01:14 AM
Logfile from Redwall Muck Jarril.

Major Jarril comes through the door with a look of concern on his face.  Coming from behind him are two other hares that are carrying a stretcher with a hare lying on it, looking quite ill.  Moving his head about he coughs.  "Over there."  Pointing to one of the cots.  Waiting for hares to place Lightpaw down he nods his head once again.  "Fetch a healah, immediately."  The major stands at the end of the cot as he see's the two hares move out of the room, placing his paws behind his back, just as a frown begins to show on his face.

It's not long before they return, as Buck was just on his way to dinner. The hare grumbles about being hungry, but tags along, pushing past them as they enter the room. His eyes sweep over the scene and he stands up, quickly throwing up a salute to Jarril. "Evenin' Majah! What might this be?" He asks, making his way over to Lightpaw. The healer wastes no time, his eyes running over the body. Nothing as far as stabbing or bleeding, it seems. "Righto. Glass o' water. You." He commands, pointing at one of the hares that brought him in. Buck moves over to a counter and grabs a cloth, dipping it into the bin of water meant for paw washing. He returns and lowers himself right next to Lightpaw. "Lad? Cin y'hear meh?" Buck asks, draping the wet cloth along the forehead of the hare.

Jarril responds back to Buckthorn in a gruff voice.  "He's the only one ta return from the celebration patrol and he's early as well.  I need ta know just what bally well happened."  Looking about, he moves away from the cot but only from a small distance and just stands there.  "No doubt word would've got about, he was seen by a few hares on the way here."

Lightpaw just blinks slightly as he gets up shakedly but falls back on the bed, his mouth opening to say something but nothing can come out at the moment, only some deep look of shock from his eyes.

One of the hares who spotted this display was Lieutenant Darklett, who, after keeping a safe time away so as to not be an annoyance, had ducked into the infirmary, simply waiting at the door and peering in, curious... He recognizes the hare, and squints his eyes, as if finding something particularly odd, but simply stands there, trying to keep a low profile and watch.

Buckthorn nods and grabs the water as it's brought back. The hare holds out the glass, trying to get Lightpaw to drink some. "Bally strange..." He wonders aloud. "Celebration pah'trol, y'say? Well... no problem... he'll talk soon as he's ready. Not ah moment bah'fore, m'fraid." The hare says with a sage nod, picking up the cloth and reversing it. "Take yer time, laddie buck. Yer safe, aye." Buck keeps saying, glancing back behind him and at Darklett. The other hare, however, is given no greeting... Bucks' just a little busy at the moment.

Lightpaw slowly begins to take some of the water as he swallows it down.  Meanwhile Jarril is still standing there with concern on his face as he watches the very young recruit being tended by the healer.  Turning his head around, he nods at Darklett.  "Either come in or leave, lad.  Either way choose which one, wot."  The major returning his gaze back again to Lightpaw.

Darklett has been focused on Lightpaw this whole time, wondering if he's just mistaken... Jarril's voice draws him away from that, though, and he nods, coughing and stepping all the way in, heading over to a safe distance away from the cot, but still at a correct angle to view. "That's... that's the hare Lightpaw, right?" He asks the major, looking somewhere between hoping he's wrong and wondering what that could mean if he wasn't.

Jarril nods his head at Darklett.  "Aye, that's Lightpaw, I chose him for that patrol that went off ta the village with the veterans and recruits.  He'd done well in his training."  The major says while watching Lightpaw being tended to by the healer as he slowly drinks more of the water.  Jarril speaks quietly.  "We find out as soon as possible though, must be a reason for his early return and all.  Looks like he's ran all the way back without stopping."

Well, his next question's been answered already. "That's..." Dark lowers his voice. "...Probably not a good thing," he observes. "No reason for him to come back by himself, even report runners are sent in pairs or groups."

Buckthorn busies himself with the young hare as the officers talk. The healer takes the cloth and dabs it gently around the face of the hare. "Thats th' ticket, matey. Slow! Yeh'll drown yerself if y'drink fast, lad." The healer says with a kind smile. Buck sits up and looks to Jarril. "Aye, bad case o' dehydration, Majah." He reports and gets up all the way, fetching another wet cloth. He turns up to the end of the cot and starts pressing the cool thing to his paw pads. "I don' see too much else wrong wid 'im... save mayhaps being scared t'death."

Jarril nods his head solemnly at Buckthorn.  "Well, something happened, if only we kn-"  The major blinks as he turns to the rasping Lightpaw who manages to croak out quietly.  "Dead..."  He coughs and splutters some of the water out as he leans his head back again as Jarril loooks about him.  "Well, that explains everything."  The major rolls his eyes as he looks at Buckthorn.  "How long before he can talk at length?"

Darklett finds a chair, and drags it over, sitting where he was just standing. He's mostly quiet, although he looks slightly troubled at the single word Lightpaw has managed to get out. He moves his eyes between the major and the healer, feeling more like a spectator than a participant.

Buckthorn looks up as Lightpaw begins to speak. He automatically holds up a paw to signal for it to get quiet, though the young hare's speech is slightly too short. Buck moves back to the hare's side, throwing a look to the Major. "Please, Sah. Th' lad's in a good bit o' shock..." He explains, looking back to Lightpaw. "Take yer time... Dead, y'say? Who might be dead?" Buck asks softly.

Jarril nods his head as he remains quiet, paws wrapped about each other behind his back as he squeezes them, the frown on his face growing but then he blinks and takes a deep breath to calm himself down, noting at the moment he's the only higher rank in the room.

Lightpaw swallows slightly as he shakes a bit, looking at Buckthorn, the young hare's eyes look at him widely as he tries to recount things in his head.  "Patrol...  Went okay..."  He sipped at the water again and licked his lips.  "Everyone ... proud.  Got to the village..."  Pausing, the young hare sighed.  "It came from nowhere..."

Darn curiosity. Now Darklett is in plain disbelief. Still, he chooses not to speak; after all, this could be a HUGE misunderstanding! His paws lay flat, palm to palm, against each other, pointing towards the ceiling of the secondary infirmary, his thumbs sticking out to support his chin as his nose presses into the sides of his index fingers, letting out a deep, worried sigh.

Buckthorn keeps dabbing the cloth around the young ones face, his head bobbing slightly. "Ah, yes yes... s'ah'right." He mutters gently to the other. The healer leans back, giving Lightpaw some room. "It? What's 'it', Lightpaw?" He asks, trying to gently pry more information from the hare.

Lightpaw closes his eyes and recalls on what he has seen, the young hare starting to get back slighlty with some health after drinking the water that the healer was giving him.  "Vermin, they attacked us without warning."  The young hare gave a shudder.  "So many deaths, we didn't know what was happening.  Too many of them..."  He paused for a moment before continuing.  "Oakpaw died, Graypaw as well.  He ordered me to send word back here.  I didn't want ta go but he told me it was an ordah.  Next moment he had a arrow in his throat.  Don't know what happened next, I snuck out in the rear of the village and headed away before turning around ta make my way back another way.  Got lost slightly..."  By the end of what Lightpaw said, his voice was becoming strained and he coughed before refusing to speak anymore for the moment, just sipping the water gratefully.

Darklett can't do anything but listen and watch as Lightpaw relates the unexpected battle. And to think, he -wanted to go- on this patrol. The lieutenant lets his gaze follow Buckthorn as he moves across the infirmary to fill another cup with water, bringing it to Lightpaw and replacing the one he'd been sipping. After this, Darklett turns to look at the major, who seems to be keeping his cool. At this point, he notices that one knee has been rising up and down as his footpaw tapped on the floor, and he immediately stops that, turning back to Lightpaw to watch.

Jarril slowly nods his head as he speaks with a emotionless tone.  "I see..."  The major turns around and takes another deep breath as he moves over to a table and leans on it, gripping his paws on the edge as he takes another deep breath once more, slowly looking upwards as he mutters a few well chosen words. Going quiet, the major shakes his head as he remains quiet for a few moments.  Eventually he speaks out.  "Then it would seem that fightah Rothal was correct when he stated that vermin were about, even though we couldn't find them."

Lightpaw slowly opens his eyes as he sips more water but then gently pushes the cup away, indicating that he had enough for the time being.  Giving a look to Buckthorn, the young runner spoke again, his voice back to normal, if a bit weak.  "Sah, they were well organised, it looked as though they wanted that village.  I think all were killed but maybe they kept prisoners."  Jarril padded back to where the cot was and nodded his head.  "Thank ya for returning back safe and informing us of what has happened.  Ya did good."  The major giving Lightpaw a gentle pat on the paw.  "Ya take all the time ta recover."  Turning to go, the major looks at the healer with a nod and then quickly walks out of the room.

Buckthorn nods at the runner's request, merely setting the cup on the cot's respective endtable. The healer looks over the runner for a few more seconds, checking over for any physical injuries, but, upon finding none, moves off to tend to another cot-bound hare's needs.

Darklett breaks his position, placing both paws on his forehead in thought. He seems to check himself, and straightens up though, perhaps looking businesslike a little too late. "Uh, Major, sir!" The lieutenant stands up as Jarril begins to exit. "Am I right in assuming that this should be kept quiet as possible, sir?"

Jarril stops in his tracks and ponders for a moment.  "Until I hear what the colonels have ta say, yes.  This should not leave this room."  The major frowns.  "What I don't want is anyone giong off on some foolhardy revenge trip."  He stops and looks at Lightpaw, remembering a question.  "How many were there?"  The major quirking his head to the side slightly.  Lightpaw ponders as he replies back, eyes closing over again.  "It was a horde of them, well over a few score.  Couldn't tell..."  Jarril nods his head as he looks at Darklett.  "Then I definately don't want this ta get about, not until we know what the higher ranks wants us ta do.  I am going ta report this ta them now.  That's an order lieutenant and ta everyone else in this room.  There be heavy consequences if this gets out before the colonels decide on what ta do with this information."  The major looks about and waits for a response from those in the room.

It's well known among most patrollers that Jarril almost always means what he says, but even to those in doubt, there is no mistaking his grave seriousness. Among slow, nervous nods, there are jumbled "Yes sir" and "Understood" responses. Darklett nods, and gives a salute to the major. "Doesn't leave the room, sir." Oh, why must he be so curious? Darklett remains standing and facing the major, looking like lieutenant material as best he can.

Smiling he nods his head.  "Good, now the best thing that ya all can do is simple."  The major says.  "Get better soon, no doubt we be wanting at one stage ta bring those that have killed our friends and comrades."  The major's voice remains firm.  "They may like ta attack young recruits and old veterans, let's see how they will fair against prime longpatrol officah's.  Chin up and all that.  Don't think they want us ta sit about moping.  Ya hear what is ta happen in due cause."  Turning to go, the major walks out of the room, closing the door behind him.

Darklett nods to the major, and turns away from the door only when Jarril is gone. The infirmary is pretty close to silent, with whoever is working doing so in silence, and whoever isn't working standing in their places and looking somber. "Well, you heard the major. Get back to work, it's routine as usual until you're told differently." His voice lacks that commanding tone, but the words work nonetheless, as at the very least the normal low murmur of conversation rises from the healers on duty.