Irwin Catabury
Irwin Catabury is a very special hedge-boggle indeed, for rather than being one of the standing militia
and official defenders of the Hedgerow, he is one of just a few healers within the Hedge. Unlike many healers
from our own world, healers within the Borderlands do not limit themselves to their own kind or even
"animals" only. Indeed, they can be seen ministering to trees, flowers, and even snails. "All creatures,
great and small..." Irwin Catabury- of the renowned Catabury's of Tanglewood Hollow- often times wanders
outside of the Hedge to heal others in need. Irwin is a compassionate and mild tempered boggle, loving all
living things, and respects all beings in their own turn. He has even healed trolls who have become too
entangled in the Hedge’s defenses- after having seen that they were removed safely from the Hedge first,
of course.
Irwin is often times accompanied by his companion and dearest friend, Edwin Elderberry, the Snail Elder, on his many ventures throughout the Hedge and all points beyond seeking those in need of his healing talents. Edwin became fast friends with Irwin - as well as becoming his sometimes assistant - many years ago, when both were quite young.
Once upon a time, as such tales begin, Edwin Elderberry - who was then not one of the official
Snail Elders - was a bit too adventurous for his own good, and one such venture found him far out in a great open
field when the sun reached it’s high noon position. Edwin realized, a bit too late, the danger he was in, and
sped - as speedily as snails can speed - his way back towards the shade and protective shelter of the Hedgerow.
But the young daring snail had been spotted already by a hungry bird, which swooped down from the vast blue sky
upon poor Edwin. Edwin had likewise spotted his would-be assailant, and began to loose hope. As luck would have
it, however, Irwin Catabury - then a young novice healer - also happened to be passing through that same field
after having seen to some wounded field-mice who’d had a run in with some feral cats. Irwin had also spotted
the bird swooping down, hunger gleaming in its eyes. The young hedge-boggle followed what he assumed would be
the path of the diving bird, and thus spotted the brightly colored Edwin among the golden wheat of the field.
Irwin began to run towards the hapless snail and arrived just as the bird snatched him up in its beak by one of
the Edwin’s eye-stalks. Edwin had given himself up for dead when he saw something suddenly leap up at the bird’s
talons from out of the wheat and grab hold of his shell. The weight was too much, as was the shock of something
else attempting to take the bird’s prize from it, and the hungry bird squawked loudly in alarm, dropping both
poor Edwin and his new captor. Edwin nearly feinted with the shock of it all as both the snail and his new
assailant came crashing back down into the field. Both the snail and his assailant were sent rolling through
the wheat and field grasses after having hit the ground with a thud. Eventually, however, they both came to an
abrupt stop. After a few moments, Edwin poked his uninjured eye-stalk out to see who his new captor was, thinking
to at least get a look at who or what meant to end his days, and was shocked to see a smiling and somewhat
scuffed face of a hedge-boggle looking back at him. Irwin patched Edwin up - meanwhile making his acquaintance -
and from that day forward, they have been boon companions!
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