The mysertious otter in Weylan's dreams is revealed, and a quest shall begin...;)
Chapter 11
Night had long fallen, and Toka's horde still worked at building their contraption. Weylan watched from a crack in a barricaded window in a unlit dormitory. He had no idea what the vermin contraption could be, but going from what he could see of it, he knew that it was going to be deadly.
However, it was clear that there wasn't going to be another major assault or some surprise attack tonight. Most of the horde was working on the contraption, and half of what remained of that was busy doing other chores. Toka and his guards where in the gatehouse cottage. Not one member of the horde could not be accounted for. Still, Weylan kept watch just in case the small handful of vermin not working didn't start shooting off popshots just to pass the time.
Yawning, he stretched to fight his weariness, loaded sling dangling from one paw. He saw Kesmin stride in from the lantern lit hallway beyond the open door.
"Ye really should sleep." she said.
"I'm fine." Weylan stated. "Redwall needs all the 'elp it can get."
Kesmin nodded sympathetically, then pulled up a chair and sat in it. "I'm sorry." she finally announced.
Weylan glanced at her vacantly. "Sorry fer wot?" he asked. "Are ye wishin' we'd stayed 'ome?"
"No, actually, I'm glad we're at Redwall." Kesmin admitted. "We're safer 'ere than we would've been at 'ome. It's...well..." she trailed off for a moment, gathering her thoughts together. "Yore father left ye a small dagger fer ye to 'ave when you were about as old as you were now. But I 'eld off givin' it to ye, because, well, ye didn't seem to really 'ave a need fer it." she chuckled dryly. "An' now we're in the prefect situation to need somethin' like that."
Weylan saw her point. Whether or not he'd like carrying a weapon like that around, it would be a bit of an added comfort to have it now. He didn't say that though. "Don't worry about it Ma," he said instead, "We'll get by with wot we've got."
Kesmin grinned, looking satisfied and started to leave.
"Wait." Weylan suddenly said., remembering something. "That dagger, is it about this long, with a narrow, shiny, blade with a gold 'andle an' little swirly patterns carved into the ends of the crosshilt?"
"Yes." Kesmin answered. "You've seen the blade before, just not fer a while now." she turned and exited the room saying, "Not surprised that ye remember wot it looks like."
"Uh...right." Weylan answered. "I remember wot it looks like." but he knew he only remembered what the dagger looked like because it he had seen it somewhere else before.
He brewed over the matter for awhile, continuing to watch Toka's horde outside. His weariness came back and redoubled it's efforts to put him to sleep. Unable to keep standing, the otter let himself drop into the chair Kesmin had vacated. Eyelids drooping, he tried desperately to stay awake.
Suddenly, he found himself on the hill. Unsurprised, Weylan marched up to it's peak, where the usual otter stood waiting for him. Weylan eyed the dagger that was sheathed at the otter's waist. It was exactly identical to the dagger he and Kesmin had discussed.
"Weylan." the otter began, "Heed my warning. You cannot stay at Redwall."
This caught Weylan off guard. In all of his past dreams, he was told to go to Redwall and stay there, and now seemed to be a good time to do that, with Toka's horde having the abbey surrounded. But now, he was to leave?
"Why?" Weylan found himself asking the otter. This was the first time he ever said something in his dreams.
"You are to find the reward." the otter answered.
"But who cares about a reward right now?" Weylan asked. "Redwall's in grave danger."
"So it is." the otter replied. "But it will be safe. Redwall cannot fall. To do so would result in chaos throughout the land."
"Right, I knew that." Weylan muttered. "So, you want me to go after this award. Wot for? Wot it the award anyway?"
"The award is for you to discover. Only you can find out what it is." the otter told him. "But know this. Finding the award will lead to Toka's downfall."
Weylan wondered how that would happen.
"You must take I Am That Is's son with you." the otter suddenly added.
Weylan stared at him. "Now that's just crazy talk!" he exclaimed. "Matti's needed 'ere, at Redwall!"
The otter, however, shook his head, and repeated the poem he said in Weylan's first dream.
"He who seeks the award,
And claim it as his,
An abbey he must face towards.
There, seek I am that is.
His son will guide the way."
The otter empathized the last line greatly. Weylan understood suddenly.
"But why Matti?" Weylan asked. "Why must he set all of his more important concerns aside to 'elp me with this?"
"The same reason you must find the award." the otter said, then added suddenly, "Son."
Mattimeo was on a hill. He studied it over, and wondered if it was the same hill that Weylan spoke of in his dreams. Slowly, he made his way to the top, and there he found an elderly otter that bore some resemblance to Weylan. The otter grinned, then spoke:
"Arise, and seek your otter friend.
You have a quest to begin."
Having said that, the otter then bent down and lifted the stone covering the underground passageway. Mattimeo peered inside and saw a ste of stone stairs. He walked down them and into a dark chamber. He saw a lantern set on a stone shelf. He reached for them and brought them down. After a moment, he had the lantern glowing brightly. Standing up, he waved the lantern around, about to see what was in the room, when...
"Matti, wake up."
Mattimeo awoke to see Weylan's face peering down at his. Seeing he was awake, the otter set Mattimeo onto his feet, then began to collecting some bags set down at their feet.
"We 'ave to go." Weylan explained quickly. "I 'ad a..."
"...dream." Mattimeo finished, dazed. "Weylan, I had a dream too."
The otter stared at him, unsure how to respond. Mattimeo picked up Martin's sword.
"Let's go." he said.
The next morning found Cornflower standing patiently outside the infirmary doors. After a few moments of waiting, Sister May stepped out.
"How is he?" Cornflower asked.
"He's doing somewhat better." Sister May said. "I don't know if he'll recover, but one thing is for sure, you're husband is fighting this illness like the warrior he is."
This news cheered Cornflower slightly.
"What's curious, though, is that he seems to know that something's wrong." Sister May went on to say, as they walked down a set of stairs into Cavern Hole. "During the few times he's awake, he's trying to leave his bed, saying that he had to help the others." she shook her head. "I wish I could let him, but he barely has the strength to sit up, much less to stand up and run and fight."
Cornflower sighed. "This is a rough time for all of us." she said. "With vermin within our walls and the threat of attack constant, I really wish Matthias was well and able to help us. I'm worried more about Matti now though. The stress of it all must be frustrating for him to handle."
"Speaking of Mattimeo, how is he doing?" May asked.
"He's coping." Cornflower said. "He took the situation yesterday and handled it well. I just hope he doesn't decide to do anything rash."
Inside Cavern Hole, the abbot, Basil, Constance, and a few others were gathered together at a table. They looked up when Sister May and Cornflower entered.
"Ah, Cornflower, excuse me if I'm interrupting." Mordalfus spoke. "Could you tell us where your son is? He requested for a council of war, and it was agreed that we would do it before breakfast."
"No, but he was keeping watch on the vermin outside last night and probably dozed off at one point." Cornflower answered.
"I say, it's nice for a chap to get their sleep, but war waits for no beast." Basil piped in.
"True, Basil, I'll go get him." Cornflower stated, and walked off. Sister May followed.
They stopped in front of a dormitory room door. Cornflower knocked on it.
"Matti, time to get up." she called. "You're wanted in Cavern Hole."
But there was no answer.
"Matti?" Cornflower called again, opening the door.
The room was empty. Mattimeo was gone, but two small slips of paper sat on a chair next to the barricaded window. Cornflower picked them up and studied him, while Sister May watched over Cornflower's shoulder.
"So much for him not doing anything rash." Sister May remarked.
Abbot Mordalfus studied the message Mattimeo had left again and again silently, while the others sat around him, waiting patently to hear what it said.
"So what's it say, Father Abbot?" Constance finally asked, breaking the silence.
"Quite a bit, yet it also leaves quite a bit of room to wonder." Mordalfus answered. "Have we searched everywhere for Mattimeo?"
"Yes, and he's nowhere to be found." Cornflower answered, sounding very worried.
"That's not all." said Kesmin, walking into the room. "My Weylan's missin' too."
"And this explains why." Mordalfus stated, waving the message in the air.
"So what's it say?" Constance asked again.
Mordalfus cleared his throat, then began reading. "'Friends of Redwall, you are undoubtably wondering where I have gone off to. First off, let me assure you that Weylan and I are fine, but we have a matter of business to attend to, one that apparently has to do with destiny for both of us, and, as Weylan assures me, will somehow help Redwall fight against Toka and his horde.
"'Now, for details. Both Weylan and me had dreams, telling us to leave Redwall and help each other seek a mysterious reward. Exactly what the reward is and why we must get it, is unknown. Weylan has instructions as to where to find it, though, given to him through the same dream. Worry not bout us getting past Toka's forces, for we discovered that there is a kind of blind spot in his guarding around the pond.
"'Toka's forces are wise though, so the attempt to escape through that area can only be done the one time. We don't recommend anybody coming after us anyway. We do not like having to leave Redwall at such a time of need, but it seems that it is needed.'"
Mordalfus set the message down. "That's all it says, I'm afraid. After that point is only Mattimeo's and Weylan's signatures."
"But there was two of the bally messages, wasn't there?" Basil suddenly pointed out. "What does the second on say?"
"I don't know." Cornflower said, who held the folded up slip of paper. "It's not for us to receive and read."
"Then who is it fer?" Kesmin asked.
"The message is for Tess." Cornflower answered.