a success so far -- he'd managed to get the big ol' stick Cross carried down the stairs without too much fuss, and he'd even dragged it into the Great Hall without anyone noticing. It was likely most of the Redwallers were outside, trying to enjoy the last of the beautiful summertime before fall really began to set in.
Koa, of course, had neglected to think the plan all the way through, and was stuck with one unpleasant little problem.

How was he supposed to get the tapestry down with this javelin?

Koa may've underestimated the tapestry's distance from the ground...There was no way his arms, even with the extension of the javelin, could hope to reach the hooks Martin's tapestry hung from. He was just too short. Too little. Too young to be much help to Cross.
The otterbab frowned, giving the javelin a grumpy nudge with one webbed footpaw, taking his frustration out on Cross's weapon.
What was he supposed to do now?

Perhaps he could find a stool? Well, maybe ten stools, then he'd be able to reach the tapestry -- but where was he going to find ten stools?

He'd have better luck trying to push one of the tables nearby over to the tapestry -- or standing on the back of the abbot/abbess's chair...

Koa sat down, staring up into the brave face of Martin the Warrior as though the mouse could answer all of his problems. Hopefully a solution would come along soon?

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[Rook]

Two bushy-tailed squirrels burst into Great Hall, racing just as fast as their legs would carry them down the stairs. The female giggled elatedly, sprinting after her taller brother. They rushed past the little otter babe, diving under one of the big tables and crouching down. Stifling another giggle, the female pulled stools in around the table to conceal them as the male wiped sticky goo off his paws, grinning like mad.

Stomping down the stairs came an extremely ticked-off mouse, his face covered in pie. He cast about for someone, or rather two someones, his angry glare obstructed by the sticky pie filling smeared across his features. Harrumphing once, the mouse dashed outside, thinking the culprits had already escaped him out to the grounds.

Once he had left, the squirrels wriggles out of their hiding place, laughing like hyenas. Cyle and Trace Galahad congratulated each other with a firm pawshake for a job well done. Wiping tears of mirth from his eyes, Trace finally noticed the little otter standing before the tapestry. He nudged his twin sister, and they shared a look of pure mischief. Opportunity was knocking for the second time that morning.

They sidled up to the dibbun, grinning like Cheshire cats. "Good morning, little one," Cyle greeted pleasantly, her slender paws folded behind her back. "What might you be up to on this fine day?"

Trace leaned around the otter, bracing his paws on his knees. "Y'need any help?" he asked, noting the javelin. "That's a nice-lookin' stick ya got there. Whatcha gonna do with it?"

[.:Fawn:.]

Even little Koa could put two and two together when he saw a grumpy, pie-covered mouse storm down the stairs -- following shortly after the two bushy-tailed hooligans who'd thrown it at him. Cyle and Trace were what most of the Abbey Dwellers called 'naughty rascals', and even if the term wasn't given with fondness, Koa felt it was an admirable title, surely, and regarded the twins with something like a little brother's envy. They were faster and stronger than him (outside of water) and seemed to have all the fun...

"Good morning, little one," Cyle greeted pleasantly, her slender paws folded behind her back. "What might you be up to on this fine day?"

"Y'need any help?" he asked, noting the javelin. "That's a nice-lookin' stick ya got there. Whatcha gonna do with it?"

"I gotta get Martin up ta see Cross," explained Koa, gesturing to the great tapestry, his gaze soon locking onto the javelin by his footpaws. "But I can't reach it. Can yew help?" He asked earnestly, glancing at Trace and Cyle with big brown eyes full of hope. They were just the two he needed! Surely they'd be willing to aid him in helping out his friend Cross, right?

Even at 5 years old, Koa (thanks to certain Abbey Dwellers), understood the concept of a favor.
"If you help me, I can help yew next time yew need it." Coaxed the otterbabe, trying to lift the javelin up to the edge of the tapestry -- his legs stretching as far as they'd go, the babe standing on his tip-paws. Though he didn't grasp the concept enough to come up with a reasonably tempting offer, everybeast knew that Koa tended to always make good on his word.
It seemed to be a Shorehound family trait.
Pike never broke a promise either.

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[Rook]

"I gotta get Martin up ta see Cross," explained Koa, gesturing to the great tapestry, his gaze soon locking onto the javelin by his footpaws. "But I can't reach it. Can yew help?"

Cyle glanced at her brother behind Koa. Trace's eyes flicked up to the tapestry, and then back down to the otter and the javelin. He studied the walls near the hanging for a second and then looked back at Cyle. While Koa wasn't looking, he held up a paw and made a so-so motion in the air. Maybe.

"I guess that depends, little buddy," Cyle answered, walking around Koa and placing a paw on his head, leaning on him as she looked up at the tapestry. With her other paw on her hip, she turned to Trace. "We're awfully busy today, aren't we, brother?"

Trace nodded regretfully. "Yeah, we got lots a' stuff t' do today," he agreed, looking back down at the otter, who'd suddenly become little more than something for his sister to lounge against. "What would be in it for us?"

"We would like some compensation, you know," Cyle added. "I mean, taking down the tapestry is a big job. No doubt there would be plenty of beasts who wouldn't like to find it missing." She lifted her paw from the otter as he went up to the tapestry.

"If you help me, I can help yew next time yew need it." Coaxed the otterbabe, trying to lift the javelin up to the edge of the tapestry -- his legs stretching as far as they'd go, the babe standing on his tip-paws.

The twins glanced at each other again. Though many beasts might think a five-year-old otter babe to be virtually incapable of helping two thirteen-year-old squirrels, Cyle would find some use for him. And by the look on her face, Trace was pretty sure she already had. He gestured for Cyle to take the floor.

Pressing the tips of her padded fingers together, Cyle began, "Well, I suppose we could help you, since you're so willing to help us. And I suspect we'll be needing your help pretty soon, right after we finish here, actually."

Trace got the hint and added his two bits. "Yup, it's a special favor," he said with a nod. "But we can't tell you about it, yet."

"You have to promise you'll help us, now," Cyle went on. "Otherwise we might as well take our business elsewhere. . . You wouldn't want to delay getting Martin to this Cross fellow, now, would you?"

[.:Fawn:.]

((XD what wicked little squirrel twins. Yeesh, Cross!))

"I guess that depends, little buddy," Cyle answered, walking around Koa and placing a paw on his head, leaning on him as she looked up at the tapestry. With her other paw on her hip, she turned to Trace. "We're awfully busy today, aren't we, brother?"

Trace nodded regretfully. "Yeah, we got lots a' stuff t' do today," he agreed [...]"What would be in it for us?"

"We would like some compensation, you know," Cyle added. "I mean, taking down the tapestry is a big job. No doubt there would be plenty of beasts who wouldn't like to find it missing."

[...]

"You have to promise you'll help us, now," Cyle went on. "Otherwise we might as well take our business elsewhere. . . You wouldn't want to delay getting Martin to this Cross fellow, now, would you?"

The constant back-and-forth chatter between the two squirrels gave Koa a twinge of a headache -- why couldn't they just say what they needed him for? Whatever it was, he'd probably agree to it. Unless they wanted him to go off into the woods again... That didn't sound like so much fun any more.
He didn't want to go with Cross, in case Cross got hurt -- and he didn't want to go without Cross, in case he got hurt. Or eaten. Or both.
Koa gave his head a quick shake.

"Promise!" He squeaked, offering his little webbed paw for the squirrel twins to shake. "Can yew 'ury up'n get the tapstree down now?" Asked Koa impatiently. He liked Trace and Cyle a lot (despite being one of the few beasts who earnestly did), but sometimes they had a funny way of beating around the bush.

a simple, "you have to help us later for us to help you now," would've been enough in Koa's book.
Perhaps the squirrel twins had figured he'd take more convincing then that?
Koa wasn't exactly simple, he was more of a 'straight-to-the-point' fella, and the squirrels clearly were not.

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[Rook]

"Promise!" He squeaked, offering his little webbed paw for the squirrel twins to shake.

Cyle and Trace looked at each other, Trace taking the otter's paw first. Well, that was easy. Usually little ones needed more cajoling than that. But obviously this little otter was in a hurry. He didn't even know what he was doing for them, yet! Cyle made a mental note not to worry so much about convincing little ones as keeping their motives delicious secrets until the end.

"Can yew 'ury up'n get the tapstree down now?" Asked Koa impatiently.

Trace nodded, chuckling lightly. "Don't get your knickers in a twist, buddy," he said, turning to the wall hanging. He planted his feet wide apart as Cyle rushed up behind him, snatching the javelin out of Koa's paws. She used her brother's back as a springboard, leaping up onto the tapestry itself.

Using the rough stone wall to help her get up to the hooks from which the prized tapestry hung, the squirrel unhooked the end closest to her. Holding both the corner of the tapestry and the wall hook with one paw, she reached over to the other corner with the javelin, easily dismounting the thick fabric with the long weapon.

Trace caught the heavy tapestry with a grunt of effort, haphazardly folding it up and bracing himself to catch his sister. She slid the javelin down the wall as far as it would go and let it fall harmlessly to one side before dropping away from the wall hook and into Trace's arms.

"How come I couldn't get it down?" Trace asked indignantly. He always liked to do the fun work. Cyle fixed her dress huffily as he set her on the floor.

"Well, it's not like I can catch you, smart one," she replied haughtily. Trace sneered and gathered up the big tapestry. "Ya wouldn't need to catch me. Unlike you, I can get down by myself."

"Oh, hush, you big baby," Cyle snapped. She then turned to the little otter. "Alright, so, where's this Cross fellow?"

((Sorry if that went by too fast. I can change it if you want.))

[.:Fawn:.]

(( Oh it's fine! I didn't want it to drag out anyway. xD ))

"Well, it's not like I can catch you, smart one," she replied haughtily. Trace sneered and gathered up the big tapestry. "Ya wouldn't need to catch me. Unlike you, I can get down by myself."

"Oh, hush, you big baby," Cyle snapped. She then turned to the little otter. "Alright, so, where's this Cross fellow?"

Koa had watched the twins' skilled removal of the tapestry from it's wall, the otterbabe's neck aching a little with the effort it took to watch Cyle's movements. So fast! So skilled! Koa was literally in awe of their climbing ability, and when Cyle finally spoke to him, it was a few seconds before the otterbabe closed his jaw.

"Up'dere," he responded, gesturing towards the stairs that led to the Infirmary. "He's..." what was the word he wanted to use for this? "Recovin'." The otterbabe meant to say 'recovering', but that word was a bit too long for him to successfully pronounce. Hopefully the villainous squirrel twins understood him. Koa, feeling a pull towards the tapestry, bent down to pick up the heavy symbol of Martin the Warrior, a small squeak indicating he was putting in more effort than he thought he would.
Yeesh this thing was heavy!

I bet Cross could-- er no, Cross wouldn't be lifting anything heavy right now...He was still up in the infirmary, trying to figure out this mystery about Martin. Koa chewed on his lower lip thoughtfully. It was hard not to want to have Cross help him with everything, and with his new friend injured so badly, Koa kept having to remind himself that it would be better if he just learned how to do it himself...

With renewed vigor, the dibbun, stumbling under the weight of the tapestry, staggered towards the stairs -- determined not to get too daunted by the task in front of him.
Lifting the tapestry was hard work, but getting it up the stairs seemed impossible. Unless of course, the squirrel twins weren't done helping him.

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[Rook]

"Up'dere," he responded, gesturing towards the stairs that led to the Infirmary. "He's..." what was the word he wanted to use for this? "Recovin'."

The twins watched as the little otter tried to lug the heavy tapestry to the stairs. Cyle got a thoughtful look on her face as she strolled past Koa, her paws still folded behind her back. Trace wordlessly gathered up the tapestry and stopped at the bottom of the stairs, raising an eyebrow at his sister.

"Could be somebeast up there with him," Cyle answered Trace's unsaid question. "But if worse comes to worst, you know what to do." We cash in our favor, she said with her eyes, adjusting her black and white arm warmers.

Trace nodded and turned back to Koa with a friendly smile, or, at least, as friendly a smile as a naughty squirrel like Trace could muster. "C'mon, little buddy," he said, starting up the stairs. "Let's get this t' Cross."

As they made their way up, Cyle kept a lookout for anybeast who might notice their strange procession. Trace had folded the big tapestry in such a way that the emblem of Martin was concealed from view. It now looked like a big, heavy tarp or perhaps some bedclothes. But there was no doubt somebeast would notice the missing hanging soon, and when that happened, the twins wanted to be long gone.

Stopping at the infirmary door, the three young ones could vaguely hear the two otters talking. Cyle rapped her knuckles on the door, preparing to bolt once it was opened. Trace shifted the tapestry in his grip, awaiting the right moment to run off, leaving the blame for the caper all on Koa's head.

((Feel free to move us to Beginning again if you want, Fawn. Though I will be posting there on my Cross account, for all my characters.))