Salamandastron: Sentry Room
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Once one has ascended the stairs, they would come upon this room, the sentry room. Along one wall, thee are small, slitted windows, which look no more than cracks in the mountain wall, from the outside, and it looks down upon the niche, outside the mountain, where all creatures entering the mountain must pass. The room, sparse and basically un-furnished, while comfortable in the summer, is often quite cold in the winter, save for a small fireplace in one corner. During the winter, you had better believe that is kept alive most of the season long, by the sentries on duty who wish to remain unfrozen. There are always two hares on duty in this room, one to always remain and the other to sound the alarm to the rest of the mountain, if need be. Two chairs are situated beneath the slitted windows in the wall.
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Swiftsand stands at a window, quietly chatting with the other guard on duty. Her left forepaw rests easily on her weapon's hilt as her eyes calmly scan the empty world outside. The guard breaks off an interesting discussion about a loose stone at the base of the mountain by sneezing. Swiftsand offers him a kerchief from her pocket, which he takes gratefully. As he takes care of his runny snout, the major looks down to the leveret stationed at her side. One of his paws grasps the folds of her pant-leg, while the other attempts to pull him up far enough to see over the window ledge. Swiftsand laughs and hoists him up, smiling at her son's natural curiosity. The guard gives an indulgent laugh, but he seems to be focused on his puffy eyes and dry throat. Nipet goggles at the far-reaching landscape, his round eyes taking everything in slowly.

Carrying three trayful of scones, salads, tarts, pies, and other food along with a full bottle of mild ale and a small cup of water, Lain teeters into the sentry room, carefully balancing the trays. Setting them down in quick succession, she breathes a sigh of relief, sliding the tray with the scarcest of food to the side, she smiles a bit, grabbing the fork and poking at her salad and quietly munching on it. "Thought y'three might be hungry," she says quietly, smiling fondly at Nipet. "'ey there," she coaxes out, winking at the leveret's mother and then chuckling a bit. "Well, help y'selves. 'Course, the one with the little cup of water is yours, Major," she says, gesturing to the two food trays. Heh.

Swiftsand licks her lips rather obviously, not caring to disguise her hunger. Though her instincts and rumbling stomach instruct her to rush the food, she smiles gratefully at Lain and then does a double-take. She stares at the other hare, her mouth half open as if she is about to speak. Nipet disregards his astonished parent and runs to Lain, his ears flopping. "Lainee!" He stops in front of her, inspecting her, then leans towards her and whispers, "Did ya steal 'ee food from cook, 'ainee? Ah y'okay?" He stands normally and eyes her critically, as if looking for signs that she's been attacked. Swiftsand smoothly puts a tart in his mouth, then turns happy eyes on Lain. "Y'voice, m'dear! It's wondahful t'hear you again. Did th'healahs say it would stick around? Ah deahly hope so. Eat o'er th'table deah," she cautions Nipet, guiding his paws over the table's ledge. She nods to the guard as he passes, his face crinkled in disgust at the sight of food. He mutters something about the infirmary before leaving. Swiftsand shrugs and turns to the food, devouring her scone in a single gulp. "Yes well, thankees fah th'water an' all."

Grinning at Nipet as he runs up to her, she stands stock still (save for a wink to the Major) as he inspects her, her own amethyst eyes watching him. Looking up sharply at the Major's words, Lain quickly looks shyly away and gives a sheepish shrug. "Well...y'know..." she mumbles, sliding her paws into her pockets as she slides into a chair, positioning herself so that she has the best view out to sea. Ignoring the guard with a dismissive shrug, she sighs, poking her fork into her salad again and pushing a leaf into her mouth. "I'm a 'ealer m'self, y'know," she reminds the Major, poking fun lightly at Swiftsand before turning her eyes to Nipet, chuckling as she watches his adorable antics that only Dibbunhood can show. "Oh, 'tis nothin'," she replies modestly, eating yet another leaf from her salad.

Nipet hastily swallows his tart and eyes another greedily. Though his head doesn't move, his eyes slide in Swiftsand's direction. "Pease?" he asks obediently. His mother nods, and he makes a grab for a tart filled with strawberry preserves. Swiftsand dabs idly at his jam-smeared cheeks as she addresses Lain. "Ah've nevah seen a healer 'eal themselves, marm, though o'course they do it on th'field." She eyes the other hare curiously, then smiles and waves a paw. "Spare me th'details, ah'm just glad it's back, doncha know. Y'should grace meals with it more often, they've been so depressin' lately." The major looks back to the leveret and pushes a fork-full of greens towards his muzzle. He glares at her, grabs the fork, and shoves the food into his mouth. "C'n feed meself mater," he announces, attacking more of his salad.

Smiling at Nipet's obedience, Lain quietly munches down the rest of the leaf, moving to another one as the Major begins to speak. Smiling good-naturedly to Swiftsand's comment about healers healing, she gives a meek shrug, smiling shyly and then turning silent as the Major continues on. Once naturally perked ears dropping slightly, she remains almost pointedly silent, safe for the soft crunching of the greens in her mouth. Glancing at Nipet as he shoves the food into his mouth, she smiles slightly, but it fades as she turns back to her salad and eats quietly on her stool.

Swiftsand chews her own greens, watching her companions through the silence that falls over the room. She rises while chewing, going to the window to be sure that nothing amiss happens while she's on duty. There is nothing but the niche and the loose stone to be seen below. She wanders back to her tray to fetch a piece of scone, then walks from window to window slowly. Nipet glances back at her, then, deciding she is engaged elsewhere, nabs a tart and stashes it in his tunic. He struggles to wink at Lain, then gives up and blinks instead. Swiftsand returns, saying, "Ah wish somethin' would 'appen. Not war again but..." she pauses thoughtfully, eying the wilderness once more. "Th'mountain's so dull, so full o' memories in th'aftermath."

Winking swiftly back to Nipet as she understands his ploy, Lain barely smiles, continuing on with her salad. Pausing in her consumption of the greens, Lain glances up at the Major and then scans the room. "'Tis just a cloud..." she mumbles, "It'll pass ove' soon," Selecting the last leaf on her plate, she munches on it thoughtfully, glancing at Nipet discreetly. "Winter Solstice is coming soon," she adds, "Been snowing during the past few nights, if not weeks." Inclining her head towards the window in front of her, she smiles a bit, a strange spell that the sea casts upon her. "Perhaps then we'll have something happen..."

Swiftsand nods slowly, smiling at the thought of winter solstice festivities. "Ach, y'roight, snow aplenty. This likkle tyke 'ere thinks it's fun." She glanced at Nipet, then shook her head at Lain. "I prefer a summer day any day, y'know. Ah can't stand when it freezes in y'fur. Puts m'off balance, wot?" She finishes a scone, brushes the crumbs from her whiskers, and returns to her place at the window. Nipet shoots her a furtive look, then takes another tart. His smock bulges slightly as he pretends to nibble on a leaf. He blinks rapidly and with exaggeration at Lain, then smiles and leans back, patting his tart covered stomach as if pleased with himself. Swiftsand, still looking out, makes a disgusted noise. "O'course, th'snow heard us talkin'. Just look at those flurries."

"I think it's alrigh'," Lain comments, nibbling at a scone as she peers out of her window, watching the snowflakes disappear into the sea like quicksand eating a frog. "Certainly calms a good deal of beasts," she adds, glancing at the Major before standing up and then joining her at the window. "It's not terrible going out there, really," she remarks with a casual shrug, "Y'just have t'know what t'wear, I suppose."

Swiftsand nods, tiling her head this way and that at the snow. "Still mendin' a cloak fah th'likkle one. 'e tore it, claims 'e was wrestlin' a vermin. Shakin' 'is paws at phantoms if y'ask me!" She turns to make a face at the leveret, who sticks his tongue out at her. She also sticks her tonue out, creating an image of resemblance between the two. It fades as Swiftsand returns her sour gaze to the snow. "Calmin, y'say? Mayhap f'most, but it rankles in m'nerves." She sniffs and glances at the fire, hoping it stays ablaze.

Smiling as she watches the interaction between mother and son, Lain glances down at her feet until they are done, finding this particular situation almost embarrassing. "Well...'tis better than bein' out on a battlefield or -- " she catches herself quickly, glancing at Nipet with a quick wink and then quietly moves to her stool again. And there, she remains silent.

Swiftsand's ears stand erect as she catches the cut-off. "Or...?" she ponders, looking critically at Lain. She fetches a log from the corner of the room and hefts it into the flames. A few sparks fly as she returns to her seat to nibble on a tart. Nipet returns Lain's winks with his blinks and turns to blink hard at Swiftsand, grinning all the while. His mother raises an eyebrow. "Wot 'ave y'done now young'in?" Nipet smiles cheerfully at her, and then, holding his smock flat to keep in the tarts, wanders over to the window. Swiftsand shakes her head and turns back to Lain. "As y'were sayin'..."

Her expressive ears flattening against her back, Lain looks to Swiftsand's with a questioningly slow reaction time. "Jus'... Nothing," she mumbles, trying to clear the darkness from her tone with an obvious effort, "It's jus' me." She shrugs, sighing as she glances away to the doorway rubbing a smidge out of her eye and shrugging again. Watching Nipet with forced amusement, she looks to a rather dull looking tray that she had left not a moment ago, inwardly shrugging as she offers the leveret yet another tart.

Nipet forms an o-shape with his mouth, and glances at Swiftsand. She frowns at Lain, wondering at what could be troubling the healer. Deep in thought, she ignores the leveret, who sings as he apparently randomly wanders over to Lain. "Snooooo flakeees! Snoooo flakeees, don't tell mater 'bout snoooo flakeees..." He nabs the tart, whispers, "Tenk 'ou", and jumps into his seat. The tart disappears beneath his smock. Swfitsand, startled out of her reverie, fixes Nipet with a stare. "Wot-" she shakes her head, bemused. "Silly little thing. D'y'need t'talk or anythin'?" she adds softly, throwing Lain a concerned look.

"No," Lain pauses, thinking for a moment, almost as if in hesitation, "It's alright. I'll get by." Forcing a smile to her lips as she slides the plate across her tray, she moves another plate, this time with a few tiny pastries that can be demolished in one bite, even for leverets. After a long pause, the healermaid shuffles her feet quietly, smiling at Nipet just for show. "Did Zoe ever tell y'how I lost m'voice?" she asks, chuckling a bit at the ridiculousness of her question. The whole mountain would know, wouldn't they? Of course, Swiftsand had disappeared for quite some time....

Swiftsand shifts in her seat, sighing, and hesitates before answering. "Th'general reason o'capture is all ah I was told...y'needn't explain further if it'll pain y', m'dear," she adds in a rush, "But if'n talkin'll help, y'know, y'bally well should!" Uncomfortable, she tosses her own, milder psychological issues into the back of her mind. She too, plays with her food, tossing her greens around with her fork. Nipet nips a tiny pastry, his whiskers twitching.

A soft chuckle escapes Lain's lips as she looks to the Major fondly and then pops another mini-pastry into her mouth. "It's alrigh'," she mumbles, licking a crumb from her scone from the corner of her lips, "I was jus' wond'ring." A long pause. "Why'd y'leave?" she asks quite suddenly, peering curiously at the Major with intensely pure amethyst orbs.

Swiftsand flushes and sighs, looking at Nipet. "Ah needed t'get away from...certain reminders o' th'past." Her head snaps up, revealing her fiercely aligned facial features. She furiously vents, glaring into the distance. "T'would be honorable if 'e'd died like Ox, but 'e didn't- just set off. Love is a fickle thing, m'friend." She clicks, shaking herself, trying to regain her sense of calm. She smiles sadly at Nipet. "Big an' strong, just like his pater. But e'll never know 'im. An' ah remember tha' everyday."

Listening to Swiftsand's quick summary of her excursion and what became of it, Lain frowns a little as she pieces together the reason, the last statement sending a shuddering shock through her. Biting her lip, she quickly looks away to her tray, the pastry making it only halfway to her mouth. "...'s better him forcin' y'--," she mutters, catching herself again, this time speaking without realizing it. Quickly picking up her tray, she spares a quick glance and rather petrified glance at Swiftsand and her son before dashing out the doorway and disappearing.

Shocked out of her own misery, Swiftsand stares after the retreating hare. She looks down at her plate, pensive and sad. Nipet sticks his paw in his mouth, sucking away the jam in his fur. His ears droop a little as Lain leaves, and he waves to the empty doorway, hardly understanding a word she’s said. The leveret hops off his chair and approaches his brooding mother. She ruffles his headfur absently, then begins, “’spose we should clean up, Nip-“ The major is cut off as tarts spill out of Nipet’s smock. Her eyebrows snap together. “Y’likkle-“ Before she can finish, the giggling young hare has run from the room. Shaking her head and muttering, Swiftsand cleans the table and returns to her post, awaiting next shift’s guards.