Chapter 2
Coming back into the kitchen, carrying a large platter of raspberry pasties, Friar Homet met two curious youngsters looking for trouble. Lily's eyes were on the platter he held, but Rosa's were roaming the wondrous piles of cookies, cakes, and breads lining the kitchen shelves. The aroma was enticing. Rosa had to lick her lips just to keep herself from drooling on the floor.
"What are you two trouble makers doin' in 'ere?" The friar's kind voice was unusually stern, causing the two maids to look up and cower. Friar Homet's eyes met theirs, happy and bouncing with excitement. Lily breathed a huge sigh of relief and started to reach for a pasty. Her hand met a spatula. "I don't think so."
"Aww, come on. There are millions of pasties 'ere. Can't I 'ave just one?"
The Friar was never a one to go soft and bend rules, but Lily's persuasive voice and face convinced him. He sighed. "All right, you ruffians. Don't let me catch ye stealin' from me again."
The girls broke into enthusiastic grins. "We won't Friar Homet," they said in unison. He smiled, shooing them out of the kitchen with a swipe of a towel.
"Now go. With you about eatin' all my food there won't be any ready for the feast."
Lily giggled. "That always works," she whispered to her partner in crime, munching on her pasty.
Rosa agreed. "Yes, an' if you finish that before we get to this next door, your parents won't know about it."
Lily froze in her tracks. "What?" she said hoarsely.
"Yeah, your Mum and Father are in there talking t'Abbess Lanzel. Hey, let's listen. We can be like spies."
"Umm, okay."
They pressed their ears to the wall quietly, able to here every word spoken by everybeast.
"Abbess Lanzel, umm."
"What my wife is trying t'say is that we need your 'elp on a family matter. I know you don't 'ave that much experience with teens, seeing that you don't 'ave one of your own, but we thought maybe you remembered something that Mother Tessa taught you about teens. Also because you were in your teens not too long ago."
Abbess Lanzel cleared her throat. "Lily problems?"
Blossom nodded, her eyes tearing. "I don't know what t'do anymore. Will says it's a phase, but I don't remember bein' that rebellious."
"I remember gettin' into trouble, but not like our Lily." Will shook his head. "We think it may 'ave t'do with that little ditty I sing t'Lily that Blossom's father sang t'her."
"So there you go, wot. Stop singing that ditty," Mother Abbess looked as though she had solved the problem.
Will waved his arms frantically, knowing what his wife would do. "No! It's all about peace."
Abbess Lanzel looked confused. "Wot? Did I miss something?" Her ears flopped over her eyes as she pondered over this. "Peace."
"Yes. Peace." Blossom shook her head. "I'll explain some other time. It's a long story. Just bear with us an' believe that we can't stop the song."
Lanzel nodded, "All right. Do go on."
"I 'ad t'punish 'er again. Then I saw 'er sneaking out t'the kitchens after I 'ad sent 'er to 'er room."
"I've got it!"
Abbess Lanzel, Blossom and Will looked over to where the voice was coming from. Acorn the Squirrel, blind from a battle with a Searat captain a long while back, was sitting on a bench in the shadows. "You can give her a specific job that would let her learn the meaning of responsibility, plus keep her out of trouble.
Blossom smiled at the Blind squirrel warrior as he made his way over to the couch she was sitting on. "That might work, Acorn. Do you 'ave any suggestions?"
"No, but Abbess Lanzel might."
The Abbess shook her head, "I'm sorry, I don't. I'll bet that we'll bally find something that she could do that would keep her out of trouble, wot, wot."
Lily looked up as soon as she heard her parents rise from where they were sitting. She scuttled back to her room as fast as possible, with Rosa on her tail.
"Thank you, Abbess Lanzel." Will smiled. "And thank you too, Acorn. Your idea might be just what we needed."
Acorn nodded wisely. "My eyes may not work but I have a keen sense of what's going on around me."
Blossom smiled as she and her husband walked out of the room, a new bounce in their step and a new hope for their rebellious teenage daughter.
Coming back into the kitchen, carrying a large platter of raspberry pasties, Friar Homet met two curious youngsters looking for trouble. Lily's eyes were on the platter he held, but Rosa's were roaming the wondrous piles of cookies, cakes, and breads lining the kitchen shelves. The aroma was enticing. Rosa had to lick her lips just to keep herself from drooling on the floor.
"What are you two trouble makers doin' in 'ere?" The friar's kind voice was unusually stern, causing the two maids to look up and cower. Friar Homet's eyes met theirs, happy and bouncing with excitement. Lily breathed a huge sigh of relief and started to reach for a pasty. Her hand met a spatula. "I don't think so."
"Aww, come on. There are millions of pasties 'ere. Can't I 'ave just one?"
The Friar was never a one to go soft and bend rules, but Lily's persuasive voice and face convinced him. He sighed. "All right, you ruffians. Don't let me catch ye stealin' from me again."
The girls broke into enthusiastic grins. "We won't Friar Homet," they said in unison. He smiled, shooing them out of the kitchen with a swipe of a towel.
"Now go. With you about eatin' all my food there won't be any ready for the feast."
Lily giggled. "That always works," she whispered to her partner in crime, munching on her pasty.
Rosa agreed. "Yes, an' if you finish that before we get to this next door, your parents won't know about it."
Lily froze in her tracks. "What?" she said hoarsely.
"Yeah, your Mum and Father are in there talking t'Abbess Lanzel. Hey, let's listen. We can be like spies."
"Umm, okay."
They pressed their ears to the wall quietly, able to here every word spoken by everybeast.
"Abbess Lanzel, umm."
"What my wife is trying t'say is that we need your 'elp on a family matter. I know you don't 'ave that much experience with teens, seeing that you don't 'ave one of your own, but we thought maybe you remembered something that Mother Tessa taught you about teens. Also because you were in your teens not too long ago."
Abbess Lanzel cleared her throat. "Lily problems?"
Blossom nodded, her eyes tearing. "I don't know what t'do anymore. Will says it's a phase, but I don't remember bein' that rebellious."
"I remember gettin' into trouble, but not like our Lily." Will shook his head. "We think it may 'ave t'do with that little ditty I sing t'Lily that Blossom's father sang t'her."
"So there you go, wot. Stop singing that ditty," Mother Abbess looked as though she had solved the problem.
Will waved his arms frantically, knowing what his wife would do. "No! It's all about peace."
Abbess Lanzel looked confused. "Wot? Did I miss something?" Her ears flopped over her eyes as she pondered over this. "Peace."
"Yes. Peace." Blossom shook her head. "I'll explain some other time. It's a long story. Just bear with us an' believe that we can't stop the song."
Lanzel nodded, "All right. Do go on."
"I 'ad t'punish 'er again. Then I saw 'er sneaking out t'the kitchens after I 'ad sent 'er to 'er room."
"I've got it!"
Abbess Lanzel, Blossom and Will looked over to where the voice was coming from. Acorn the Squirrel, blind from a battle with a Searat captain a long while back, was sitting on a bench in the shadows. "You can give her a specific job that would let her learn the meaning of responsibility, plus keep her out of trouble.
Blossom smiled at the Blind squirrel warrior as he made his way over to the couch she was sitting on. "That might work, Acorn. Do you 'ave any suggestions?"
"No, but Abbess Lanzel might."
The Abbess shook her head, "I'm sorry, I don't. I'll bet that we'll bally find something that she could do that would keep her out of trouble, wot, wot."
Lily looked up as soon as she heard her parents rise from where they were sitting. She scuttled back to her room as fast as possible, with Rosa on her tail.
"Thank you, Abbess Lanzel." Will smiled. "And thank you too, Acorn. Your idea might be just what we needed."
Acorn nodded wisely. "My eyes may not work but I have a keen sense of what's going on around me."
Blossom smiled as she and her husband walked out of the room, a new bounce in their step and a new hope for their rebellious teenage daughter.
