Chapter 14
"Ah, so this is the famous Miru!" Marok said, holding forth a friendly paw. "We've been wondering so much about you!"
"Hurr, but doan't'n you'm worry about us'ns pesterin' you'm with gurt questions, zurr marten," Soilburr said, tugging his nose respectfully. "Skip told us'n that we're to bee mindin' our own buzyness, hurr arr!"
"I didn't say it quite like that," Skipper said with a lopsided grin.
Amid the general laughter, Miru accepted Marok's proffered paw, a bit taken aback by the mouse's sturdy pawshake. He next accepted the paw of a squirrel, who introduced himself as Rocc.
"I'm probably the only sane one in this group, by the way," the squirrel said with a small smile.
"More like the wimpiest, I'd say!" laughed Marok, elbowing his friend in the ribs.
"Says the mouse who can't stand heights!"
"Alright, mates, that'll do," said Skipper. "Now, I told Miru here that he would get a tour of the abbey."
"Well come on, then, Miru," said Marok, again holding out his paw. "Who better to show you the abbey than the beasts who've grown up here their whole lives?"
From there, Miru found himself being whisked away to behold the most incredible structure he had ever seen. Redwall Abbey was not just a castle, it was a city, far larger and far more stately and beautiful than the castle he grew up in. But it was more than that... it had... warmth... security... love... all the things that his old home had before...
Realizing what he was thinking about, the young marten pushed the thoughts away and focused on what the others were saying as they showed him around.
First, they walked him through a place called The Great Hall, a stunningly magnificent high-ceilinged room, complete with long, stain-glass windows that cast a multitude of rainbows across the sandstone walls. Miru had never seen stain-glass before, and marveled greatly at it.
And it was here where they showed him the largest, most intricate tapestry, featuring a strong-looking, armored mouse with a heroic smile on his kind, handsome face. Looking at the mouse leaning casually against his mighty sword as his foes fled from him, Miru was suddenly reminded of Kirin-
-and quickly brushed that thought away as well.
"And this," said Marok, spreading one arm towards the armored mouse. "Is Martin the Warrior, one of the many founders of Redwall."
Soilburr grinned up at the tapestry, saying, "Hurr, he'm slayed ee gurt woildcat, 'e did! All by 'imself!"
Wildcat.
Miru suddenly felt very umcomfortable. It was a mistake to leave the infirmary, he-
-but then he felt Skipper's paw on his shoulder, and looked up to the otter's reassuring smile.
The pine marten smiled back. How could he think of going back to the infirmary when being out here made Skipper so happy? Creatures like Skipper didn't want to stay cooped up in an infirmary all day and all night. No, Miru would tough this out. They were just words, the things these other creatures were saying. Just words. They couldn't hurt him. Couldn't hurt him...
After half-listening to the legendary adventures of Redwall's Champion, the pine marten was lead through the many more rooms of the abbey. The next stop was a place called Cavern Hole, a much cozier room than Great Hall. Along the way they passed many other creatures clad in the green habit that Miru wore. Most of them eyed the pine marten with great interest.
Creatures staring, Miru thought. Feels just like home.
Surprisingly, however, these creatures greeted him with warmth and bade him welcome at the abbey. A far cry from how he'd been treated in his old life. And he wasn't even an authority figure! Although a part of him wondered if it was only because Skip was with him: back in his old life, no creature ever dared say anything negative about him when Kirin was present.
The pine marten didn't have time to dwell on this, thankfully, for he found himself being led into the abbot's study.
Miru had met the Father Abbot before, once or twice when the old mouse welcomed him to the abbey. He still marveled that this glorious big castle was ruled not by a king, but by an abbot. Surely such a fortitude ought to be led by a more forceful ruler?
Then again, he does have Skipper and a whole crew of otters to take care of any battles, the young marten thought. Another feature remniscent of home.
They found the abbot scribbling something down at his desk when the group entered. The old mouse looked up and smiled. "Good morning, all. Ah, Miru!" He got up and stood before the pine marten. "So nice to see you finally up and about. Tell me, is your leg feeling any better?"
"A little. Thank you, Father Abbot," the young marten replied somewhat awkwardly. He still hadn't gotten quite used to calling a mouse he barely knew "father"; but as that was what everybeast referred to him as, Miru would do the same.
"We're giving him a tour of the abbey, Father Abbot," beamed Marok.
"Splendid, my dear fellows. Well, what do you think of Redwall Abbey so far, my son?" the abbot inquired, peering kindly at Miru though his round specatcles.
Being called "son" certainly had its mixed effects on Miru, but he would take it in stride. "I feel like I've seen everything, and yet they all keep on telling me there's more to see," the pine marten responded with a half smile.
And indeed there was more to see: a library (a rather quiet, comforting place, if a little dusty), the kitchens (a warm, wondrously-smelling room where they sampled some freshly baked tarts), the dormitories and guest bedrooms (Skipper pointed out a particular guest room where he and Miru would be sleeping from now on), and a belltower (no matter how much the others urged him, Miru refused to go up the stairs to get a better view of the bells). And that was only on the inside of the abbey.
On the outside, the pine marten found himself facing a great big lawn that stretched towards another great sandstone wall set with a pair of magnificent gates, and was soon walking along the gardens (which were in full-bloom, reminding Miru of his mother's flower-boxes), the orchards (also in full-bloom), and a large sparkling lake that had a multitude of otters playing in it.
"Ahoy, Skip! Long time no see!" one of the otters called. "Have you quit playing nurseymaid, yet?"
Miru felt his fur prickle, but the otter chieftain only laughed in response. "I'm always playing nurseymaid, whether its to sick martens or to whiny otterbabes like yourself!"
"You'll love our pond," Marok said to Miru. "There's always something to do with it: ice skating in the winter, sailing, skipping stones and swimming in the warmer weather. Say, are you any good at skipping stones?"
"I've never tried it before," the pine marten answered.
"Never tried it before?" said Rocc with raised eyebrows.
"Hurr, ee doan't be a-knowin' wot ee bee missin," said Soilburr, shaking his head.
"Well, no time like the present, right?" smiled Marok. "Let's go over around that way so we won't hit anybeast!"
The group made its way to the other side of the pond where the otters were not playing. Marok, Rocc and Soilburr then went about searching for suitable skimming stones.
"The trick is to find a nice smooth rock," said Marok. "Like this one here, see? Then you just-" The mouse slung his arm back and forward in almost a blur, and the little stone went flying over the pond, actually bouncing off the water.
Miru was amazed, but Rocc shook his head. "Pathetic. That only bounced four times. Let's see how a real stone-skimmer does it!"
The squirrel much of the same arm movement as Marok, only his stone went skipping five times.
"Wow, that's very impressive," said Miru, but Soilburr was grunting and shaking his head.
"Hurr, you'm bain't see noathin' yet, zurr marthen!" And with that, the little mole made his own shot, sending it bouncing across the lake one, two, three, four, five, six times. Miru couldn't help but clap.
"But if you think that's impressive," smiled Marok, "then you'll have to see our own dear Skipper go at it!"
"Ah, no, mates," the big otter pretended to whine, and the three young woodlanders practically fell on him with "Aw, come on Skip, pllleeeaaase? We haven't seen you skim stones in such a long while, I'll bet you'll be wanting to show you haven't lost your touch?"
"Yes, please," added Miru, smiling widely.
"Fine, fine," Rorac conceded, grinning. Picking up a stone and carefully considering the lake, he flung the stone out, skimming it one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten, eleven, twelve times!
Marok, Rocc and Soilburr cheered and clapped. Miru gaped. "How did you do that?" the young marten marveled.
The handsome otter grinned modestly and said, "Oh, its all the wrist, y'know. Plus I've been around water ever since I was born."
"Can you teach me how to do that?" Miru found himself asking this question without even thinking.
Rorac grinned even wider. "Sure thing, mate. We'll have you slingin' stones like a true riverdog in no time!"
And with that, the little group spent most of the day skimming stones, a practice that Miru had never heard of before... and couldn't help but wonder if Kirin would have been any good at it.
Life was different here at Redwall Abbey.
It was peaceful, quiet, and warm. Always warm. Nobeast looked at him like they thought he was crazy. He was always treated kindly, and there was always so much laughter going on.
Despite this, however, Miru still had some trouble adjusting to his new surroundings. Mealtimes were often held either in Cavern Hole, Great Hall, or the orchard, and always there was a big crowd. He preferred the much quieter meals that he and Skipper shared in the infimary. Plus there was also the fact that the marten found himself required to help out with the chores for the first time in his life.
At first, because of his leg, he was not expected to do anything strenuous, but as his injury got better, Miru became more and more familar with the dish sink.
"Don't worry, none of us fancies doin' the dishes," Marok reassued the marten over a considerably dirty pan. "But you'll get used to it. Eventually. I suppose we all will," he added with a wink.
And as welcoming as everybeast was, it got a little stifling after awhile, having to endure such happy creatures on a day to day basis. Some of them were forever patting him on the shoulder or on the back whenever they passed him. He knew it was kindly meant, but he wished everybeast would just keep their paws to themselves!
Except for Skipper, of course. Miru didn't mind if the otter patted him occasionally, but that was only because he was used to Skipper. At first Miru was worried that, now that he was up and about, Skip might try to get him to make friends with the other Redwallers so he could go back to playing in the lake with his fellow otters.
But that did not happen. Rather, Skipper seemed to stick closer to the pine marten more than ever, something which Miru was very relieved and grateful for. The otter made good his promise of sharing the same guest room as the young marten, and he always sat right next to Miru during mealtimes (always encouraging him to take one more bite of food). And in between those mealtimes, he, sometimes along with Marok, Rocc and Soilburr, would try to encourage the marten to go up onto the walltops and see the vastness of Mossflower woods; or to go up into the belltower so he could see the great bells up close; or to try to learn how to swim in the pond.
Miru could be convinced to go up onto the walltops, and was astonished by the endless mass of emerald-green treetops that surrounded the abbey. But he absolutely refused to go up that dark, narrow staircase in the belltower, and he was terrified of going near the lake.
"I can't, and I won't learn how to swim. I'll only sink and drown and that will be the end of me."
"You wouldn't sink if you learned how to swim, you'd be able to keep yourself afloat, mate," argued Skipper. "Besides, you'd have me right there by your side the whole time!"
But the pine marten would still shake his head. "Its too cold, I can tell. Water is always cold, and I can't stand being cold."
"You get used to it after awhile, you just have to keep moving."
"Well, I can't keep moving in the water, I need my rest."
The big otter laughed. "Hahahaa! Ahh, you're a little pickle, sometimes, you know that, little mate?"
"I'd rather be a pickle than a drowned marten, I can tell you that."
"Very well, little matey. You don't have to learn how to swim. Though keep in mind, you'll wish you had once summer comes around, and you'll be begging to be let into all that nice cool water."
"I doubt that," the marten smiled.
Skipper and Miru would do more than just argue over whether or not they should attempt daring feats. The two would also congregate in the library sometimes and read about the fascinating history of the abbey and its heroes. Though after awhile Skipper thought it would be better to take the books outside and read them by the rhododendron bushes on the far side of the pond. And sometimes they wouldn't even bring a book with them, but would just simply sit and talk, which Miru liked most of all. He liked talking with Skipper, who was always ready to laugh or to joke or to comfort. It was such a wonderful thing to do. Or sometimes they wouldn't even talk; they would just lie out in the sun and enjoy each other's company.
So all in all, life was different at Redwall Abbey... but it also had the comforts of home.
The Spring of the Peach Blossom, as the Redwallers were calling it, passed by without much incident. The weather was warm and sweet, filled with fragrant flowers and delicious meals. Even when it rained everything seemed happy, for the abbeydwellers were contented beasts who could find joy in just about anything.
Miru was lying by the rhododendron bush, happily watching as Skipper tusseled in the pond with the other otters. He would occasionally spur his otter-friend on, laughing whenever Rorac would dunk one of his crew, or if one of them dunked him. Miru never knew what a joy it was watching otters at play.
Just then, a kitchenmouse came to the edge of the lake, asking if Skipper and his otters would help move some tables out into the orchard for tea time. Rorac and his crew obliged, and, shaking themselves dry, went in to get the tables. Skipper did glance back over to see if Miru was alright, though; the marten smiled and waved to show that he was.
Sighing contentedly, the young marten laid back on the grass, reveling in the warm spring air. He had gained weight since coming to the abbey, though not nearly enough to be considered healthy; he was still on the thin side. Yet his fur had taken on a new sheen, his eyes a brighter sparkle. He was just beginning to doze off when the sounds of laughter and splashing woke him up.
Raising his head, the pine marten saw that the otters were not back; it was only a crowd of dibbuns (what the Redwallers called their little ones; a peculiar name, Miru thought) that had escaped an elder's watchful eye and were getting themselves in quite a mess. They were a funny lot, dibbuns. It always seemed that they were laughing at nothing in particular, and could make a game out of anything. As he watched them, Miru wondered if he had ever been that way...
Just then the sound of the abbey bells began to ring, signaling for tea time. Miru took a deep breath at the sound. The first few times he heard those two bells toll, they startled him, almost frightened him. But now they held an aura of security about them, as if they were reassuring the abbeydwellers that everything was alright. Only he still would not go up the staircase to look at them. Leave that to the squirrels.
The dibbuns left off their playing and scampered off, dripping wet, towards the building, where a group of reproving Brothers and Sisters surely awaited them. Miru smiled in amusement and decided that he wasn't quite ready to go inside yet; the sun's rays were far too welcoming.
He began to lie back down when something caught his eye. Looking back towards the lake, the pine marten saw that one of the dibbuns, a mouse, had returned to the water's edge in order to retrieve a ball he had dropped.
At first Miru didn't pay too much attention and laid his head back down... except something made him look up again. The little mouse was now up to his hips in the water, and steadily going in further as he tried to reach for his ball, which kept on being pushed out by the dibbuns' waves.
Miru sat up. He didn't think the little mouseling should be going out that far.
"Hey!" he called. "Hey there, don't go out that far, you might-!"
Suddenly the mouse was not there anymore.
Gasping, Miru ran around the lake, calling towards the abbey, "Hey! Help! Heeelp! There's a dibbun drowning! Heeelp!"
Nobeast came from the building, and as Miru turned back towards the lake, he saw the dibbun's head struggling to surface, and heard a half-formed cry for help from the little mite. He looked back at the abbey; nobeast was coming. He looked again at the lake where the little mouse was wildly splashing. After a moment's hesitation, the pine marten stepped into the water. Which was just as cold as he predicted. Nevertheless, despite the cold, Miru put one footpaw after the other, knowing he had to get the mouse out of the water, and fast!
Wading as quickly as he could, Miru felt his heart jump into his throat as the water level climbed higher and higher around him, up past his knees, past his hips, up his stomach...
He was almost within arm's reach of the splashing dibbun. The marten squinted his eyes as he reached forth his arms to try and take hold of the small, struggling form.
He felt the mouse's smock and pulled it towards him, but the frightened, desperate dibbun began to scramble all over him, weighing the pine marten down until his own head was under the ice-cold water, driving it up his nose.
Coughing and spitting and choking and unable to fully gasp for air, Miru tried to keep himself and the mouse above the water, but, to his fright, he found that he was somehow suddenly being pulled further and further into the lake, as if the water itself was trying to drown him. Finally, without thinking, Miru found himself simply grabbing the dibbuin in both paws and holding him up as high as he could while he himself sank down, down, down, the world growing darker and darker and darker...
Skipper Rorac firmly placed his lips against Miru's mouth and breathed in deeply, making the pine marten's narrow chest swell out. The otter then sat up and set both of his paws on that chest and pressed as hard as he could, silently willing the heart inside to keep on beating. Over and over again he breathed air into Miru, and pumped water out of him, while anxious Redwallers looked on. One of the sisters held the trembling mouse dibbun in a towel. The abbot and Sister Grace held each other's paws. Soilburr nervously tapped his digging claws. Rocc flicked his bushy tail.
"Skip?" Marok asked after awhile. "Is he...?"
But Skipper ignored the inquiry. His full attention was on getting Miru to start breathing again. Air in, water out. Air in, water out. Breathe, come on, little mate, breathe, BREATHE! Air in, water out, air in, water out, air in, water out...
...
...And then-
-a cough, a spray of water, and a huge intake of air from the pine marten.
The Redwallers sagged and cheered (some even cried) with relief as Miru sat up, coughing and gasping for air. Breathing more heavily than he ever had in his entire life, the sopping wet pine marten looked about himself, widening his eyes at the sight of the cheering abbeybeasts... and then found himself gazing into the red-rimmed eyes of Skipper Rorac.
For a moment, it seemed as though both animals tried to think of something to say.
Then the big otter wrapped his arms around Miru's small frame, who returned the hug as the other abbeydwellers swarmed around them, patting their backs and saying how brave and resourceful they both were.
But none of that mattered to Miru, or to Skipper.
All that mattered was that they were still together. Friends for life.