07:30 PM

Salamandastron: Leaders' Office
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This room is obviously and strictly all business. The walls are bare, except for the occasional military decoration of crossed swords or what have you, as well as the occasional, dim candle. In the room, there is an ornately carved, oak desk, behind which rests a comfortable arm chair. In front of the desk two slightly less comfortable and straight-backed chairs sit, most likely to keep the occupants on their toes. The desk is often covered by stacks of papers, sometimes haphazard, and sometimes neatly placed, depending upon the officer using the room at any given time.
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                  Visible Exits:
[Out] to Hallway

It has been some time that Jarril has been in the mountain and he's already got a full load of work to do, which is paperwork, more paperwork and oh, did I mention paperwork?  Something the low ranks have no idea on what to expect with their future careers with the patrol.  Sighing slightly, Jarril looks at one parchment with a slight frown coming on his face over some matter that should never have been reported in such a way.  Speaking to himself he mutters.  "Oh for the love of..."

The door to the office swings open, Harper having been intending to knock but instead only succeeding in pushing open the slightly-open door. He blinks, his eyebrows going up as he looks to where Jarril sits at the desk. Hum. He clears his throat lightly, quickly taking his arms and folding them together behind his back. "... Jarril?" The buck looks much like he usually does. The only notable difference is the hint of a split lip which is almost entirely healed by this point, and bandages on his wrist which are visible above his shirt sleeve, reaching up far enough on his paw so that they wrap around his thumb. But that's not visible /just/ at the moment, what with his arms being behind his back.

Jarril blinks as he looks up while doing the most important and fun task that his rank allows and that's the sound of paper being scrunched up into a tight ball in his paws before the hare throws it into some bucket with the rest of the paper balls.  Coughing he places his paws on the desk and nods his head.  "Harper, anything that I can do for ya?"

Harper takes that as a signal he can enter, and so he does. He approaches the desk, taking a seat in the chair. He nods. "... Yeah. I wanted to speak to you... about my going back to the Abbey. I've decided I'm going to. And... Flaxpaw, she's coming with me."

Jarril ears perk on that one, the major leaning back in his chair while placing both of his paws together.  "Oh?  And erm, what about all the other things that happened between ya two the last time you were there?"

Harper's brow wrinkles. "What things? You mean those things with Quinten? Well... he's just a loudmouth, sir. I guess he means well, but he's always in everyone's business. It gets him in trouble." He shrugs.

Jarril furrows his brows slightly.  "Okay, I meant it this way.  Flaxpaw speaking ill of the abbey in the patrah name, then upping off with someone else and neglecting her duties.  I take it that Flaxpaw has got permission or talked about this ta another officer?"

Oh. /Those/ things. Harp glances down at his paws with a shrug. "... Well. She's not Patrol anymore, sir. She doesn't /need/ permission to go."

Jarril hmms for a moment and nods his head.  "Hmmm, thought she was wanting back in.  Ah well."  Reaching out for a clean parchment the major begins to write down on it slowly.  "Okay, this is what I shall do then."  He doesn't say anything as he writes.  After a short while he stops and rechecks what he's written and then looks up to where Harper is.  "I know that ya both are close and as such, she can go back ta the Abbey on one condition.  Ya ta give this letter ta the head of the ordah there.  If Flaxpaw does anything again like she did last time, ya both ta come back ta the mountain.  Let's see how ya can keep her out of trouble."  Rolling up the parchment he smiles.  "She's ya responsibility now Harper."  The hare adding some candle wax before placing the long patrol stamp on it.

Harper's ears dip back. He considers the letter for a long moment. He seems to be considering something, his paws twisting together in his lap. The bandaged wrist is held in the opposite paw. "... I wanna see what it says, first. And why does there have to be a condition? She's not patrol, sir. She could go /anywhere/ and there's nothing you could do about it. So... I don't understand." His brow wrinkles.

Jarril shakes his head.  "No need ta read it, besides I am going ta explain why."  Placing the letter on the desk the hare just smiles.  "I take it that wherever ya go, Flaxpaw will follow so if she messes up, ya on ya way back here.  Besides I've noticed something, isn't there something that ya want ta tell me anyways?"  Arching his fingers into a temple, the older hare just smiles.  "Besides, husbands share responsibilities ta how their wives behave and vice vesa."

Harper's ears dip back a fraction more. He's now staring intently down at his lap. "Well, sir... a coupla things. I don't know if I /want/ to come back here... I think-" He hesitates, glancing up for but a split second. "I think... I think I'm going to stay there. In Redwall. Finish out the novice program like I promised, then make a home for myself, there..." Pause. Another glance up, and this one he maintains, looking across at Jarril. "A home for Flaxpaw and I. I think I'm going to ask her to marry me, sir, once I've finished my novice training."

There isn't any reply for a short while and Jarril slowly gets up and walks over to where the fire is and drops the letter into it, watching it burn.  "I see..."  He smiles softly before turning around.  "Well, I can't say I never saw this coming.  And I won't ask if you're sure as I think it will be for the best."  Making his way back to the chair again, the hare sits down.  "Although I will miss ya though."  The major nodding for you to sit down.

"Flax an' me... we were kinda hoping you'd visit. Either that or /we'd/ visit. She knows that you're my - you know." He shrugs slightly, glancing back down. "She's the only one I've told." He glances back up, looking slightly mournful. "We're both gonna miss you, sir. Wish I'd had more time to get to know ya."

Jarril nods his head as he opens a drawer in the desk and pulls out a flat piece of paper.  "Oh I have no doubt we see each other again.  Ya ta invite me ta ya wedding."  Pushing the piece of paper across the desk he keeps hold of it for a moment and lets go.  "Redwall will gain from this as we will lose...  I will lose something but perhaps its best ya follow this road anyways."  Looking at Harper, Jarril smiles.  "The patrol wasn't for ya and this whole situation with me, ya mother and well, ya step father...  Aye, it be best if ya far away and out of his influence."  Looking down at the form he he pushed over.  "Well, Harper.  If ya really sure, my son.  Ya need ta sign that ta resign from duty.  Then after handing in ya equipment, uniform.  I hope ya will see me again before ya and Flaxpaw head off.  I would like ya see ya again before then."

"... Yessir, I think it's best I leave. If nothing else, being back here has taught me that." A shadow crosses over his expression and he looks down and incidentally toward the paper. He sits forward, reaching for a quill pen. He dips it in the ink jar and rests his forearm on the desk, signing his signature slowly and deliberately. "I'm sure we'll around for a couple more days. So we'll see each other."

Jarril waits until the form is signed and laughs.  "No need ta call me sir now."  Taking the form, he turns it around and counter signs it with a officers signature and places a candle stamp to prove that it's official.  "There, ya no longer in the patrah..."  Biting his lower lip he looks up at Harper again.  "I'll explain why ta my cousin, I don't think she have anything bad ta say about it.  Ya can explain why ya leaving if ya want ta anyone, even our relationship now."  Getting up, he makes his way around to where you are and offers a paw.  "No matter what ya end up doing, even as a redwall abbey, monk.  I'll still be proud of ya, Harper lad."

He stands also, gripping the offered paw with the non-bandaged one. He shakes Jarril's paw firmly, his gaze focused intently in on their paws and only their paws. A lump of emotion sticks in his throat as he continues to shake the paw, nodding his head. "... Thank you, Jarril. For everything. I wish you /had/ been my father, all these seasons..." He suddenly blinks, swiping his free paw in a fist over his left eye. Difficult swallow. "You'll hear about that wedding. Promise." Mrr. He looks back up at Jarril, then away. "Could you... do you think you could check in on my mother and brother every now and then? Make sure they're all right? I tried to say goodbye, but..."

Jarril gives a small nod.  "I'll try, though usually me showing up sets well, ya know off."  Grinning slightly he gives Harper a playful punch to the chest.  "And anyways, I ain't that old so ya have me as a father for a few seasons ta come, ya rascal."

Harper grins, rubbing absently at his chest. Not that it hurts, but. Just for something to do. "Yeeeah... I know." He ducks his head, scruffing absently at his short headfur. "... I know," he repeats. He squints, feeling more sad about this... well, it's a goodbye if anything, than he expected to. "I'll bring by my uniform and equipment."

Jarril nods slowly.  "There's no rush, take ya time on that one."  The elder hare hoping to squeeze an extra day at least.  "Although, send word ta me if ya need me, ya family so expect me ta arrive just as quickly as I headed back here."  Smiling he gives a nod.  "Well, this isn't goodbye, just a parting of our ways.  Ya doing something different than what my family has always done and became officers in the patrah.  I am glad in a way, ya won't be around while this area is in so much danger and I have no doubt that would be good for when ya give me grandkids."  The hare chyckles.  "I know ya take care of yaself and Flaxpaw."  Giving Harper a hug he nods his head.  "Get rid of the uniform as quick or as slow as ya want.  I best let ya get about ta say ya goodbyes ta ya friends here."

The hug was what he was waiting for, secretly. He returns it, pressing his face against the older buck's shoulder. Dad. Aww. "Thanks..." And here he hesitates, before plunging ahead. "... Thanks, Da'." He pulls back, then, taking a couple of steps back from the other. "I'll let you know before we leave. Soo... see you then." Without really waiting for a reply, hesitating only briefly, he turns and heads for the door.

Jarril watches Harper go and slowly picks up the piece of paper again, looking at it.  Placing it in the colonel's in box, the major gives up work for today and decides to go have time off and heads out of the room himself a short while after Harper left.