07:00 PM

The mood in the room hadn't changed much since the night before, several cots had been cleared away during the night while some were about finishing off with the last bit of cleaning.  One female officer sleep soundly next to a smaller cot after giving birth to yet another life that sunrise bringing new hope to the healers on the new day.  Jarril stays where he is, not wanting to argue about being let out and all.  His whole body however does ache but with a wince here and there, the long lasting pain in his left side of the head will take a long time to go, if it ever does.  For the time being he just lies there, not really speaking much to anyone.

At least one of the hares in the battle yesterday didn't spend the night in the infirmary - Zoe. Limping into the infirmary with a quick glance around, it is obvious on first sight that she's just gotten out of the baths, recently, as her fur is still decently damp. The fact that it was her third bath of the morning and her fifth since the battle is perhaps not as obvious, but still true. After-battle issues do manifest themselves in the strangest ways, but when one's covered in blood from head to toe, well.. it's an obvious manifestation. Spying Jarril where he lies, the Colonel makes her limping way over to him and pauses before his cot, looking at first uncertain as to what to do. But, after a moment, she moves over beside him and sits upon a stool, staring down at her paws. Finally, she speaks, "How ya feelin'?"

Jarril looks at his grubby paws and other parts of his body that the healers couldn't get that clean from a cot bath.  Turning to face the colonel he blinks with one eye.  "Sorry, didn't see you come in."  He says dryly.  Definately not in a good mood today it seems.  After another moment he bites his lower lip.  "Sorry, I suppose I should be thankful I am still here really but to be honest I ain't for celebrating at the moment."  He turns to look at the far corner.  "Didn't get much sleep either but then again."  The major smiles weakly.  "You know that female hare in my patrol that couldn't go because she was expecting.  She had it this morning.  Think it's a boy."  Coughing he winces and frowns with some pain.  "But ta really answer the question.  Could be feeling better I suppose."

Rahier is still crashed out on a nearby cot, though his bandages have been changed and someone has apparently made an attempt to clean at least some of the blood off him. Aww. He's wrapped quite oddly in the blanket. Two footpaws poke out at the end of the cot, one still wearing a boot. He's making a loudly content snoring/whistling noise, blissfully oblivious to the others.

Zoe_Lang looks on and listens on without surprise. It's not exactly shocking that someone's who's just lost an eye isn't in a good mood, really. Hell, Zoe's not all that pleased herself, and all she lost was the tip of an ear. And about 85 odd hares, but who's counting? Heh. The doe continues to stare down at her paws, though she now adds in a nod every now and then as he speaks. When he finishes, she glances up, "A boy, eh? I'll be sure t' give her.. congratulations." She then looks off and around the infirmary, at all of the other wounded hares, and when she speaks her voice is soft. "Wouldja like anythin' more fer the pain, majah?"

Jarril replies.  "I took something before you came in, waiting for it ta work.  Completely my fault of course this though."  He looks away and frowns at the floor, anything to not frown at anyone else.  "I had a run in with Saltar, thought I could bally well handle it but never even scratched him."  Turning his head back and pointing to the patch.  "And this is what I got for being impatient.  I wasn't good at close combat and that's what I get.  Besides which, you're the fifth person taday that surprised me when they were at the side of the cot after coming in.  I can't see anything at all ta the left of me.  That's going ta help a lot during active duty."  The major frowns.  "Yeah, I know.  More training ta get used to it and all."  Trying to smile at least.  "Wouldn't mind getting out of this place though and being somewhere a bit less, depressing however.  Only my eye that's really injured, I can get about okay."

Well, regardless of whether he -ought- to leave, Zoe can understand him not wanting to -stay-. The room stinks of death. Thus, Zoe merely gives a nod, glancing back to Jarril. "Yer welcome t' leave the infirm if'n ya want t', lad.. I won't be keepin' ya here.." So far as the rest of what he's said? Zoe addresses this, next, with an inward sigh, "And... we'll see abou' active duty once yer all recovahed and we know how bad off ya are, a'right? Jus'.. take things slow, fer now." She then attempts something of a weak smile, "An' now mayhaps you'll listen t' me when I try t' get ya t' learn close combat, eh? Aftah you've recovahed, I'll give ya some personal help, if'n you want it."

Jarril nods his head and swings over before getting up onto the floor and stretches.  Wincing he notes that as a bad idea to the small cuts on his body and nods.  "Oh don't worry, I be taking it easy."  Looking at Zoe before giving a smile and carefully sitting down on the cot edge.  "Tell me colonel.  I ain't really going ta be put back on full active duty again, am I?"

A tapping at the door is heard, then a brief silence, and Mallow sticks her head into the room.  "Um, hello there, I was jut--erm, erm. . . ."  She falls slowly falls dumb and stands there, blushing inside her ears and shuffling.

Rahier is roused by this latest round of conversation, sitting up quickly, belying the fact that he's still mostly asleep. Head itches, gotta scratch. Arm won't move. Annoyance, anger! He's so thoroughly wrapped in his blanket that he is sufficiently unable to free his arm through his muddled sleepiness. "Grr! Gerroff!" He growls, fighting against the blanket.. becoming so embroiled in his little personal battle, that he rolls off the cot with a thump, only his footpaws visible in the air from between the cots. "Yarg! 'Elp!" More unintelligible growling and grumbling.

A painful question, really. Zoe looks away from the major for a moment, frowning slightly, and then, having 'composed' herself for what she's about to say, she looks back to Jarril, her eyes steady upon Jarril. When she speaks, her tone is as neutral as she can make it, "I hate t' have t' ya the this, lad, but... no, it isn't likely that you'll be goin' back on active du-" She then blinks in surprise, looking quickly in Rahier's direction, where his footpaws are now visible. With a frown, she stands, "Sorry, majah, I'll be righ' back.." She then limps over to Rahier and between the two cots, crouching down and attempting to calm the buck with a paw to his emblanketed shoulder, while she pulls at the blanket with her other, working at freeing him, "Easy, Rah', easy."

A healer glances up from a chart that they're currently studying and notices Mallow standing there. Blinking, the healer steps over to her and nods. "G'day, miss.. Are ya here t' visit someone?"

Mallow twirls the end of one of her long ears.  "Erm, well. . . ." she hesitates, glancing down at Rahier with a bemused expression.  "I suppose, perhaps . . . I was wondering more if you, er, that is, if you needed any help. . . .  Feeling rather . . . useless, you see, just standing about all the time.  I'm not very skilled, but. . . ."

Jarril takes a big breath in and nods.  "Aye, not ta worry.  I ain't exactly going anyplace."  He watches Zoe go off and frowns, something about the look flashes through him as he looks about.  Mumbling.  "I take the test again once I've trained then.  Then we see if I can stay on duty or not."

Rahier squirms on the floor, his head having become obscured by the blanket. At Zoe's paw, he yells. "No! Lemme go! 'Elp!" Of course, the 'lemme go' and 'help' are conflicting of each other ;p but he's not entirely rational. He flails a bit more, his unbooted footpaw striking the nearby cupboard. "Ow!" Pain! This, combined with Zoe's voice, calms him down. He lies still in his awkward position, making low sniffling noises as more blanket is pulled away.

The healer studies Mallow curiously for a moment, but then gives a nod. "Certainly, m'gel.. yer welcome t' help out.. Just report t' that healah ovah there and they'll give ya somethin' t' do - there's certainly plenty o' work t' be done."

Mallow smiles lamely, takes off her straw hat, and dips a surprisingly graceful curtsey.  "Thank you," she says, tip-pawing over to the indicated healer.  As she moves, she glances at the injured Jarril.  A look of concern mixed with embarrassment crosses her face.

Sighing, Zoe continues to work at untangling Rahier now that he's calmed down, and eventually she gets his head uncovered again, and his arms freed, "A'right, Rah'?" She gives him a weary smile, and then pats his shoulder again before standing up, holding out her paw to help him up.

The indicated healer glances up as Mallow nears, and arches a brow, "Here t' help out? Well, why doncha pass out these bowls o' soup, eh?" The healer then gestures to a try full of soups for the wounded, and then looks back down to whatever they were doing.

Jarril gives Mallow a look and smiles before getting up again onto his feet.  Taking another glance at Zoe, the major turns away and moves to where the door is leading out, where he is stopped by another hare.  Flashing a look of get out of my way, the major speaks as calmly as he can muster.  "Colonel gave permission."  Pushing past, the major heads off, fresh air is needed.
 

Salamandastron: Leaders' Lounge
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-* Salamandastron *-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-
The officer's social lounge, a completely different world from the rest of
Salamandastron. Whereas the mountain is mainly designed for the kind of
efficient practicality left for the most pedantic of military
organisations, the mess is a sophisticated, well furnished and luxurious
den. The furnishings are mostly polished walnut wood with large, padded
maroon leather armchairs creating small circles, each with a small table
next to the right arm. The walnut finish is also applied to the bar at the
back, shelves of expensive liquors and fine wines line the back wall, with
a small, private passage down to the cellars. There is a finely crafted
billiards table in one corner of the lounge, the well-polished balls adding
to the candle-lit shine of the room. The walls have various
expensive-looking hangings and ornamental weapons, the crossed swords
framing various different coats-of-arms from some of the famous BadgerLord
families or noted heroes of the Longpatrol over the ages. There is a more
business-like area of the lounge with a large notice board, complete with
detailed world map and various bits of parchment pinned across it.
*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*
                  Visible Exits:
[Out] to Hallway

It's been a while since he had left the infirmary, say out on top of the mountain to think about things and then get into the baths to wash away the stench of war and death.  The major though stays to the darkest corner of the room that is available and doesn't give any signals that he wants to be disturbed.  Jarril has a lot to think about and not bothering to see who is actually in the room, he takes another sip of his ale.

Zoe for her own part is coming to the leader lounge in order to escape being disturbed. It's such a quiet place - especially right now, when it is in fact empty, except for Jarril. Under one arm she carries a scroll as well as a bit of parchment that just happens to have been rolled up. These she takes with her over to a table, where she spreads both out - one is a list of all of Sala's inhabitants, including families, and the other is a list of names of those who died.. Time to figure out who needs to be notified. Zoe gives a resigned sigh, rubbing a paw at her temples lightly, and then begins going down the list.

Bobbie looks into the lounge from the doorway, her posture and her face seeming weary. Her sword is at her side, and the Major is a figure altogether less at ease than usual. She pads in, saying nothing.
After a moment or two of staring at the two lists, Zoe blinks slightly, only now realizing that she's not checked off a single name, having been too distracted with the reading of so many familiar names. So many dead.. She shakes her head slightly with a sigh, glancing up and towards the door. And there stands Bobbie. Staring dumbly for a moment, she then blinks and finally nods a greeting, "'Lo, majah.. care t' join me?" She glances back towards the list distractedly.

Bobbie pulls herself together and sits down, but as the names on the list start to register in her mind, she finds herself at a loss once more. Bo clasps her paws together on the tabletop. She stares at her knuckles. "I thought I'd seen it all," she mumbles, not looking at the list anymore.

Oh, you're young, yet. Give it time. Zoe gives a slightly bitter smile to the list and shakes her head, "I hate this part.. informin' the families. 'Did they die peacefully?'" Zoe's voice changes slightly for this last, and then when she answers herself, her voice shifts back to normal - mostly, that is, except for that hard edge. "What else c'n ya say but 'aye, peacefully and with a smile on their faces'?" She sighs, running a paw down her face, and then she returns to studying the list, again, picking up a quill and quietly beginning to check off the names of those who need to be informed - not that most of them won't have figured it out, already.

Jarril continues to sit there, drink in paw, the major blinks his only eye left and just listens, glad at least that he doesn't have to do that this time around, the last time was bad enough.  Placing the mug onto the small table beside him, the major leans back in the chair and closes his only eye and tries to relax.

Bobbie's knuckles are white under the fur. She sits back, almost mirroring Jarril, trying to clear her head. "Peaceful, if only, if.." the Major sighs. "So." She runs her eyes down the list again. "How can I help?"

Studying the list in between glances at Bobbie, the Colonel gives a light shrug, "Not much t' do, except fer the informin' part... and I don't want t' make ya do somethin' like that." Not unless she volunteers to help, anyway, "'Tis an awful lot o' families.. We lost, s'close as I c'n figure, jus' about 87 hares.. out of abou' a hundred. Only.. thirteen survived." It -was- fifteen, but two died in the infirmary. Zoe shakes her head slowly, "Nevah in all m' time here have we lost tha' many in one battle. Nevah."

Jarril speaks up now.  "Aye but we did, we were fooled, tricked or perhaps we got the wrong information."  Looking at Zoe now with a eye.  "It's not what we should've done but what we're prepared ta do ta make sure it won't happen again."

Standing in the doorway, Sundew hesitates, listening to the other officers for a few minutes, their solemn voices confirming her prognostics.. it's pretty obvious, anyway, there were terrible losses. Slipping quietly into the room, a slight limp affecting her movements, she sidles into a chair and holds eye contact with Zoe_Lang for a few moments before a resigned sigh escapes her lips. "Don't say it. I know it's bad.." She drums her paw on the table, gaze running over Jarril as she does so. "Lost an eye, Majah?"

Jarril pauses and tenses up for a moment as he turns his attention to his colonel.  "Aye, colonel.  I did, it be in the report later on but lost it during fighting Saltar himself."  The major doesn't say anything else on the matter.

It's at this moment that Sundew speaks that a young runner comes into the lounge, stopping beside Zoe and whispering something in her ear. Frowning slightly, Zoe gives a nod and then stands, though she does give Sundew a final glance, "I don't need t' tell ya.. See fer yerself. 'Tis righ' there on the list.." She then turns and leaves, the runner following.

Sundew emits another sigh as she scans the list of the dead and injured. "It's worse than I thought," she murmurs. Sitting back in her chair, she closes her eyes and massages her temples, a definite weariness screening her face. A few moments later, she opens her eyes, and resumes her conversation with Jarril. "Saltar, eh? I'm sure you gave him what for, wot.." Scanning his face once more, she muses aloud, "So I take it this means you're temporarily out of action?"

Jarril looks away and mutters something out of ear-range and then turns his head back to where Sundew was.  "Actually, I never even got a single blow on him.  Tried, but he was way too heavily armoured.  My weapon couldn't penetrate it at all."  Listening to the second statement he nods his head.  "That's up ta ya though.  But right now I can't see anything much coming in on my left."

Sundew decides to drop the subject of Jarril's physicalabilities, and lounges back in her chair as best she can in her somewhat agitated, anxious state. "Got a few war-wounds meself," she announces, making conversation. "Tip off the ole ear, gash to the leg and slight stab wound on me belly.. nothin' life threatenin', though,"

Jarril nods slowly.  "Such as it is in war, colonel."  Looking about again around the room.  "Ya know, ya don't have ta dodge the issue, I was talking with it with colonel Zoe in the infirmary.  I know I won't have much chance of getting back into action again."  Picking up his half empty or half full mug of ale, he takes a sip.  "Just gonna take a while ta get used ta that's all."  Taking another sip he looks at Sundew for a moment and decides to change the subject.  "I've been thinking of making one of my healers a lieutenant.  The patrol needs one now, after."  Jarril goes quiet, he can't seem to not bring up that topic right now but he smiles.  "Sorry."

Sundew nods. "S'good point, we do need.." she trails off. Picking herself up again, she continues with a brisk shake of her head- "Who did y'have in mind, Majah?" she ponders, propping her chin on her paw, idly.

Jarril ponders and replies back to the colonel.  "I think the patrol will be in good paws with Taron, colonel.  He showed some good decisions and all during the battle and ta come out of it pratically unscathed is something else."

"Hmm.. I didn't see him for most o' the battle.." she speculates, "but he seems a bright young thing, sprightly, clever 'n' all that." Nodding, as if with finality, she agrees, "Well I respect your decision Jarril, 'n' if you want to recruit him that's fine by me."

Jarril gets up and fixes his uniform with a wince to his other injuries hidden beneath.  "Well, the way things are going, colonel.  It looks like I won't have much say in my patrol anyways.  So may as well give someone ta groom as my replacement."  Making for the door he stops and sighs.  "Sorry, colonel.  Post battle blues.  But I think I will turn in anyways."  Without saying anything else, he heads out.