05:50 PM

Western Shore
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A sea of sand surrounds the magnificent mountain now to your side. The golden sand is flat and hard, easy to walk on. You stand directly between the volcano and the sea. The refreshing sea spray tickles your face as a tropical wind from off the sea whisks it in your direction. The serene roar of the blue-green waves and perhaps the call of a distant gull are typically all that can be heard.
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Exits: [W]estern [S]ide of the [M]ountain, [Sh]allows, [U]pshore, [D]ownshore

Several hares are making their way back to the mountain after being out all yesterday and throughout the night, the look on the hares doesn't look that good considering that they didn't find anything in the area that they had searched.  Right in the front, leading them is Major Jarril Black Fleetpaw who has a slight frown on his face as he looks to where the mountain lies up ahead, growing bigger with each passing step.

Harper is amongst the hares on Jarril's patrol.  He is the only recruit present and he walks along shortly behind Jarril.

Loral is up closer to the entrance. It looks like she's been traveling a while, and she rests here, leaning against the wall as she pulls a small meal of crackers and cheese out. Her ears perk, and she looks up, mismatched eyes watching them approach.

Jarril has turned to look at one of the other hares next to him and speaks.  "Let me report this to the colonel.  Try not to let this bit of news get out too much."  The patrol having found six dead beasts, woodlanders, two hares, a mouse, squirrel and finally a mole that had been killed somewhere en-route of the patrol.  Coming up to where the mountain is, Jarril stops the patrol and looks at the other hare.  "'ello, you're new, just arrived?"  The major glad of something to take his mind off things right about now.

When the order to stop comes, Harp almost runs into the hare in front of him. But it finally gets him to look up, eyes shifting first to Jarril and then to whoever he's speaking to. The older doe is given a curious glance.

Loral looks slightly nervous, but at the look on his face, she breaks into a smile. "Yes, actually...The uniform is old...used ta be my sister's..." She says, as if trying to explain. Even without the proper briefing and such, she can tell Jarril is an officer.

Jarril smiles.  "Ah well, ya can go see the patrah supply officah..."  He pauses and scratches the side of his head in thought.  "Not sure who that be now though, we've had some problems recently so there's a bit of a few positions that need refilling.  I am sure we can supply ya with a new uniform.  So fightah, runnah, healah or something else?"

Loral nods firmly at the last one. "Healah sah. I kin do all a those, but healin's the thin' I excll at. Well, at leas' I'm told." She says, holding out a paw. "By the way, I'm Loral."

Jarril takes the paw with a smile and shakes it.  "Majah Fleetpaw."  Letting go he nods his head in thought.  "Oh my cousin will definately like ya, wot.  She's a healah herself, ya see so ya fit in perfectly well with her."  Turning around he nods his head.  "Patrah dismiss, go get some rest, we're heading out again in a few hours ta check another region."

Loral nods. "So tha' was a patrol?' She asks, tilting her head to look at all the hares, eyes sweeping across. She notices Harper's odd glance

Jarril replies.  "Aye, one of many.  We like ta keep 'em small sometimes or have a big one when need brings it about.  I work best with about a score or less, depending on the situation."

At Jarril's words, Harper slumps from 'at attention', looking from Jarril to Loral and then back. Rather than disappearing with the rest of the patrol into the mountain, he lingers, only taking a couple steps toward the entrance.

Loral nods, smiling at harper. "I see. About how often do ya go on patrols, ya think?"

The older hare ponders on that one for a moment.  "Depends on the situation.  We have normal patrah's that go out five times a day, they're the short range ones, then we have three long range patrah's..."  He stops and nods his head.  "Can be anything really, all depends on the situation."  He smiles at the younger hare.  "Sorry, but I can't say exactly how many patrah's are out right now, my cousin will chop off my ears for letting that highly classifised information out."

Loral nods, beaming. "Understood." realizing she is still holding cheese and crackers, she goes to put it away, then thinks better of it, offering it to The others first. "M not that 'ungry." She explains

This makes the major laugh for the first time in a day or so.  "Oh the cook will like ya if ya not hungry all the time."

At the offer, Harper hesitates as if at first not sure she's referring to him, as well. "Ah." He glances to Jarril, then shakes his head. "No. Thanks. I'll, um. Get something inside." Heh?

Loral shrugs and packs them away, slinging the backpack over her shoulders again. "I guess...guess it comes from sharing all my food with a large family..." She says shrugging.

Jarril moves to where Loral is and gives her a pat on the shoulder.  "Well, welcome to the biggest family yet.  Ya find that everyone will get ta know everyone else, some may not like ya, some will become best friends but all in all we're all family and we help each other out in need."  He pauses and grins a bit more.  "All except at meal times, then it's every hare for themselves."

Loral grins and laughs. "I bally well know tha' feelin'..." She says, ears twitches at the pat on her shoulder. She hasn't had physicial contact with anybeast for about two lunar cycles, so it feels a bit bizare.

With Jarril facing away and addressing Loral as he is, Harper takes advantage of the lack of scrutiny to grin and roll his eyes good-naturedly at the crack about meal times. It's an old favorite of Jarril's. With a shake of his head, still smiling, he starts to turn, glancing toward the entrance.

Jarril grins and looks to where Harper is.  "'ey Harper lad.  Mind showing Loral about the place, since she's about ya age anyways, ya know more about what places ta go within the mountain and all for a lower rank."

Loral turns to the younger hare, smiling her most charming smile. Good impressions and all that. "Harper is it? pleased ta meet ye."

Oh, hum? Harp turns back, his eyebrows going up as he is addressed? His ears perking, he nods to Jarril. "Yessir."  He then turns his attention to Loral, offering her the 'greeter smile' he learned so well back at Redwall. "Welcome to the Fire Mountain, ma'am. What do you want first? Sleep, food, or a change of uniform?"

Loral looks down at her rather faded, worn old clothes "I think a change in uniform would best suit my needs about now..." She says, laughing sheepishly. "I did my best to repair this old one, but..."

Jarril seeing that he's passed on the business of housing the new hare, the major looks to where the entrance is and sighs slightly, heading inwards to give another blank report to the colonel, fun that will be, yes...

Oh, wait! Without really offering Loral any sort of explanation, he turns to look after the Major. "Um, Ja- sir! If it'd be okay, I need to talk to you later." Um. His eyes shift back to Loral, to whom he nods. "... Uniform it is, ma'am."

Jarril stops and looks back at where Harper is and nods.  "Alright, I be down in the dining room after giving the report to the colonel."  Without any other thing to say the hare has disappeared.

Loral looks to jarril, slightly baffled, but not saying anything about it. As Jarril leaves, she turns back to Harper. "Um, right then..." She says, puttingher paws on her hips and perking her ears, a toothey grin plastered on her face. "Which way to th' whoseewhatsit supplier?"

Harper watches Jarril head off, a shadow of a frown /briefly/ crossing over his face as he contemplates who knows what. But once the officer has disappeared inside, his focus shifts. Back to Loral, that is. He ducks his head in a nod, then starts toward the entrance. "Just this way, ma'am. We've got a whole supply of 'em freshly made up in the crafts room."

Loral skips and jogs off to follow him. "Right, thanks Harper she says, as she comes up alongside of him.