A/N: Hey look my story's finally out! Well at least the first part. Anyways enjoy!
Disclaimer: I do not own mariel,dandin,joseph, or any other familiar names from the book The Bellmaker
But I do own, Jade,Dindal, maylen, Laurel, or any other unfamiliar names from The Bellmaker

It was a cool clear, quiet night at Redwall Abbey. Everybeast was inside the Great Hall feasting. Celebrating the birth of Mariel and Dandin's son; Dindal. Every beast except one.

An old mouse stood leaning against the parapets, gazing up at the millions of stars that framed the glowing moon. His eyes sought out one particular star, glowing bright against the velvet black of the sky. This star seemed to shine with a kind of greenish luster, a very special color to Joseph the Bellmaker.

The graying mouse kept his eyes trained on the star, his mind wandering over past events as he spoke to that lost of his life.

"Ah Jade. You must be very proud, as I am of our Mariel. She's no longer the small timid mousemaid she use to be. She's gone from a tiny, whimpering babe to a full-fledged warrior. And just think! She's now a mother. Wed to Dandin the Warrior an mother to little Dindal. He has your eyes, Jade. He has those same emerald-green eyes edged with black lashes that you did.

"Now Dandin, You'd like him. He's such a nice creature, always looking out for others, especially our Mariel. He has a wonderful sense of humor,and is such a kindly beast! He's a powerful warrior, but he seems so gentle in times of peace that, at first glance, he seems just like any other peace-loving , Jade, when we were joined, I never felt happier. I wish you were here with me now . . ."

Joseph heard paw steps coming up the stairs to the ramparts.

"Who are you talking to, Father?" instantly he recognized this voice to be Mariel's. Joseph turned around.

"Mariel what are you doing here? I thought you'd be inside with Dindal and Dandin." Mariel walked over to her father and stood with him.

"I was going to ask you the same thing. But you still haven't answered my question. Who were you talking to?"

Joseph looked away, focusing his gaze on the greenish star again. "Somone very special, Mariel. Someone very special."

For a moment Mariel just stood there, thinking to herself.

Mariel saw the look in her father's eyes; a look of loss, pride, suffering, joy, misery, happiness. She knew what he was thinking. Sliding her paw into his like a babe waiting to be led, she asked, "It's Mother, isn't it?"

Joseph nodded. There was no need for words. For a moment they stood there, perfectly calm, serene, joined in their thoughts of what they had lost so long ago.

Then Mariel glanced over at her father, Her voice was slmost pleading as she asked, "Father, could you. . . Well, I've always wanted. . . oh, will you tell me about Mother? I never really knew hew since she died when I was little."

I'm not as young as I use to be. Joseph nodded slowly, turning to his daughter "Aya, 'tis high time I you learned about your own mother. I should've told you seasons ago, but I could never bring myself to it. If I'm going to teel you the whole story we might as well sit by the pond. I'm not as young as I used to be you know!"

*~*

So the two mice walked down to the pond and sat down. "Well you and your mother are very alike. Though not by resemblance, no you took that from my side. But in personality you two are very much alike. You have that spunky, can-do attitude like her. She was very kind to everybeast (except vermin of course!) But unlike you, she was very good at sowing, and she actually liked to do it." Mariel rolled her eyes, muttering some exscuse. Joseph chuckled at his daughter's usual spunk.

"Ok enough of that. Can you tell me what she looked like?" Mariel asked

"Of course I can! How could I forget?" He looked out at the pond gazing at the moons reflection "she had a wonderful voice; she could carry a tune so sweet it was like listening to honey. She had a very pretty smile, long black eye lashes, but it was her eyes, those big green emerald eyes. They sparkled and glittered, they were so stunning they were almost hypnotizing." Joseph had closed his eyes imagining her. "When I first saw her I knew it was love at first sight."

"So how did you meet her?" Mariel asked

"Well my friend childhood friend Maylen and I were playing then he saw a small group of mice march towards our village..."

Maylen sat up from where he had fallen flat on the ground. "Aw, Joseph, you needn't shove so hard! All you gatta do is tag me!"

Joseph protested as he helped his friend up. "I tripped you sticklebur, now stopli -- what is it?"

Maylen was staring over Joseph's shoulder. "Look! There're some mice over there that I haven't seen before. Wonder who they are?"

Maylen shaded his eyes with a paw. "Wonder if'n they have any young 'uns about our age? Hope they do; we could use a few more in our games of tag!"

Joseph tugged his friend's ear playfully. "Listen to you; always thinking about how you can have fun! Why don't we go down there and see if'n they have any young 'uns?"

Maylen started to run "Race ya!" He shouted

"You're on!" Joseph yelled back and ran after him.

The pair arrived panting to find that the little group had halted. Maylen's father, the captain of the guard in their little village, was talking with a tall mouse at the head of the column that seemed to be the leader. Maylen and Joseph paid no attention to the pair as they wove their way between the loosely grouped mice.

They were about half way through when Joseph just froze. It took Maylen a few seconds to realize Joseph wasn't following. He looked behind him and saw Joseph just standing there, so he turned around and walked towards him.

Maylen impatiently tugged his arm. "What's gotten into you, Joseph? Bumped into an invisible hedgehog?"

Joseph merely stood staring. Maylen followed his gaze and saw what his friend was looking at.

Two pretty mousemaids were dancing about near the back of the line. One, a small, brownish maid with blue eyes and a flashing smile, Two pretty mousemaids were dancing about near the back of the line. One, a small, brownish maid with blue eyes and a flashing smile, was twirling a basket of sorrel in one paw. The other, a taller, grey-brown creature with green eyes, was moving a little less boldly but much more gracefully and more dignified then her companion. She was carrying a wicker basket that was filled to the brim with all kinds of herbs, the leaves of which matched her emerald-green eyes.

Maylen grabbed Joseph's arm. "So, you found some young 'uns! Let's go welcome 'em to the village, shall we?"

"Joseph started coming out of his trance. "Huh, what? Wait," he realized what Maylen was doing. "No, no, no, I am not going over there."

Maylen stopped walking "Why not?" Joseph shuffled his paws "Well you see…I kinda, sorta…" then a grin crawled on to Maylen's face "

I see. You like one of 'em, don't ya."

Joseph shook his head vehemently. "No, I don't."

The grin continued to grow on Maylen's face. "Yes, you do."

"No, I don't."

"Yes, you do."

"NO, I DON'T!"

"YES, YOU DO!"

Now Joseph was getting annoyed

"Fine! I do, there, you happy now?!"

Maylen crossed his arms "Not until you tell me which one."

Joseph rolled his eyes and mumbled "the one with green eyes, the taller one." Maylen smiled

"That wasn't so hard was it? Now let's go!" Joseph struggled to get free from Maylen's grip but he dragged Joseph all the way to the mousemaids.

"Hi! I'm Maylen, but you can call me Len, Well if you wanna. What're your names?" Both girls giggled. The one with the green eyes spoke for both of them

"Well I'm Jade," She pointed to herself.

When Maylen looked at the one with blue eyes she smiled, blushed, then hid behind Jade.

Jade grined "and this is my cousin Laurel, though almost everybeast call her Laurie."

Then Jade turned to Joseph who was looking around nervously. "What's your name?"

"M-my n-n-name?" he stuttered. She nodded.

"J-Jo-Joseph." He answered. She put out her paw

"Nice to meet you Joseph." He limply put out his and shook hers.

Then Jade whispered to Maylen "Is he always like this?"

Maylen shook his head "Nah, he's just shy. Don't worry he'll be fine."

"Oh." There was an awkward silence after Jade's subdued reply, but it was broken by Maylen. The mischievous, cheerful young mouse turned towards the village, calling over his shoulder, "Who wants to see if'n my mama has any leftover breakfast scones?"

A/N: So how'd ya like it so far? Oh, oh and how do like the name Dindal? Don't you just love it!? Please Reveiw and tell me!