Lilting Melodies (slighty more advanced RP, fair warning)

Dingo

17-03-2007 08:24:08

The dawn had broken some twenty minutes before, and with its golden tendrils of light filtering through the leaves of the willow, it had brought the clean scent of morning. From the hollowed root of the tree where they had made one of the many entrances to the catacombs, Quinn ventured out into this new day bleary-eyed from lack of sleep and with her fur mussed. She'd spent a better part of the night sitting up with Lilienne, a furling who'd come down with a horrid cough and a very high fever. The infirmary had been Quinn's favorite addition to the underground complex which housed the major storehouses and the councilroom. It was a work in progress, but the colony had already seen great use in the little clinic. Still, as she ambled along the edge of the clearing, Quinn had been reciting her day's visits in her head. Housecalls to the elders were more a matter of respect than of necessity, Ages had cautioned her always to offer such service to the uppity rodents of the valley, if for no reason other than making herself well liked by them. The advice had served her well in past years, and the rapport held with her "patients" now was that of an age-old chum rather than one of the colonies healers.

The dew clinging to blades of grass refracted sunlight as it hit them, creating a path of rainbows as she picked her way toward the petrified log where Joseph and Nettie Fieldmouse and their veritable pack of children resided. Joseph's mother, Annabelle, had been one of Quinn's charges since before Joseph and Nettie had first met. She'd seen the family through 13 births to date, and Nettie was round with triplets now. Annabelle was a sweet little mouse, bent with age and riddled with arthritis in just about all her joints, but the glorious smile that lit her small face as she sat rocking in her chair beside the front door caused one to be mirrored on Quinn's own tired face.
"I assume your foot feels better, considering you're out of bed?"
"Oh, much better, dear."
"Well, thats wonderful! I think its about time to remove the splint, though I do want you to continue to use that crutch Joseph made you..."
Annabelle smiled again sweetly, patting the rough hewn crutch leaned against the wall beside her. Quinn nodded and knelt to unwrap the bandage of the foot, nodding and hmm'ing her approval of its healing.
"I'll be back at the end of the week to check it again, Anna, but in the meantime, you let those grndchildren of yours dote on you for a change, hmm?"

Quinn took her leave. The rest of the morning moved by swiftly, each patient taken in turn until finally, she was done for the day. The grumble in her stomach reminded her of the breakfast she'd skipped. With a resolved sigh, she headed back in the direction of the willow. The tree had been used for quite a number of things, and within its thick old trunk, many members of the council lived, a basket and pulley was their elevator, and at night, winking like a thousand fireflies, chistmas lights blinked from beneath the blanket of leaves that hid them. Quinn did not -live- in the willow, though she had for a time. Now, her niche had been made into an office of sorts, housing her collection of records and volumes of books, pieces of newspaper, and an array of quills and inkpots strewn about haphazardly. She hadn't time to travel to the top today, however, she merely ducked into the store room where she was met by a smile and a gruff hello as Gregor handed her the pack she'd left behind in her rush to get to the day's work. A weary grin lit her round face and Quinn offered a wave before disappearing down the corridor, a hunk of cheese dug from the pack in one hand, nibbling on it thoughtfully as she made her way out the root tunnel to the stream. She always came here to eat, it was relaxing, and the smooth stone upon which she seated herself was bathed in warm sunlight. Pulling a piece of bread from the pack, a crumb, but more than enough for a rat, she pulled off a piece and threw it to the minnows circling the eddy in which she dangled her feet.