They got to the Abbey in the late evening. Mrue and Rhea gasped at the sight, giddy with the though of being reunited with their family. "Naythe, Aten, go knock," Skipper ordered.

The two otter brothers rapped their javelins against the big wooden doors. High up on the walltop, a sentry's silhouette peered out between two battlements. "Who goes there, friend or foe?"

Mrue took a step forward, shaded her eyes with a paw, and looked up at the blacked-out form. "Kramer? Is that you?"

The sentry bent over the battlements. "Mrue?! Is Rhea with you?"

"Yeah! Will you let us in?"

Kramer's silhouette disappeared, but they could hear him shout, "Mrue an' Rhea's back! Open the gates!"

When the gates finally creaked open, the squirrel, two moles and a hare were waiting to intercept them. Mrue and Rhea hugged them all. Before the maids could start introductions, a spiky-furred shrew sprinted out the gates, pushing past the others. She grabbed Mrue and Rhea, throwing her arms around their waists. She began to squeeze and shake them, alternately scolding and fretting over them. "Oh, thank the heavens, you're both alive! We looked everywhere for you. What were you thinking, wandering off like that? What happened? Rhea, you're bandaged- how bad are you hurt? DO EITHER OF YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW WORRIED I WAS?!"

Mrue just laughed, bending a little to embrace the shorter shrew. "We're alright, Rucci."

An older squirrelmum appeared, embracing the two maids as soon as Rucci released them. "Rhea, Mrue, oh I'm so happy you're safe! We were all worried sick when we couldn't find you. We didn't want to move on, but we came to Redwall thinking we'd get more help, or you'd meet us here. We missed you so much! Don't you ever leave again!"

Tears of joy choked in Rhea's throat. "We missed you, too, Marmy. Where are the other Singers?"

Marmy released them and stepped aside. "They should be coming- actually, I can hear them..."

Skipper and his crew watched wide-eyed as at least 2 score maids came stampeding out of the Abbey. "Mrue! Rhea!" they all shouted, breaking into squeals of delight, laughter, and many fast-paced words. Mrue and Rhea squealed along as they were surrounded, hugging and laughing with them. Then came about a score of males came, joining the surrounding circle. After they had both hugged everybeast at least twice, Rhea and Mrue made their way out of the circle and shouted for silence.

"We'll explain everything later," Rhea announced. She gestured to Skipper and his crew. "This is Skipper Roc and his crew. They saved us and brought us back. We owe them a great deal."

Marmy stepped forward and wrapped her arms around Skipper, fervently thanking him. A bit uncomfortable, Skipper lightly patted the emotional squirrelmum's back. "Um... no thanks needed, marm."
The rest of his crew chuckled at their leader's predicament. They stopped when Marmy insisted on hugging each of them. While she did, Rhea smiled sheepishly. "She's Marmy, our musician."

"I'm Rucci," the shrew piped up. "Their director."

"And this is our family," Mrue added. "Our part, the Altos. Our closest sisters, if you will."

A group of maids waved.

"The Sopranos-" Rhea said. This group of maids giggles and whispered to eachother.

"And our Chummers," Rhea continued. "The Tenors and Basses."

Mrue looked over rhem. "Where's Coda?"

"He and a few others are out with a search party looking for you." Rucci explained. "They'll be back by dinner."

Mrue opened her mouth, but she was cut off by a shrill screech. "Rhea!"

Another ottermaid walked through the Choir, shoving others out of her way. Completely ignoring everybeast else, she screeched again, high and scratchy. "RHEA!"

She surged forward and roughly grabbed Rhea's chafed wrists. The new ottermaid din't notice the darker ottermaid wince, just blabbering hysterically on, "Oh, I've been so worried. I begged those others to stay and look for you some more, but they insisted on coming to Redwall."

The group behind her started quietly protesting, one Soprano squirrelmaid louder than the rest. "I don't remember any of that ever happening, Nellie."

Nellie ignored them, hugging Rhea and shrilly exclaiming, "I was so worried!"

Mrue folded her arms across her chest, examining her claws on a paw, face blank and voice mild. "Oh, really? Well, you didn't seem too worried when you ditched us." At the last words, she looked up from her claws to pick Nellie with a glare, anger smoldering in her green eyes.

The group's protests grew louder. "You told us Mrue told you to leave!"

Rucci held up a paw to quiet them, but kept her eyes on Nellie. "Is that true? You ditched them?"

Nellie ignored them. Her dramatic mood had long vanished as she glared haughtily at Mrue. "Glad to see you're alive," she snapped, clearly not.

Meanwhile, the group had worked themselves into a frenzy, shouting at Nellie.
"'Deception!'" one Tenor hare called.

A trio of two Altos and a Soprano sang, '"An outrage!'"

"'Disgrace!'" A Bass boomed.

Another trio of maids harmonized, scowling at Nellie. "'For shame!'"

Nellie began shouting back at them and the group replied in a tidal wave of accusations, occasional harmonies of 'For shame!' and 'Disgrace!' ringing out. Rucci began shouting to calm the group.

Skipper glanced at Rhea. The ottermaid shrugged. "It's easy for the group to get riled. Our tempers run high."

"Do they always harmonize when they're angry?" He asked.

Mrue half-smiled. "Sometimes. Let's go inside."

A few members of the group left and followed them in. Mrue and Rhea introduced them as their close friends; Rin, Cae, and Lyxa. Skipper gave a start when they introduced what looked like an oversized, thin foxmaid. "Tallulah. She's a coyote, and a really good friend of ours."

"A coyote?" Aten asked. "What's that?"

Tallulah quietly explained, "Like a really big fox."

"Cool. I've never met a nice vermin before."

Everybeast when silent, pausing in their tracks. Mrue knew the term wasn't meant cruelly, just the innocent comment a young otter like Aten was bound to make. She kept her voice soft, quietly explaining, "Tallulah's a goodbeast. One of the best creature's I've ever known. Not vermin."

Rhea cleared her throat, winced at the action, then changed the subject. "You'll meet the others- Coda, Lukas, Kramer, Kelp and Kale- later on."

Lyxa put a big paw on Mrue's shoulder. "Coda will be so happy to see you safe."

Rin flicked her ears. "'Happy' won't even begin to cover it."

Lyxa turned to Skipper and his crew. "I'm very grateful to you all for finding and returning these two. It's almost lunch; I can make a big pot of Hotroot soup, if you'll stay."

"Beggin' yore pardon, marm-" Naythe began.

"Lyxa," the badgermaid interrupted. "Not 'Marm'."

"Oh, sorry. Beggin' yore pardon, Lyxa, but I've never heard o' a badger cookin' an otter dish."

"Oh, Lyxa's a good cook!" Cae chirped, skipping alongside Rin.

Mrue put her paws on her belly. "I second that. Also, I am starving."

Lyxa laughed. "Get full at lunch, okay? I've got to go."

She strode off to the kitchens. At the gates, the fight had broken up. The Singers swarmed to Mrue and Rhea, asking what had happened to them. The ottermaids' answer to all of them was the same. "We'll tell everybeast at the same time. We don't want to repeat it a thousand times."

Rucci and Marmy caught up to them. "You'll have to tell the Abbot, first of all. C'mon, we'll take you to him."

They found the Abbot it the Abbey's library, perched high on a ladder and scanning the topmost shelves. Marmy knocked on the doorway to announce their presence. "Ahem. Abbot Mittle."

The dusty-looking mouse gave a start and clutched the ladder. "Hmm. wha?" He peered around through his thick spectacles, taking a few moments before finally noticing them. "Oh, ah! Marmy and Rucci, good to see you. I trust you're enjoying your stay at Redwall?"

Rucci grabbed Mrue's wrist and tugged her forward, Marmy doing the same to Rhea. "Yes, sir. We'd like to introduce you to-"

The Abbot wasn't listening. He clambered down the ladder and hobbled over to them. "Oohh, who's this you've brought. Don't recall seeing the two of them before."

"This is Rhea, and Mrue. They were the lost two; the Skipper and his crew just brought them back."

"Skipper Roc? A very good otter, that one. I've known him most his life. Ah the stories I could tell. But, first things first. Welcome to Redwallo Mrue and Rhea. I'm pleased you returned safely. I would like you to tell me what happened." He waved to top four overstuffed armchairs. "Take a seat. Erm,.. Rucci, would you mind helping me off this ladder and to a chair? I'm not too steady on my footpaws."

Marmy ushered the two ottermaids to chairs. Behind her, Rucci took the aged Abbot's arm and lead him to his own seat. Mrue could tell just by the way he moved that he was positively ancient;he shuffled hid footpaws and leaned heavily on Rucci, unsteady in every movement.

As soon as he sat down, Mrue and Rhea related how they'd been captured, held captive, rescued and brought to the Abbey. The tale took longer than it should have, as they had to patiently repeat most of the happenings to the old mouse. When they finished for a second time, the Abbot nodded sagely. "Humm. Thank you, missies. And, Rhea, would that bandage on your neck be where you were cut? It hasn't been properly treated, has it? My eyesight's not good, you know."

"It is, sir, and it's only been treated with dockleaves, sir."

"Be sure to have Sister Perkle, our Infirmary Keeper, see to it. And to your wrists and ankles, where you were bound. The same goes for you, Mrue."

She nodded, "Yes, Abbot."

Rucci agreed. "I'm guessing lunch is ready by now. You two go ahead, we'll help the Abbot down."

Mrue and Rhea nodded and left.

By the time they got to the Great Hall, lunch had already commenced. The tables were covered with all manner of delicious food, courtesy of the fat mole Friar, his workers, and Lyxa. The creatures waited for the Abbot to say a short Grace, with long breaks between each line, then dug in.
Lyxa was busy serving, but Rin, Cae, Tallulah and several others welcomed Mrue and Rhea to sit with them. Even though her belly had been grumbling at her for most of the day, Mrue picked and nibbled at her food, listening to the general hum and chatter of the meal.

Halfway through the meal, the Abbey doors creaked open. Three otters, a hare and a hedgehog walked in, their shoulders slumped and heads low. The chatter hushed; a Singer's voice rang out. "Coda, Junn, you guys, guess who's come back? The Skipper and his crew found Rh-"

The two ottermaids were already of their footpaws, sprinting to the search party. The searchers' weary shoulders and slumped back straightened, tired faced breaking into joyous grins. Coda and Junn intercepted the maids; Coda caught Mrue, hugging her tightly. Rhea embraced Junn, despite his sharp quills. The other searchers, Kelp, Kale, Junn, and Lukas embraced them, quickly checking them over for injuries, each fussing about their chafed wrists and Rhea's bandage. When asked, Mrue and Rhea quickly related their capture, captivity, and rescue. As they did, the rest of the Singers and some Redwallers gathered close around.
Once the narrative ended, Coda took Mrue's paws. "How do you feel?"

Mrue glanced down, then met his eyes, grinning. Loud and clear for everybeast to hear, she sang,
"'Good, good, good, good to be alive, right about now!'"

There was a second of silence, then suprised gasp and delighted squeals pealed out. The Singers set up a happy uproar, the exclamation, "Mrue, you sang loud!" being the general census.

Through the melee, Mrue and Coda began to continue the song, others joining in until the Singers were one loud, singing and dancing circle.

"'I think I finally found my hallelujah

I've been waiting for this moment all my life

Now all my dreams are coming true, ya

I've been waiting for this moment

And it's good to be alive right about now

Good, good, good, good to be alive right about now

Good, good, good, good to be alive right about now

Hallelujah, let that bass line move ya, say yeah

It's good to be alive right about now!'"

Out in the Mossflower woodlands, it had taken the tied-up captors only a few hours to free themselves. Then they'd sat trying to puzzle out what their next move should be. They came to an agreement very quickly; they would flee as far as they could. It was their only option, really. Their Chief was very strict, and he held one policy above all else; there was no room for failures in his army.
They had been sent out on an eight-day mission with only one purpose: catch a hostage. Today was the eighth day, and they'd hadn't caught anybeast to bring to their Chief. The two ottermaids had been their saving grace- until they'd been rescued. Now the vermin quadruplet had failed their mission.
And death was the punishment for failure.

The sun fell behind the horizon as they fled for their lives. They might have succeeded, too, if only they hadn't crossed paths with a party of the Cheif's loyal soldiers sent to retrieve them. They were caught and bound as the ottermaids had been, and marched back to the army's camp.

The camp was unnaturally quiet. Their fellow soldiers were gathered around fired between the rows and columns of tents. The fires their threw black, barbaric shadows on the canvas sides of the tent; it sparked in their sharply staring, silently accusing eyes. The captured vermin were marched through the camp and thrown to the ground before the biggest fire of all. And on the other side of it, their Chief. The first wolf in all of Mossflower.

He was just as tall as any badger, though not as broad. His frame was long and lean, filled out with rock-hard muscles to make him as powerful as a Bloodwrath Berserker. His thick fur was mostly gray, flecked with black, darker and lighter shades of grey, and tan. Even sitting down, he was more than head-and shoulders taller than them. His dark, narrowed eyes gleamed in the firelight as he looked regally down his broad muzzle at them.

"Lord Lachlan," one of the uncaptured vermin said, bowing respectfully. "We retrieved the captor group at your command. They were trying to flee to the flatlands."

The wolf rose to his footpaws, tail swishing under the long red cape he wore over his black jerkin. "I see you have brought me no captives. So, you failed your mission, then tried deserting my army."

Fear shining in his eyes, ears back and bushy tail tucked between his legs, Foglox tried to defend his case. "Lord, we actually did have two captives, but-"

"SILENCE!" the wolf's snarl and exposed, gleaming fangs reduced the fox to whimpering and made everybeast else cringe. "It doesn't matter if you 'had' captives. You failed to bring them to me. And if failure wasn't enough, you tried to run away. Failure and desertion are not allowed in my army." He snarled out an order. "Put them to death."

Knowing that wailing and begging for mercy would earn them a more painful death, the four captive vermin let themselves be drug away, quietly whimpering, tears running down their cheeks.

Lachlan seated himself and held his chin between thumb and finger, gazing into the fire as he pondered. "Hmm... Without a captive, I can't get any new information on Redwall. I'll have to find another way."
He smiled to himself, ivory fangs glistening. "But I'm in no hurry."

Song is 'Hallelujah' by Andy Grammar