Long Morning [open]

[Lucan]

Gruffen felt the cool shadow of the ramparts slip away from his back as he made his way past the gatehouse and into the Abbey gardens, squinting slightly under the bright glare of the afternoon sun. The unmistakable sound of Dibbuns at play rode the still air of the grounds, and the pond sparkled invitingly in the distance. Gruffen hailed a couple of Abbeybeasts who had called his name, and swept away the beads of sweat that had begun to dot his brow with the back of a scarred forepaw, whistfully thinking that a quick dip in the Pond would be just the thing after that morning's wrong foray into Mosfflower.

Though it was springtime in this part of the world, all you could say for sure was that the snow had melted away; some days brought warm showers, some brought stifling heatwaves that surely heralded a long and dry summer. Today had been one of the latter, and it had been hot work in Mossflower, where the trees had barely begun to sprout leaves again and as such offered little in the way of shade. But the proof of the morning's work was strapped securely to the ends of the long staff that lay across the hedgehog's spine-encrusted shoulders, and Gruffen eyed the two sacks, stuffed almost to bursting with bilberries, with some satisfaction. They were a particular request from the Cook; with that, Gruffen's stomach gave a rumble, and he wondered if he might be able to scrounge a small snack from the kitchens before lunchtime. An even louder rumble followed this thought. Better make it a big one, in fact.

[luryaa]

"I am not young enough to know everything."
-Oscar Wilde------------------------------------------------


Luryaa skipped out of the shady abbey and immediately felt the sun beating harsh rays down on her back. Her ears twitched as she watched the Abbeybeasts hurrying from one place to another, collecting fruits and eating on spreads under the sudden warmth of the first sliver of spring. She swished her bushy squirrel tail back and forth, letting it brush against her white tunic, rope belt and short forest green cloak with the hood hanging in folds down the back of her neck. Luryaa slowed to a walk, looking down at her (big) feet as they skidded over the cobblestone path winding through the garden.
She flexed her shoulders and legs and swung her paws back and forth, absently playing with the knot on her belt and tightening it at intervals. Luryaa looked to the right and saw a hedgehog shambling away, a staff across his back. Each end of the staff was weighted by two heavy canvas bags which held what Luryaa guessed was food. She ran toward the hedgepig and skipped in front of him, walking backwards so that she was facing him.
"Hi there," She gasped breathlessly.


sorry for the bad muse)

[Lucan]

Fantasy is an exercise bicycle for the mind. It might not take you anywhere, but it tones up the muscles that can.
~ Terry Pratchett
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Gruffen squinted at the squirrelmaid who had just darted in front of him. She was shuffling backwards, apparently in order to walk and talk to him at the same time. "Aye, h'lo y'self," he grunted, the heavy northern accent somewhat muffling his words. "What y'outae breath for? 'S too warm a day f'r runnin' around." He glanced briefly and somewhat wistfully at the sparkling water. "I'da thought you younguns 'd be coolin' off in th' Pond."

[luryaa]

"Eagles may soar in the clouds, but weasels never get sucked into jet engines."
-Jason Hutchinson & John Benfield-----------------------------------

Luryaa whipped her bushy tail in front of her, let go of it, and let it wave behind her again. Hearing his words about the heat, she shrugged and replied bluntly, smiling, "It may be, but that's not gonna stop very many of us 'younglings.'" She chuckled at this and swished her tail swiftly back and forth for a few moments, skipping quickly backward to keep herself a few feet away from the hedgepig. Luryaa looked slightly over her shoulder at the rippling expanse of the azure pond.
She looked at the hedgehog and said dryly, "It would help. I guess I'll go there later. What's your name?" Luryaa added to her sentence after a pause.

[Lucan]

Build a man a fire, and he'll be warm for a day. Set a man on fire, and he'll be warm for the rest of his life.
~ Terry Pratchett
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Gruffen couldn't help but grin slightly at how energetic the squirrelmaid was,and he watched her skip backwards for a few moments. "You do tha'," he grunted, amiably enough. "Gruffen's mah name -" He was interrupted by yet another loud rumble from the region of his stomach. "Beggin' ye pardon, missus, but this ol' hog is in dire needa some vittles, so I'm away t' the kitchens see if'n I can scrounge summat - 'less ye know if anybeast'd be kind enough tae share their picnic ou' here in th' Gardens?"

[luryaa]

"A celebrity is a person who works all his life to be well known and then wears dark glasses to avoid being recognized."
-Fred Allen------------------------------------------

Luryaa grinned cheekily as she heard the rumble. She was getting quite hungry herself but her stomach was holding back from the microphone. She shook her head and replied dramatically, "'Fraid not, Gruffen. I'm Luryaa, by the way. Do you mind if I join you on the way to the kitchens? Haven't had much... yet." She chattered brightly. Luryaa stumbled and caught herself before she fell by lunging forward. She trotted forward a few steps from the force of her jump and then resumed shuffling backwards, observing Gruffen with bright beady brown eyes.

[Lucan]

Build a man a fire, and he'll be warm for a day. Set a man on fire, and he'll be warm for the rest of his life.
~ Terry Pratchett
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Gruffen winced slightly as Luryaa stumbled, but to his relief she avoided a fall; she was impressively nimble, as was to be expected of a young squirrel, he supposed. "Watch it, ye'll do yer yersel' an injury!" he barked, all the same. This said, the hedgehog came to a halt, and crooked one arm over the staff to scratch briefly at his head. "Pleased termeetcher, Luryaa.", Gruffen added, grinning sheepishly. "Naw, I don' mind at aw, just hope th' good Cook 'll be kind enough tae let us both rustle up a snack."

[luryaa]

"I have six locks on my door all in a row. When I go out, I lock every other one. I figure no matter how long somebody stands there picking the locks, they are always locking three."
-Elayne Boosler-------------------------------

Luryaa was startled a little bit at Gruffen's sharp bark but flicked her ears and listened. She happily swished her tail back and forth, creating a slight breeze that rippled her tunic and cloak, and replied cheekily, " If those are presents for the Friar then I don't think we'll have a problem."


ooc} should we end it or move it into the kitchens?}

[Lucan]

"Aye, these're bilb'rries," Gruffen replied, grinning and pointing at one of the sacks. "Speshul request frae the Cook, Ah bin traipsin' all ower Outer Mossflower t' get two bagfuls o' these since dawn's firs' light." The hedgehog scratched his chest thoughtfully. "Aye, say true. If Ah'm right in thinkin' how much 'e's bin pinin' fer 'em berries 'e'd prolly let us carry out a whole roast salmon."

//OOC: We'll take it to the kitchens whenever you feel like it. Though as there isn't an official Cook yet, we'll roleplay he/she isn't there.

[luryaa]

Luryaa smiled and slowed to a walk, heels skipping lightly over the narrow, winding cobblestone path. The trees offered an arch of shade every two tail-lengths or so, winding quietly about the orchard and gardens. She neatly plucked an apple off a tree without looking and tossed it over her shoulder into the waiting digging claws of a molebabe. In return, he tossed her two pears, of which one she took a bite out of and tossed the other to Gruffen, pear juice dribbling down her furry chin. She turned 'round so she was facing the rapidly advancing shadows of the abbey, sniffing her way along the path to the kitchen.
"Come on, let's raid the kitchen!" Luryaa shouted over her shoulder, chuckling.

ooc} okay, sounds good. let's end it here, then. would you like to start it over there or should i?}

[Lucan]

Gruffen laughed out loud as he watched the silent exchange between the squirrelmaid and the Dibbun, and bit down ionto his own pear with gusto, savouring its sweetness and the refreshment it brought to his parched throat. The Northlander hedgehog chortled again at the sight of the pear juice dribbling down Luryaa's chin, and his chortle grew into a hearty guffaw when he realized he probably looked like that too. Taking his second bite of the pear, he followed Luryaa through the front door to the Abbey, into the Great Hall, down into Cavern Hole, and finally past the archway that led into the kitchens.

OOC: { Would you mind kicking off? }

[luryaa]

ooc} sure, it'll be done in a mite.}