**I made up some of the characters in this story except for the very few
that were actually from Brian Jacques' series, Redwall. The settings are
most likely from my imagination, save Redwall and some of the surrounding
Mossflower Wood. Please R&R ^^**
Craklyn looked at the small otter dibbun who was perched on the armrest of her chair, sound asleep. Gently taking the otter babe off the armrest, she placed him on the seat of the chair and picked up a blanket. Walking to the open door, she shook out the blanket and hardly noticed when a beat up old book fell out of the creases of the quilt. Walking back to the chair, Craklyn put the quilt on the sleeping dibbun. Craklyn walked slowly back to her desk and began to record the day's happenings. After about five minutes, she finally could not handle the otter babe's uproarious snoring and moved to the doorway. She would have tripped on the book if Abbess Tansy had not walked up at that moment and asked her what the book was for.
"What book?" Craklyn asked looking at Tansy inquisitively.
"The one you stopped only two steps behind of," the Abbess replied with a smile, but then her face creased with worry. "You didn't see the book, did you?" She walked to Craklyn and picked up the book, showing it to her. "What do you suppose it is?"
Craklyn looked from Tansy to the book, and back again. "There's only one way to find out," she answered and took the book from the Abbess.
Sitting down on the steps, both Redwallers looked at the cover of the book for a while before opening to the first page. The cover was black, tattered, torn, and stained. The first page wasn't in very good condition, but it could still be read:
"I don't suppose those of us living in secret in Mossflower Wood would normally pine for the insecurity and sociable Redwall Abbey, but I have been ever since Martin the Warrior started visiting me. But then again, I don't suppose they would accept me anyway."
Craklyn looked at the Abbess with a puzzled look in her eyes. "Somebeast hiding in secret in the Mossflower Woods?" she asked skeptically, trying to tell what the Abbess thought personally from her eyes. But she hadn't stopped reading where the Recorder had.
"Craklyn," Tansy said quietly, "where did you find this?"
Craklyn took off her glasses and wiped them with her sleeve. "I don't rightly know, I didn't know it was here until you showed up. I was inside the whole time with that otter dibbun, although I did.." Craklyn suddenly stopped short and walked rapidly into the tiny gatehouse, bringing the quilt outside with her. "The book must have fallen out of this quilt," she explained rapidly, "I thought the dibbun might catch a cold so I brought the blanket to the doorway, shook it out, and then put it on him. I didn't want dirt or anything getting on the poor fellow.."
Tansy closed her eyes and thought. "Craklyn, who did that blanket belong to?"
"Well, that's simple: Rose." Tansy's eyes shot open.
Craklyn looked at the small otter dibbun who was perched on the armrest of her chair, sound asleep. Gently taking the otter babe off the armrest, she placed him on the seat of the chair and picked up a blanket. Walking to the open door, she shook out the blanket and hardly noticed when a beat up old book fell out of the creases of the quilt. Walking back to the chair, Craklyn put the quilt on the sleeping dibbun. Craklyn walked slowly back to her desk and began to record the day's happenings. After about five minutes, she finally could not handle the otter babe's uproarious snoring and moved to the doorway. She would have tripped on the book if Abbess Tansy had not walked up at that moment and asked her what the book was for.
"What book?" Craklyn asked looking at Tansy inquisitively.
"The one you stopped only two steps behind of," the Abbess replied with a smile, but then her face creased with worry. "You didn't see the book, did you?" She walked to Craklyn and picked up the book, showing it to her. "What do you suppose it is?"
Craklyn looked from Tansy to the book, and back again. "There's only one way to find out," she answered and took the book from the Abbess.
Sitting down on the steps, both Redwallers looked at the cover of the book for a while before opening to the first page. The cover was black, tattered, torn, and stained. The first page wasn't in very good condition, but it could still be read:
"I don't suppose those of us living in secret in Mossflower Wood would normally pine for the insecurity and sociable Redwall Abbey, but I have been ever since Martin the Warrior started visiting me. But then again, I don't suppose they would accept me anyway."
Craklyn looked at the Abbess with a puzzled look in her eyes. "Somebeast hiding in secret in the Mossflower Woods?" she asked skeptically, trying to tell what the Abbess thought personally from her eyes. But she hadn't stopped reading where the Recorder had.
"Craklyn," Tansy said quietly, "where did you find this?"
Craklyn took off her glasses and wiped them with her sleeve. "I don't rightly know, I didn't know it was here until you showed up. I was inside the whole time with that otter dibbun, although I did.." Craklyn suddenly stopped short and walked rapidly into the tiny gatehouse, bringing the quilt outside with her. "The book must have fallen out of this quilt," she explained rapidly, "I thought the dibbun might catch a cold so I brought the blanket to the doorway, shook it out, and then put it on him. I didn't want dirt or anything getting on the poor fellow.."
Tansy closed her eyes and thought. "Craklyn, who did that blanket belong to?"
"Well, that's simple: Rose." Tansy's eyes shot open.