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Vermin in the Abbey. It was not something Zaris thought he would see even in the short time he planned on staying. Still, he didn't know a lot of the traditions in the Abbey, so maybe this was something that they did every Name Day? Either way he was going to keep a close watch on these three. He let Rigby do the talking at the front of their little entourage, the mouse was always better at it than he was, and kept in step behind. 

He let his mind wander as they walked; wishing that the line in front of him didn't include a fox, ferret, and stoat, but rather a traipsing patrol of river otters marching down the stream to catch either some dinner or sneaking vermin. His father, their Skipper, raising his strong voice to lead a jaunty tune about great battles and feasts. A pang of painful memory struck his chest and he slightly shook his head to rid himself of his own thoughts and return to the task at hand.

Despite the lapse, a smile crossed his face at the sight of Ellis and he gave the large Hedgehog a nod in return to the pat he received on the shoulder. He liked the old cellar hog, and many of the older beasts were privy to what it was that brought Zaris to the Abbey in the first place. He held all of the Abbey beasts in high regard, so the companionship was appreciated, and he always knew Ellis was good for a song or story and a bit of a drink. He watched the Hedgehog meander is way out of the Abbey and into Mossflower Woods proper before swiveling his head back towards Rigby at the mouse's call.

Being in the presence of vermin made him uncomfortable, made him want to pull his dual swords and rid the woods of more of the beasts, but within the Abbey walls he knew he couldn't. Still, he shuffled past and pulled open the door for Rigby; keeping it open until the three vermin passed through then returning to his step behind.

The smells of the kitchen were enticing and he let a bit of excitement build for the feast that was to come. A genuine light lit his eyes as the Friar called out to them. There weren't many otters in the woods around the Abbey, let alone inside the walls, so it was always a joy to meet up with Ruddy. The big otter reminded him a great deal of many of the others in his tribe, and nothing quite set the heart at ease like a familiar face.

He caught the chestnut as it was tossed towards him and gave a quick nod, [color=9e0b0f][b]"Aye, I can do that for ya. Brother Jethro should have the gate just fine. He kept it well before I joined 'im, so a moment more shouldn't be grayin' his fur."[/b][/color] He tossed the chestnut into his mouth as he made his way to the cellar. He was happy to hand the vermin off to someone else to watch and he knew Ruddy wouldn't let them get away with anything. Ellis wouldn't be back yet as far as he was aware, but he figured someone would be in the cellar to ask about more hotroot. He didn't want to be wandering around for too long and no way old Ellis left it unattended.

The stones were cool on his paws and the sheer number of barrels, taps, and brews was always astounding to Zaris. Though with it being Name Day he couldn't say it was a surprise nor was he going to complain about the number of options. He caught sight of the second spiked head that spent most of their time in the cellar, [color=9e0b0f][b]"'Lo there Grant,"[/b][/color] he only knew Ellis' son in a passing manner but it was enough for him to feel comfortable asking, [color=9e0b0f][b]"Friar Ruddy is askin' for some more hotroot. You know if there's any more?"[/b][/color]