Life Again ((Freya))

[Cross]

"Yes I do," she answered honestly, a bright gold leaf landing in her lap. "Perhaps more than anybeasat should, but it helps keep me strong when times are tough, and let me lift my head up high whenever I think of what a brave beast my brother was."

Cross nodded once. He had never really liked the idea of fate when he was younger. The thought of something intangible directing his future outside of his will made him feel like he could never be in control of his life. And this belief escalated into a kind of hatred for fate itself when he first left home. But perhaps it was fate that had brought him through all these years to a safe haven here at Redwall.

Here, his past couldn't catch up with him. Here, he had found friends. And here, he had received healing, which was more than anybeast had done for him in a long time. Redwall truly was as amazing as the blacksmith had made it out to be.

"So do I," he responded quietly, his face still slightly red from Freya leaning on his shoulder. "And I think fate finally smiled on me when it brought me here." It seemed almost ironic it was a horrible injury, and his new affection for Koa that had almost forced him to stay. He normally took care of his own wounds. And he had vowed not to grow so attached to anybeast after leaving home. But even now he was failing in both those areas.

Strangely, he didn't mind as much anymore. Perhaps getting his guts ripped open had mellowed him out a bit. "I have . . . rarely felt this much at ease," he added, his good eye glancing down at Freya once more.

[.:Fawn:.]

"So do I," he responded quietly, his face still slightly red from Freya leaning on his shoulder. "And I think fate finally smiled on me when it brought me here."

"I have . . . rarely felt this much at ease," he added, his good eye glancing down at Freya once more.

The ottermaid smiled softly, heartened to hear him say such things -- the possibility of Cross staying at Redwall Abbey forever was looking more and more likely. "Well I hope you can continue to feel at ease here, Cross. Redwall Abbey's a lovely home -- good food, kind folk, and a warm place to sleep at night." Glancing down to the bandages on Cross's waist out of the corner of her eye, Freya gave him a soft but playful nudge. "Besides, I'd say you've had enough adventures for one lifetime -- why not leave the falcon-slaying and the dibbun-rescuing to some other beast?"
The daughter of Thorsten Galedeep was extremely glad Cross seemed to settling in nicely, and looked content, safe behind the Abbey's rose-colored walls. But the wanderlust hadn't left her heart at all -- a pang of dismay hitting her. She was starting to become torn in two, Freya had just now realized; there was a part of her that wanted to set off on her own, eager to find her brother or at least get out and explore the world... But that would require her to leave her family behind, and all the friends she held dear. And that would require her to leave Cross too, of course -- the beast whom she couldn't decide was friend, acquaintance, or something else entirely. 'Friend' didn't seem to quite sum up the affection she had for him, and Freya wouldn't dare think of him as anything more than that.
At least not yet.

Hell, he hadn't even met her parents yet -- and Freya had a bad feeling Thorsten Galedeep wouldn't be as fond of Cross as she was.

[Cross]

"Well I hope you can continue to feel at ease here, Cross. Redwall Abbey's a lovely home -- good food, kind folk, and a warm place to sleep at night." Glancing down to the bandages on Cross's waist out of the corner of her eye, Freya gave him a soft but playful nudge. "Besides, I'd say you've had enough adventures for one lifetime -- why not leave the falcon-slaying and the dibbun-rescuing to some other beast?"

Cross laughed quietly, nudging her in return. "I'd had enough adventure before I even began," he joked. Settling back against the tree, he watched as a group of abbey beasts ambled along the path, chatting about this and that. Part of him wanted that. A life where every day was comfortable, easy, and absolutely NOT fraught with peril. A life where each night was restful, calm, and NOT plagued by nightmares.

He suddenly recalled Freya's wish to explore outside the abbey. Maybe his life of travel wasn't quite over yet. If she left to go on an adventure, he . . . wanted to go with her. Well, he at least wanted her to come back soon. "I still like the open road, though," he mused, thinking of his past adventures. "It's been my life for a long time, I . . . don't know if I'll be able to abandon it forever." And yet he liked Redwall. Freya wasn't the only one feeling torn.

[.:Fawn:.]

"I still like the open road, though," he mused, thinking of his past adventures. "It's been my life for a long time, I . . . don't know if I'll be able to abandon it forever."

Smiling with her eyes half closed, Freya watched the Abbey beasts strolling about the grounds, the ottermaid bravely speaking her mind as she gave the top of Cross's paw an affectionate pat with her own. "Well if you decide to suddenly leave the Abbey, you'd better take me with you -- or at least say goodbye first, I'll be extremely mad at you if you don't." She chuckled, half serious half joking, winking at the bandaged otter impishly.

"You won't be the only beast who'll be mad, darlin'."

The fur along the back of Freya's neck shot up as a familiar voice rang out from behind a nearby tree -- Thorsten Galedeep stepping out with quite a moody look on his face. Freya grimaced, immediately scooting an inch or two away from Cross -- trying not to provoke her father further -- "Oh Hello Dad, lovely weather we're hav--"

"YOU, LIPRING," Barked Thorsten, the sea-otter brandishing a hefty paw at the injured beast. "Who gave you permission to hang out with m'daughter?" The roguish beast's eyes glittered haughtily, "Because I sure as hell didn't."

[Cross]

"YOU, LIPRING," Barked Thorsten, the sea-otter brandishing a hefty paw at the injured beast. "Who gave you permission to hang out with m'daughter?" The roguish beast's eyes glittered haughtily, "Because I sure as hell didn't."

Cross gave the older otter a surprised look mixed with confusion. Lipring? Why had he . . . ? Oh, right . . . that lipring. So, this was Freya's father? She was obviously quite put off now that her dad had shown up. And he didn't look all that happy to see his daughter sitting next to Cross. Well, Cross wasn't the most wonderful example of a decent-looking otter.

"Hello," the silvery sea otter greeted. It would be in his best interests to keep a level tone. "I did not mean to anger you by being around your daughter." Besides, Freya had come up to Cross, actually, but her father didn't necessarily need to know that. "I am new to Redwall, in fact. My name is Cross." No reason to hide who he was.

((Sort of short. Sorry.))

[.:Fawn:.]

"Hello," the silvery sea otter greeted. It would be in his best interests to keep a level tone. "I did not mean to anger you by being around your daughter."

Thorsten snorted, not at all impressed by Cross' cordial attitude. "Yeah yeah, whatever you say, young'un. I'm sure you're sittin' next to her because that's the only place to sit in the whole orchard." Clearly he was extremely suspicious of Cross and his motives, completely disregarding the fact that he was injured and Freya had merely been keeping him company. There was absolutely no sign of Koa -- he must've disappeared while Cross and Freya were talking. Speaking of Freya, her mood entirely soured, the ottermaid looked up at her burly father with a look of badly hidden frustration.
"Would you stop giving him such a hard time, father? Don't jump to conclusions about him just because he has a lipring!"

The otter let out a short bark of a laugh. "Oh it ain't the lipring that bothers me half as much as him sittin' next to ya does! And what's all this talk of leavin' the Abbey?" Crouching down in front of Cross, Thorsten poked him in the shoulder with a meaty paw. "You thinkin' of runnin' off with my daughter when I'm not lookin', eh planktail?"
Freya glared at him mutinously, pushing her father's paw aside. "Oh knock it off! Nobody's running off anywhere just yet, so you can relax now -- remember your blood pressure," Thorsten gave his daughter a half angry, half pained look - as if her scornful tone hurt him a bit, but he still thought he knew better than she did.
Freya, meanwhile, was silently relieved Cross didn't appear to have any tattoos.

Thorsten would've chucked him over the wall if he did.

[Cross]

Crouching down in front of Cross, Thorsten poked him in the shoulder with a meaty paw. "You thinkin' of runnin' off with my daughter when I'm not lookin', eh planktail?"

Cross shook his head. "No, sir," he replied honestly. It was clear enough to the silvery sea otter that Thorsten did not like him . . . at all. As the older otter was told off by his daughter, Cross put on an emotionless mask, doing his best to keep his voice even.

"I would like you to know that my name is not planktail," he said levelly. "I told you that my name is Cross." The demeaning nickname planktail was already bad coming from other species. When an otter called another otter planktail, things could get sour. "And I am sitting here because I was growing weary from walking this morning. My injuries have not quite healed up yet, and I have not walked on my own two feet for over a month."

It was not a guilt trip, it was simply the truth. Cross had barely left the infirmary the entire time he'd been here, which had been about five weeks. Most of which he had been unconscious for. If Thorsten was unaware of Cross's plight, it was not Thorsten's fault. Obviously he was busy with all the duties of being a member of the Skipper's crew, so Cross was merely getting the older otter up to date.

[.:Fawn:.]

"I would like you to know that my name is not planktail," he said levelly. "I told you that my name is Cross."
[...]
"And I am sitting here because I was growing weary from walking this morning. My injuries have not quite healed up yet, and I have not walked on my own two feet for over a month."

Alright, so calling him 'planktail' had been a bit harsh. The overprotective sea otter seemed to back off a little, now that he was faced with a young otter who didn't run after when he yelled at them... Usually a few harsh words were all it took to chase them away, but not this one! Well, that probably had something to do with his present injury.
Thorsten snorted once, then stood up, giving Cross some space. "Alright, I'll call ya Cross -- sorry about calling you Planktail, that was wrong of me." He tried to ignore the surprised look on his daughter's face at his cordial -- but still gruff -- behavior, Thorsten offering Cross his paw. "Can't be too careful who's taken a liking to my pretty little daughter here, least they drag her off somewhere and break her momma's heart." He threw a meaningful look at Freya, and the ottermaid frowned in response, cheeks heating up as she looked at the ground. It was things like that that only fueled her desire to leave this place... To leave behind her stern, overprotective father and the stifling atmosphere that came with him.
"So you're the one who got ripped open by that falcon, eh?" While Thorsten chatted with Cross amicably, Freya was suddenly under the impression that her father was likely up to something. He always was, when it came to any male otter she came in contact with...
Which numbered in the single digits, thanks to a certain someone.

[Cross]

"Alright, I'll call ya Cross -- sorry about calling you Planktail, that was wrong of me." He tried to ignore the surprised look on his daughter's face at his cordial -- but still gruff -- behavior, Thorsten offering Cross his paw. "Can't be too careful who's taken a liking to my pretty little daughter here, least they drag her off somewhere and break her momma's heart."

Cross took the proffered paw out of politeness, nodding to show he accepted the apology. He was not at all oblivious to the silent exchange between father and daughter, but he held his tongue. It was going to take a lot more than some harsh words to get him away from Freya. Wait a minute . . . Why was that? He didn't have time to dwell on it as Thorsten spoke again.

"So you're the one who got ripped open by that falcon, eh?"

Cross nodded again. "Aye, sir," he replied. "Otherwise I would stand up to greet you properly. As it is, I am still sore." He glanced at Freya and was a little surprised to see her cheeks red and a suspicious look in her eyes. Turning his gaze back to Thorsten, the big otter said nothing about it. "You are Thorsten Galedeep, correct?"

[.:Fawn:.]

"Aye, sir," he replied. "Otherwise I would stand up to greet you properly. As it is, I am still sore." [...]Turning his gaze back to Thorsten, the big otter said nothing about it. "You are Thorsten Galedeep, correct?"

"Aye, that I am." The big otter seemed quite proud of that, for a smile crossed his aging face at mention of his surname, shoulders squaring. "I'm a member of Skipper's ottercrew, and I used to be the scourge of the sea, as some vermin called me. And this little apple of my eye, of course, is my daughter." Thorsten crossed his arms over his chest, head tilting just a bit. "Say, why don't you come and meet the missus? She can probably give you something for yore aches'n'pains if you ask."
Okay, now she was REALLY suspicious. But still...maybe if she got her mother to like Cross, Thorsten would leave him alone and stop watching them like a hawk? Freya smiled at the thought. HA. Maybe her parents would invite Cross to sit next to them at dinner!
"That doesn't seem like a bad idea," she chimed, her eyes meeting her father's. He gave a supportive nod and offered Cross his paw to help him up. Freya, however, was going to keep wracking her brain this entire evening to figure out her father's plot.

((XD and believe me, he DOES have a plan in mind.))

[Cross]

"Aye, that I am." The big otter seemed quite proud of that, for a smile crossed his aging face at mention of his surname, shoulders squaring. "I'm a member of Skipper's ottercrew, and I used to be the scourge of the sea, as some vermin called me."

Cross gave a half smile. It seemed all otters had last names to be proud of. Koa Shorehound, Thorsten Galedeep . . . Cross had long forgotten his own. If he even had one. He even doubted Cross was his actual name sometimes. But it didn't matter. The name Cross was enough.

Thorsten crossed his arms over his chest, head tilting just a bit. "Say, why don't you come and meet the missus? She can probably give you something for yore aches'n'pains if you ask."

The silvery sea otter's smile widened. He nodded once again. "I would be honored," he replied simply. Meeting Freya's mother would be a pleasure. He had hardly seen this many otters since leaving his home. He took Thorsten's paw, hoisting himself up and trying not to wince with the soreness in his chest. Leaning heavily on the cane, he straightened up slowly, rubbing his bandaged middle. "And I believe I just may ask her."

[.:Fawn:.]

The silvery sea otter's smile widened. He nodded once again. "I would be honored," he replied simply. Meeting Freya's mother would be a pleasure. He had hardly seen this many otters since leaving his home. He took Thorsten's paw, hoisting himself up and trying not to wince with the soreness in his chest. Leaning heavily on the cane, he straightened up slowly, rubbing his bandaged middle. "And I believe I just may ask her."

~*~

Freya's mother coudl be found cleaning out a portion of the dormitories that belonged to the Galedeep family, the slight otterwife humming as she worked, plumping up pillows and straightening beds. Thorsten's voice filled the room in seconds, the otter calling out soundly; "Good Evenin' Aruna, love of me life, I've brought some company for ye!" At the unmistakable sound of her husband, the kindly ottermum turned around, smiling first at seeing her daughter -- who was following closely behind Thorsten, though her eyes were on Cross and his cane -- then her husband, and at last, the bandaged lip-ring wearing otter she hadn't the pleasure to meet before. Surprised to say the least, it took her a second to regain her composure and she was at his side in an instance, gingerly clucking her tongue softly and helping him inside their humble abode. "Oh goodness -- Freya, what's this young otter doing outside of the infirmary? He looks like he needs rest!" She fretted, light blue eyes a bit frazzled. Turning back to smile at Cross, she gave his muscled arm a pat.
"Don't worry my dear, we'll have you seated here in a second," hooking the foot of a nearby chair with her foot, she pulled it over, the noise of which was not too terribly distracting. When Cross was taking his seat, Aruna mouthed at Freya sneakily;
He's very handsome!

Freya mouthed back.

I know! Very attractive, right?

Yes -- but that lip ring!

I think it makes him look dashing.

I think it makes him look like a rogue!

Even better.

The pair broke off into stiffled giggles, Thorsten looking at them bemusedly. "Ahem," he cleared his throat, "This burly fella here is Cross, and this beautiful flower next to Freya is my wife, Aruna." Smiling with pride, Thorsten was obviously very proud of his family -- and rightfully so.
Aruna's eyes twinkled like Freya's did when she was happy.
"Will you be staying with us for dinner, Mister Cross? The walk to the Great Hall is rather long."

[Cross]

"Oh goodness -- Freya, what's this young otter doing outside of the infirmary? He looks like he needs rest!" She fretted, light blue eyes a bit frazzled. . . "Don't worry my dear, we'll have you seated here in a second,"

As the ottermum pulled up a chair for him, Cross gave a polite smile, murmuring his thanks and taking a seat. Neither he nor Thorsten seemed to catch the full gist of what the two females were tittering about, but Cross didn't say anything.

"Ahem," he cleared his throat, "This burly fella here is Cross, and this beautiful flower next to Freya is my wife, Aruna."

Cross offered a big webbed paw. "I am honored," he said cordially. This was perhaps the most handsome family Cross had yet seen. Thorsten, strong, muscular, weather-worn but still active as a beast of much younger years. Aruna, slight, beautiful, a little aged, but still with all the personality and grace she once had in her prime. And Freya . . . Cross didn't quite know just what to think of her, yet. She was strong and spry like her father, yet graceful and altogether feminine like her mother. Cross hoped he wasn't blushing again.

"Will you be staying with us for dinner, Mister Cross? The walk to the Great Hall is rather long."

"I would love to," the silvery otter replied. "I am not used to walking much, yet, so, if you will have me, it would be my pleasure." He liked Aruna. Even if Thorsten didn't seem to hold him in high regard, at least Freya's mother seemed to accept him.

[.:Fawn:.]

"I would love to," the silvery otter replied. "I am not used to walking much, yet, so, if you will have me, it would be my pleasure." He liked Aruna.

Aruna smiled in delight, soft features melding into a look of welcome, her small paw shaking Cross's slowly. "Wonderful! Thorsten dear, could you see about bringing up a tray of food for us and our guest? I'd send Freya, but an ottermaid shouldn't be lugging a heavy food tray up two flights of stairs." Aruna gave her daughter a wink. "But I'm sure it would be no problem for you at all."
Thorsten, completely played like a fiddle and somewhat oblivious to just how susceptible he was to his wife's charms, nodded in agreement, pleased to be the strong one in the family. Sure Freya was a better shot with a sling, and his wife was probably a bit more knowledgable about somethings, but Thorsten, at least had his strength.
"Be back in a jiffy, m'arm, y'all just sit tight!" Freya watched him leave with a slight smile, the door closing indicating that it was free to start talking cordially again. Aruna, however, beat her to it;
Setting out extra plates and eating utensils, as well as uncovering what looked like a blackberry pie, the ottermum spoke her mind as she worked. "That was quite brave of you, what you did for little Koa..." she gave his paw a soft pat, showing she really did mean it. "I know it seems like an ordinary thing, saving an otterbabe from a falcon -- but there's nothing ordinary about bravery." Aruna's eyes twinkled, the edges crinkled with age. "I'm sorry to say a lesser creature would've ran or froze up when they saw a falcon, and our little Koa wouldn't be with us here today. So thank you, Cross, for being at the right place at the right time for that little babe."

Freya, somewhat embarrassed that her mother was pouring on the praise -- especially since it was heartfelt, her mother's somewhat sappy attitude making her a little uncomfortable -- looked at Cross out of the corners of her eyes, seeing how he was taking it as she fiddled with the fork and knife Aruna had set in front of her.

[Cross]

"That was quite brave of you, what you did for little Koa..." she gave his paw a soft pat, showing she really did mean it. "I know it seems like an ordinary thing, saving an otterbabe from a falcon -- but there's nothing ordinary about bravery." Aruna's eyes twinkled, the edges crinkled with age. "I'm sorry to say a lesser creature would've ran or froze up when they saw a falcon, and our little Koa wouldn't be with us here today. So thank you, Cross, for being at the right place at the right time for that little babe."

Okay, now he was blushing again. Cross smiled again, propping his cane against his chair. "I owe my thanks to you kind creatures of Redwall," he replied. "I do not think I would be with you here today if not for your generosity." Honestly, falcons were not something Cross was afraid of. He knew to respect them and their territory, but he had learned to catch small sharks bare-pawed. Falcons did not faze him.

"And I was not deliberately being brave," he added. "I was only protecting an innocent creature." He had reacted on pure instinct when facing that bird. It almost made him shudder to recall how close the falcon had come to hurting Koa. "But I thank you."

[.:Fawn:.]

"I owe my thanks to you kind creatures of Redwall," he replied. "I do not think I would be with you here today if not for your generosity." Honestly, falcons were not something Cross was afraid of.

"And I was not deliberately being brave," he added. "I was only protecting an innocent creature." He had reacted on pure instinct when facing that bird. It almost made him shudder to recall how close the falcon had come to hurting Koa. "But I thank you."

Aruna smiled, pleased to see how humble the young sea otter was. He was kind of like how Thorsten had been when they'd first met... Thorsten had been humble, a little serious but incredibly brave, an expert sailor. His chosen weapon had been a javelin too, if she recalled correctly. "Well you will always be welcome here at Redwall, dear. Any friend of Koa's and my daughter's is a friend to all of us." The otterwife glanced to the doorframe as the wheels of a food trolley rolling it's way down the hall caught her attention. That'll be Thorsten wtih our dinner. Oh I hope he brought the hotroot soup, I was the one who made it after all. "Will you be staying here, Cross? At Redwall?" The kindly otterwife spoke gently, careful not to step on any toes, "I don't mean to assume anything about you or your past, dear, but I'm sure you could be happy here at Redwall? Good food, warm beds, kind friends? Of course if you have a family to return to, we'd all understand." She added the last bit hastily, clearly not trying to make him feel like he was put on the stop. It had been an honest question, and it was easy for both Freya and Aruna to tell that the older otterwife quite liked the lip-ring wearing sea-otter.
Thorsten's deep jovial voice cut through the soft, warm atmosphere like a knife, the door opening as he trudged in with the cart, "Dinner's 'ere! Any beast who doesn't wash their paws isn't gettin' a drop of m'lovely wife's hotroot soup!"

[Cross]

"Will you be staying here, Cross? At Redwall?" The kindly otterwife spoke gently, careful not to step on any toes, "I don't mean to assume anything about you or your past, dear, but I'm sure you could be happy here at Redwall? Good food, warm beds, kind friends? Of course if you have a family to return to, we'd all understand."

Cross kept his expression as unreadable as possible. There really was no reason to bring his past to the forefront of his mind again. "I plan to stay," he said simply. Yes, he wanted to stay. Glancing at Freya, he offered a small smile and quickly turned his gaze back to Aruna. "I have been traveling for a long time. It will be good for me to finally stop."

Thorsten's deep jovial voice cut through the soft, warm atmosphere like a knife, the door opening as he trudged in with the cart, "Dinner's 'ere! Any beast who doesn't wash their paws isn't gettin' a drop of m'lovely wife's hotroot soup!"

Cross perked up slightly at the mention of dinner. And the prospect of hotroot soup. He'd only enjoyed it once, when Freya had brought it to him, and he had been craving it ever since. (The helper who brought him meals after Freya didn't bring hotroot soup again). "You made soup?" he turned to Aruna, smiling a little wider.

(Bleh, short and scattered.)