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Post by sweetmint on Jul 30, 2010 7:40:01 GMT 5
In her experience? She couldn't be more than a season or three out of dibbunhood! Seaford snorted, openly disdainful now. He gripped his saber firmly and looked away, mentally dismissing the young ferretmaid completely. Why hadn't he let Ffolger or Peppercorn walk up to Bluebells? This was turning into a serious bother. He hated having to converse with vermin.
"Then by y're h'own logic, madam," he cut back, referring to her earlier comment of all woodlanders just loving peace, "h'all vermin h'are quick t'judge, rude, h'and over confident." He turned abruptly, ice-blue eyes snapping around to lock on hers. "Let me tell yeh something now... Malum.
"Since y're h'a ferret, h'I'll use h'a ferret h'as example. h'I knew one -- ho yes, knew 'im well. 'Is name was Netclaw, h'and 'e 'ad plenny h'of mates 'imself... foxes, stoats, weasels, good number 'of 'em, too. But Netclaw, 'e were special, 'e was; 'e dressed real fancy-like, h'and talked even fancier." Seaford paused, sifting through the memory, cold gaze still locked on Malum.
"Netclaw h'and me, we lived right next door, doncha know," he continued, "neighbors, h'I guess y'could say. Netclaw h'and 'is friends would come by sometimes, h'askin' for a cuppa sugar or summat silly like that. Did it h'often enough h'and gently enough we came t'expect 'im. Didn't think 'e was so much 'arm, never did nothing to h'any of h'us, did 'e? The pater never thought so, but the lil' sister did. Nell. She liked him plenny, said 'e was nice, funny, but nice.
"Well, one day Netclaw calls while the parents h'and h'other h'adults h'are h'out with me, just the gels 'ome alone. Nell lets 'im h'in, no 'arm, right? 'E's just a funny, nice beast, Netclaw. h'And, h'alright, h'it's strange 'e brought h'all 'is friends this time, but 'e wants t'be peaceful-like, so h'alright. Netclaw follers Nell h'into th'kitchen.... h'and 'e 'its her from be'ind, hard, with h'a kitchen pot, little 'aremaid wot never did 'arm t'nobeast h'and 'e almost killed 'er, h'and 'is mates attack th'older ones. They ransacked the 'ome, h'and left th'maids f'dead. Twas only luck wot brought h'us back early.
"So yew tell me, ferret, tell me again. Why should h'I believe you?"
He took a breath, and exhaled slowly, angrily. He decided not to tell her what had happened to Netclaw and his friends when the rest of the Seafords had returned; he wasn't even sure why he had shared that much with her.
Chatting with a vermin. Struggling to get a reign on his emotions, Seaford looked away again.
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Post by Malum on Jul 30, 2010 7:57:38 GMT 5
Malum listened through the story, and watched as he turned away.
"So, you think that EVERY ferret, stoat, ermine, rat, weasel, fox and all other vermin, are like that?" She asked. "And I'll tell you a story."
"I was born to my parents, Matris and Abbas Malum. They were...Horde leaders as you would say..." She said, gulping, her whole story spilling out.
"They would ransack houses, and kill those inside... I always hated them, wished they wouldn't have even given birth to me. Well, when I was 12, I ran away... FAR away, somehow, I ended up in Mossflower, while my parents were busy killing people in the north. Well, I was hungry, by all means, of course. And, I didn't understand many speaches that these creatures speak in. I couldn't understand half of the creatures running me off. So, I decided to get..." She gulped. "rid of myself, so to speak. I felt hated, distrusted, I felt, alone. Well, something stopped me from throwing myself into those pike waters. A fox. I was gazing across the water, when suddenly, I saw a dibbun fox, running along the bank. I saw him running for an apple tree, going to pick an apple. He climbed up, and sudden;y he fell, falling to the ground. Well, he was saved... No, not by an otter, or a hare... A rat. Just a passerby, and seeing someone in trouble, stopped to help. Why couldn't I do that? I don't care what others think! Well... When I turned 15, my parents found me. They filled my mind will dreams of conquest, taking over Redwall, and this place too. But, as I saw myself, in my vision, tearing down Redwall... I saw something else.... A fox. A dibbun fox to be precise. As that fox looked at me, my whole life melted, because I remembered that day... Well, to be plain, I kinda screamed at my parents.. and umm... Well, ran away agin, but this time, I changed my name. From Nyx Malum, to Non Malum... Of course, in heinsight, I suppose I should have known that my last name would matter more, but eh? What ya' gonna do... So, now that you know my past, are you going to judge me by who I am now? Or who my....so called 'parents' are?" She asked, looking him in the face, trying to smile, but settling for a crestfallen face.
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Post by sweetmint on Jul 30, 2010 8:37:25 GMT 5
Seaford, though he did not look at Malum, had listened attentively to her backstory. He sighed a little, closing his eyes briefly. When he opened them, he was back to being a tough officer, expressionless, emotionless, aloof.
He wondered why he didn't just ignore her-- why didn't he just watch her and nothing more, as he'd been ordered? He didn't have to listen to her. He certainly didn't have to talk to her. He already didn't believe her. So why was he examining her from the corner of his eye now? Why was he conversing with her?
Seaford put a clamp on his inner thoughts, telling himself firmly that it could do no harm, and anyway, he still needed to know if she was a spy. Or something. He was clinging to this belief when he answered the ferretmaid, still not facing her full-on.
"h'I 'ave seen many, many, many vermin, h'including ferrets, come an' go, miss. Not a h'one h'of them -- not one -- had h'even a glimmer o' goodness h'in 'em. D'ye think I-- we do wot we do for fun?" He realized he was beginning to sound faintly exasperated, and pulled in the reigns on his voice again. She's lying... she's lying... she's lying... To be sure, that had been incredibly in-depth for just a lie. And she must be a good little actress to have pulled it off so convincingly.
Seaford closed his eyes briefly again, raising his eyebrows at the same time, running a paw through his whiskers.
"h'I 'ave no reason t'believe you." he deduced at last. "Why d'ye want me t'believe y'so badly, h'anyway? Wot difference would h'it make?"
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Post by Malum on Jul 30, 2010 18:05:31 GMT 5
Malum looked at him, a smile faintly on her face. Yet, it looked fake, it looked made up.
"So..you honestly think that these vermin you've battled are 100% evil?" She asked. "No one is entirely EVIL, as is no one entirely GOOD either. Those vermin for example. I've seen a horde so I know how it is. Being forced to fight, even though you're outnumbered, while your so called 'leader' is taking upp the rear. You have a glimmer of hope that they won't kill you, yet, they will... And.. you have the fainest seconf of woodlander-ishnes.. You think about your friends, your family, everyone you've met and liked. And when your life is slipping away... You see a flashback... Of everyone you've ever hurt, or everyone who've hurt you..."
What difference would it make... Malum thought.
"I want you to believe me so badly, because IT'S THE TRUTH." Malum said, exasperated. "But... I guess I can't make you believe... You just have to listen to what your heart says."
Malum settled back into the chair and sighed.
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Post by sweetmint on Jul 30, 2010 19:27:39 GMT 5
Seaford lost interest in Malum entirely. She'd gone too far, and he had better things to do with his time.
"There h'is h'a difference between bad h'and evil," he told her simply, by way of closing the conversation. "Some creatures can be mostly good, and bad sometimes, like the majority h'of woodlanders; but the beasts h'I face, they h'are evil, completely; they would kill their mothers for h'a crust 'o bread. They do 'urt h'and kill innocents, plundering, thieving, h'and a bunch h'of 'em h'are cannibals, too, eatin' birds, an'...." Seaford shook his head a little.
"h'I know they h'are all h'evil, not think." He didn't respond to her horde comments, because they struck him as incredibly outlandish, even for a bald-faced lie.
And that was all this was. Lies, lies, lies... this hare'd had enough. He stood, ears up, paw on saber.
"Nah then, h'if y're finished," he said calmly, "come this way." He led her across the mess hall, countless pairs of eyes watching them, heading straight for Lady Bluebells. Seaford needed to pass this ferret off to somebeast else before he got a migraine from listening to her.
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Post by Malum on Jul 31, 2010 1:24:07 GMT 5
"They're only cannibals if they eat they're own kind..." She muttered.
Malum looked at him and shrugged, standing up.
"As you wish." She said, trying to sound friendly.
Ladt BlueBells looked up in suprise.
"What's the matter Seaford?" She asked, looking at Malum, who was glaring at him out of the corner of her eyes.
"What happened?" BlueBells asked, suddenly worried. "Did you guys fight?"
Malum looked lord BlueBells in the face and was about to say something rude, when she saw how big BlueBells was. She gulped down her comment and shrugged.
"We didn't fight, he just wouldn't listen." She said.
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Post by Lisolette on Jul 31, 2010 13:26:39 GMT 5
Peppercorn and Mercycotton smiled at Seaford...
And then the ferret came in...
Peppercorn stood up, grabbing the hilt of his dirk, but Mercycotton stopped him. For some reason, their was something in Malum that reminded the harewife of her adopted son, Trixty.
She wished that Seaford had not been selected to take care of the ferretmaid. Mercycotton wished she could sit next to him. The veteran wished she could hear them, and with curiosity getting the best of her, Mercycotton padded up.
Peppercorn followed her, "Where are you going?" He asked.
Mercycotton glanced at him, "Up to the ferret."
"Why?"
"She reminds me of lil' Trixty."
Peppercorn grimaced. He believed that Trixty had been the reason to all their problems. And even though he treated him as a son as best he could, Mercycotton could tell that he hated the poor ferret. As did the rest of the Long Patrol. Trixty was teased by his siblings. Spat at by his fellow recruits. He was not even TREATED as a recruit by the others. His father despised the very sight of him. And if he snapped, Trixty would be thrown out of the Long Patrol, and Salamandastron. Hellsgates, he might even be killed!
So, Trixty stayed in the bunks most of the time. Keeping from sight of the hares. Mercycotton let out a sad sigh.
Peppercorn followed her. He was NOT going to ruin the Anniversary by breaking apart for one heartbeat.
Mercycotton was in time to listen to Seafords story, and then the rest of their conversation. Mercycotton watched him lead her to BlueBells, and scampered over to them, "I'll take her, m'Lady!" Mercycotton said cheerily.
Peppercorn frowned deeply, "Wot did ye jus' say, deary?"
"Stow the gab, please, honey." Mercycotton hushed him, "And we promise tah be 'ospitable, now, old Lady thing."
"We!?"
"Come, come, there, Sarge h'o' mine, 'tis not good form to interupt a superior!" Mercycotton winked at him, "Neithah is it good form tah be un'ospitable to a guess, wot!" Mercycotton aimed the direction to the badger Lady, but she found herself glancing to Seaford. She knew she was going to get a retort if he had saw it, but there was a possible chance he hadn't...
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Post by Malum on Jul 31, 2010 19:16:32 GMT 5
OOC: LOL, "We?!?" LOL.... MercyCotton keeps putting word in his mouth.
Malum looked up in suprise, and tried to smile. Lady BlueBells also looked up in suprise and spoke.
"Well, if you insist, then I guess you CAN take care of her... Thank you..." She said.
Malum walked closer to the hares, and spoke.
"Thank you...Too..." She said. "I'm Malum."
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Post by sweetmint on Jul 31, 2010 19:41:06 GMT 5
Seaford ignored Malum's cannibal comment, and upon arriving in front of Lady Bluebells, was too distracted by the appearance of Mercycotton and Peppercorn to make any sort of reply to her at first.
Seaford found himself remembering that the couple had a ferret child; he'd nearly forgotten, the young one was almost never seen in public, and he hadn't been assigned to any of Seaford's recruits' barracks, so the tough captain wasn't likely to have gotten more than a glimpse of him, anyway. He wondered at it, rather. He also saw Mercycotton's glance, but ignored that, too. She hadn't heard the entire conversation, and she was just as biased in this area as he was, if perhaps in the other direction.
He stood silently to attention during the other creatures' short conversation, then put in his piece.
"Marm," he said, saluting shortly, "h'it would seem the situation 'as been resolved. Thankee," he added, nodding at the two veterans. He avoided looking at Malum. There was something about her that bothered him-- in some way-- he couldn't quite place his paw on it, but he didn't like it.
Once the other two hares and the ferretmaid had vacated the immediate vicinity, Seaford stepped closer to his badger ruler and spoke quietly to her.
"My Lady," he began, expressionless but almost earnest, "h'is that h'a wise decision? Y'know h'about their situation... suppose the mountain h'ends up with two ferrets runnin' h'around? The Sarn't's was raised t'be h'a goodbeast, but that-- Malum. She's h'another matter."
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Post by Malum on Jul 31, 2010 20:21:18 GMT 5
Lady Bluebells listened and nodded.
"I know very well that they are very friendly towards ferrets. Yet, I don't believe Malum will be a problem." she said, walking towards her room. As she entered, she shut the door, and walked over towards the secret chamber. Openeing it quietly, she slipped in and shut the door back. She sat down, and dreamed.
There she was, standing in the midst of a battle. Yet, she was just a viewer, and could not fight. She was standing there, and as the fog cleared, she could see Malum, in the future, battling next to a weasel. As they fought, the Lady saw herself go down, while her hares were dropping like flies. Abbess Nutmeg got knocked down, and didn't get up. Then, a black fox appeared, smiling evily as she watched the destruction. Abbass and Matris Malum smiled, as they watched Redwall crumble. Suddenly, Malum appeared, helping to fight back the vermin.
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