Balancing (Open)

[mullisbt]

Theurl was on the ramparts. He was trying to conquor his fear of heights. He breathed deeply as he put a paw up on the north battlement. He lifted his other foot up there, and looked down at the dusty path below. With his head swimming he took a nervous first step.

[Wildrun]

Oaklea was peering upwards at the large red structure, wondering how any creature, even a squirrel, could ever stand to look down from such heights. As much as she loved water, Oaklea had no head for anything more than five feet above the ground.

Suddenly, something moved. Oaklea frowned, and shaded her eyes with a paw to peer through the sun.

Was that some beast walking on the battlements?

"Oi! What're you doing?" she called up. "Don't answer if it'll make you fall!"

[mullisbt]

Theurl heard somebeast calling. He looked down and saw her standing there peering up at him. "hello marm. I'se Theurl and I'se gonna walk all around the abbey." He wobbled as he stepped a few more steps toward the corner of the wall.

[Wildrun]

Her brows knitting together, she took a few paces to follow Theuri's progress and replied, to him, as calmly as she could,

"Well, I'm down here hopin' that you don't crack your head open in the process. And call me Oaklea, aight?"

[Tirael]

Tirael had been moving along the base of the wall for a while, taking note of and tending to some of the herbs that had taken root there. He heard the exchange between the two mice, and a faint smile formed on his face. He had never actually met either, so in an attempt to make a new friend, he gathered up his courage and spoke.

"Don't worry about him, miss. He'll be fine in a minute or two, once he gets used to the height. My name's Tirael, by the way," he said, trying his hardest to hide his shyness, and hoping that he didn't sound awkward. After a moment, he rallied himself enough to add, "What's yours?"

[mullisbt]

Theurl heard Mr. Tireal's voice. He knew the otter in passing, but had never spoken to him. "Ello Mister Tireal. I'se Theurl and it's nice to meetcha." Theurl took a few more steps. He was gaining his confidence a little bit now.

He sneaked a peak down at the ground where OakLea was walking near where he was. The sight made him dizzy. He quickly pulled his head back up where it belonged.

[Rocky]

Rocky was walking around the grass when he noticed someone, a mouse, walking on the ramparts. In fear of the mouse falling, Rocky quickly ran over there, but sighed a relief as he noticed there was a mouse down below, and Tirael. "Morning Tirael. Theurl." Patting Tirael on the back, he walked over to where Theurl wa standing, and bent over to see Oaklea. He hadn;t met Oaklea personally, but he's seen her around once or twice before. "Morning!" He called down, not wanting to say the name, in case it were a wrong name.

[mullisbt]

Theurl's face lit up when he saw the skipper. "Hello Missa Skip." He leapt from the ramparts, hanging around skip's neck.

[Wildrun]

Oaklea tipped her head to one side, watching the two new creatures. She realized that she really hadn't met any of them at all. Hiding a grimance at her own unsociality, she threw up a cheery, "'lo, mate!" to the Skipper and turned turned a polite smile to Tireal.

"I'm Oaklea Wildrun," she said, sticking out a paw to shake. "Nice ta' meetcha." She looked up again to see that Theurl had joined Skip and was no longer dangerously perched. Suppresing a sigh of relief, she called jokingly, "You've more guts than I do, Theurl! I couldn't make myself do that for all the trifles in the world!"

[Rocky]

Rocky caught Theurl, laughing. "Oh please dont call me by my formal title. Just call me Rocky. Or Skip." He winked, realizing he just said to call him 'Skip' when he just told them not to. Eh, day was young, Rocky was tired. HE cracked his neck, then put Theurl on his shoulders, replieing to Oaklea, "Just call me Rocky or Skip!"

[Tirael]

Tirael laughed, looking up at Rocky and Theurl on the battlements. He turned to Oaklea, asking, "Have you actually gone up there before?" He looked up again, recalling the first time he had been up to the walltop. It hadn't been easy. Oaklea was right; Theurl was quite brave.

[Wildrun]

Smothering a grin, Oaklea striaghtened stiff as a rod and snapped a smart salute. "Yessir, Rocky sir!" With a cheeky smile, she shook her head in answer to Tirael's question. "Nope. I can handle about..." She raised her tail so that the tip met her shoulder, "...that far above the ground. I get dizzy any higher. I've mostly been outside t'e Abbey since I arrived, anyhow. Haven't explored inside much." She shrugged. There were bigger oak trees to sleep under outside the Abbey.

[Tirael]

Tirael's eyebrows raised as Oaklea touched her tail to her shoulder. After she finished speaking, he blinked in acknowledgment. Fiddling with the loose end of his habit cord, he said, "Oh. Well, if you ever decide that you want to look around the Abbey, I'd be glad to help."

[mullisbt]

"Yay! Let's give miss Oaklea a tour of de abbey." Theurl's eye lit up at the thought and his smile widened almost the length of his face.

[Wildrun]

Oaklea smiled and laughed and clapped her paws together. "If ye'v all got nothing better to do, is it al'ight?" Secretly, she was buzzing to see the rest of the Abbey--it was huge and red and amazing and the food was delicious. Plus, if they went on an exploration, maybe they'd stop by the kitchen...Her brown eyes lit up and she had to swallow another laugh.

[Tirael]

Tirael found the mood infectious, and he was soon smiling along with Oaklea and Theurl. "Yes! Of course it is! What could be better to do, anyway?"

[Rocky]

Rocky couldn't help but smile, being around all these creatures. "Aye, I'll go open the gates for ya, marm." He chuckled, letting Theurl on to the ground from his shoulders, and bolted down the stairs, two at a time. He walked into the gatehouse, pulled the lever, and the gate creaked open, inch by inch, and for some odd reason, it didn't open all the way. "Have t'get somebeast to check that out." He muttered. He ran out of the gatehouse and pushed his whole weight against the gate, and it creaked and groaned, but finally flew open, and Rocky was standing there, a broad smile on his face. "Welcome to Redwall Abbey, mate."

OOC: Not my best, sorry.

[Wildrun]

Oaklea looked up at the massive gates--she'd never get used to the incredible size of the Abbey at all! With an exxagerated swagger, she swept her green-and-white speckled bandanna off her head and bowed low to Tirael and Skip, her tail swishing behind her. Striaghtening up, she re-positioned her bandanna, caught the leaf that had falled free from it, and rearranged it at a jaunty angle. Tail waving merrily, she motioned for Tirael to go first if he wished to. She grinned merrily at Skip. "Thank ye, mate!"

((Your post was fine, Skip! Way better than I can muster up right now. ^^" ))

[Tirael]

Tirael dipped his head in response to Oaklea's bow. Rolling up the parchment he had been writing on, he stuffed it in his bag and motioned for her to go in first. "Please, you first."

((Not my best, either. :l)

[Rocky]

Skip, following everybody else, bowed to Oaklea, "I'm glad t'see a fresh face, 'round here, mate. Fresh meat, if I may say so." He winked, hoping they'd catch the joke. "Shall we sho--" Skip was saying before he was cut off by a loud rumbling of feet, and shotuing and whoops. "Get inside. Quick. This may be vermin." He warned, and ushering them inside, he stood at the gate, until he was sure enough what beasts they were. The pounding and whooping was louder as the beasts came forward, and much to Rocky's relief, they were otters. His crew. "I spot a Meko in there!" He Called happily. "Aye, and I spot a Skipper Rocky there!" The one called Meko replied. "haha! Good t'see ye again, mate!" Skip called as he ran out and grasped Meko in a hug. "How many do y'come with, mate?" Meko turned, and made an estimation, for he wasn't sure right away. "Oh... 25-35, Im'a guessin'."

"So... These are the survivors of the holt?" Rocky asked, for his history started replaying in his mind. Him returning, and the holt deserted. "I only remember'd ya' a'cause me and you always hung around t'gether, and you still have that scar across your eye." Skip stated. MEko nodded, tracing a finger across the scar he had since he was little. "When the holt was attacked, yer' father' sent me and these beasts away in charge of Jeron, your uncle. But that is a story for another time, my freind!" MEko declared. "Who are yer friends? Introduce me, mate!" Meko said, laughing as if he was still a young one.

Skip nodded, "Oaklea, whom I just met. Tirael, infirmary beastie, and thi little tyke," he said, motiong to Theurl, is Theurl. 'E's a playful type, ye know?" Skip winked. Meko nodded, "Nice ta' meet you, Oaklea, Tirael, and Theurl. I'm glad to make your acquaintances." Rocky called them all inside the abbey, and closed the gates. "So, we were just 'bout t'give Oaklea a tour, would you like t'join her in the tour? You'll have ta' behave yerselves, though, mates." Skip said, smiling about reuniting with Meko, and his friends whom he looked upon as brothers ann sisters. Family, though not related. Skip smiled. It was good to be reunitd.

OOC: wheew! A bit lengthy, eh? ^^