Hi!
I plan for this to be a series of snapshots of the intertwined lives of Veil and Bryony, exploring why Veil turned out the way he did and whether he was truly evil or mainly misunderstood. (There must have been a reason for his behavior!)
I go with the idea that 1 season = 1 human year, so Veil is the equivalent of a three-year-old child in this chapter, and Bryony's thirteen. I am also assuming that Veil was brought to Redwall at the age of one (he was born in winter and they found him in spring, and in this chapter it's autumn).
Enjoy! :D
"Bwinee?"
The mousemaid turned at the voice of her young charge, setting her basket of nuts down and flicking a wisp of stray headfur out of her blue eyes. "Yes, Veil? Oh, what's wrong, dear?"
Three-season-old Veil had a perplexed and saddened expression on his chubby face. A few autumn leaves crunched into the grass under his small footpaws as he walked closer to the maid who was both foster-mother and friend to him.
"Layna an' Kalsie was mean to me."
"What did they say?" Bryony asked, her expression shifting into something unreadable. She knelt on a patch of grass and held out her arms to the ferretbabe in an unspoken invitation. Veil accepted and sat on her lap, snuggling his head into her shoulder, his brown eyes serious.
"Layna said dat I was a vewmin, and den Kalsie said dat I look funny." He clasped his paws awkwardly and twisted them around, then turned his large brown eyes on Bryony, expecting an answer.
The mousemaid bit her lip, struggling to quell her rising indignation. How could those two otter Dibbuns say such a thing? They're about three seasons older than Veil! Her paw clenched involuntarily, but she kept her voice light as she answered.
"Oh, Veil, that's not true. Layna and Kalsie don't know what they're talking about. A vermin means a creature who is bad, and you aren't bad, are you? You're a very good little ferret." Bryony suddenly grinned and tickled him under the chin in an attempt to distract him, while he giggled in response and tried to wriggle away. She hoped he would forget the otter siblings' other words.
After a moment, she breathed deep of the autumn air and asked brightly, "Isn't it a beautiful day? Why don't you run and play now? I'll go talk to Layna and Kalsie in a moment."
"But I need t'tell you somethin' else," he said, growing serious again. "Why did dey say dat I was a vewmin if I'm not bad?"
Bryony slowly shifted to a more comfortable position, as her leg was going to sleep. "Oh, I don't know," she answered evasively. In actuality, she knew quite well. Layna and Kalsie were the daughters of an otter couple who were former members of Skipper's otter crew. Their opinions on vermin were rather extreme, to say the least. While the adults had never said anything about Veil in particular, Bryony was not entirely surprised that their children were so harsh. "Maybe some creatures don't... understand... what words really mean and how they can hurt others," she continued, taking on a thoughtful look. "I don't really know."
"But I dot you knew everything!" Veil exclaimed, his eyes round with genuine surprise.
The mousemaid smiled. "Oh, not everything. Now, go on, go play." She pushed him gently off her lap before he could ask any more about the ottermaids' other comments. Veil got up somewhat reluctantly, took one of the nuts from her basket, and then, upon seeing some other Dibbuns wandering by, scampered off in a happier mood.
Once he was gone, Bryony sighed and got to her footpaws. She looked up at the sky, twisting a small bead bracelet tied around her left wrist.
"I really miss you, Mum," she whispered almost prayerfully. "I - I wonder sometimes if I'm even capable of raising a child. I'm – I'm only thirteen, you know." She stood there a moment longer, blue eyes even bluer with the sky's reflection, and then grabbed her basket, a determined glint in her eyes.
She had a pair of otter Dibbuns - and maybe parents - to talk to.
Reviews appreciated! :D Please tell me of A-N-Y-T-H-I-N-G that can be improved here. (I promise I won't be offended!)