The Heart of Noonvale
Chapter 3
Kira and Bluebell slept in an abandoned section of the abbey, Bluebell snoring
away. Kira had his cloak over his ears, partly to muffle the sound.
Ferrie was sent to check on the two. She opened the door partially, peering
through with her candle in front of her.
"Silly ole chap," she muttered upon seeing Kira. "'is pore ears'll suffercate
if 'e keeps that thingy on them! I had better move 'em!"
Quietly she crept forward, lifting the cloak. If Kira's ears had seven tails
Ferrie couldn't have been more shocked.
"We've a bloomin' fox among us!" she exclaimed, dropping the cloak over Kira's
entire face. "Ooh, mister Dennon...the jig is up! I'll report ya to th'abbot!
Hah hah hah!"
Of course she couldn't, because the Abbot wouldn't speak to Ferrie after she
had broken his deceased mother's tray.
"Miz Runa, marm, there must be some way I can talk to th'abbot!" she exclaimed
woefully as the badger was tending to their new addition, who called herself
Gettat.
"Perhaps he wants something of you," said Runa, placing a dish of candied
chestnuts and meadowcream in front of Gettat.
"P'raps," said Ferrie, wrinkling her nose. "Miz Runa, can I have some chestnuts
'n meadowcream, too?"
"No!" exclaimed Runa. "Neither I, nor the abbot, nor anybody in the abbey will
ever let you within ten steps of a bowl of candied chestnuts anymore!"
"But I said I was sorry! What's the bally matter, wot?" Ferrie's bushy tail
flicked, distressed.
"Excuse me for interfering," said Gettat, swallowing a chestnut, "but maybe
you should ask the Abbot what he wants of you."
"Good idea, Gettat!" said Runa. "Go now, Ferrie, before the Abbot can get
really irritated."
Ferrie gave a gentle knock on the door. "Mister Abbot, sah, can I enter?" she
said meekly.
"Oh, all right, as long as you don't have any trays," grumbled the abbot.
Ferrie entered, head down but eyes peering upwards. "Mister Abbot Grunn, sah,
miz Runa says that I should ask you wot I should do to replace your tray."
Grunn sighed. "You cannot replace that tray with another tray for starters,
Ferrie. My mother was a member of the Wandering Noonvale Troupe. Maybe if you
can find them and state your purpose, they will give you something to replace
it."
Ferrie's head nodded insanely. "Jolly good idea, mister Abbot, sah! But where
is the troupe?"
"Somewhere, they don't call it wandering for nothing," said the Abbot. He
took out the piece of parchment he had written upon and handed it to Ferrie.
"Maybe this will help you."
Ferrie examined it for a moment. "Hmmm. 'The one whose aim and heart are true'.
Didn't miz Runa 'elp you with this one?"
"Yes, she did, but she was stumped by the last two lines."
Ferrie searched for them in the text.
"'And the good-hearted enemy will see I
And will lead you to the cat that cries'."
Then Ferrie remembered why she had wanted to see the abbot. "Enemy! Mister
Abbot, did ya know about Dennon?!?!"
"Know what?" said the abbot, tense.
"'e's a fox! We've a fox within the bally abbey walls!"
"A fox! But...maybe he's the good-hearted enemy..."
"Yah, well, maybe this 'Gettat' figure is, too! How will we know?"
"Let's just figure out the first four for now," said the abbot soothingly. "Runa
said that the one whose aim and heart are true is you, Ferrie, because you are
our best archer. And you surely didn't break the tray with malicious intent."
The abbot sighed.
"Righto, so I'm going! And who's this lord then, huh?"
"Dunno, some lord or other. But you'll probably find him soon. Next line!"
"Find a hare with coloured fur. That's miz Bluebell, eh wot? How many hares
d'you know with coloured fur?"
"None at all, besides her," said the Abbot, "and I don't even know her well.
Next line?"
"And the mouse whose running makes him a blur. Hmmm, we've a lot of quick mice
in this abbey, this one'll be a bit hard..."
Suddenly Sam and Daniard burst in through the door bearing food, Sam holding
the tray and Daniard keeping the door open. "Sir!"
"Ah, some grub!" said Ferrie gleefully. "I haven't had a bite since breakfast!"
"Breakfast was but an hour ago," said Daniard. "And the Abbot was not there. I
know because I was the first there."
Ferrie thought about Daniard's last last sentence. "That's it!" she exclaimed.
"What's it?"
"You're the mouse!"
"I am?" said Daniard. "What's all this about?"
"I'm goin' t'Noonvale!" Ferrie beamed.
"To replace my tray," said the abbot grimly, sending the two mouse brothers
into giggles.
"T'ain't that funny!" said Ferrie, paws akimbo. "I bet you woulden laugh so
'ard if you knew I found a fox in the abbey!"
"You did?" said Sam, wheezing.
"Never mind that," said the Abbot. "Ferrie and Daniard, go get Bluebell please."
"You heard 'im, Dan...let's go!"
"Well twoddle my dear auntie's whiskers," said Bluebell, scratching her head,
"but I've never heard o' that before! I think your Abbot wasn't writing, 'twas
some other beast!"
"Like Martin the Warrior?" said Daniard.
"Nevah heard o' him before, sah, so I don't know."
Kira, in his cloak again, smiled. "Martin the Warrior was one of the greatest
Abbeybeasts who ever lived, Bluebell. Mind your manners."
"'Tis okay, sah," said Ferrie stiffly. "We're fine with outsidahs." She didn't
like this "Dennon" knowing more about Redwall Abbey than a Long Patrol captain.
"But I do agree with miss Bluebell, in that this journey serves a greater purpose
than just replacing a broken heirloom tray."
"Watch it," Ferrie growled, prodding Daniard.
"Sorry."
"Well, mister Dennon, I'm sorry t' leave ya, but I gotta go when th' bally
Warrior says so! Ta-ta!"
"Goodbye," said Kira. Ferrie, Daniard and Bluebell walked out.
Kira smiled to himself. He had heard that Ferrie was the best shot in the Abbey.
With her gone, he was almost safe to take the tapestry.
"Bluebell, marm," said Ferrie, tugging on the hare's coat sleeve urgently, "there's
something I must tell you."
"Wot's that, Ferrie, ya clumsy ole gel?" Daniard giggled again at Bluebell's
reply, only to be hit upon the ears by the squirrel.
"I said stop it, Daniard!" But before Ferrie could report her findings, they
reached the Abbot's chamber.
The Abbot was already outside the door, smiling. "Ah yes, miss Bluebell. I
hope you feel well."
Bluebell nodded and saluted. "Fightin' fit, sah!"
"Very good. Because we need all the help we can get! I trust you showed her the
parchment, Ferrie and Dan?"
"Yes, sir!"
"Excellent. So the lord I think you will meet on your journey, and the enemy
I do not know of."
"Who's this I, if ya don't mind me asking, sah?"
"Whoever made him write that," replied Daniard.
"And have you figgered that out yet?"
The abbot shook his head. "No."
Ferrie noticed Brother Sam, Daniard's brother, hurrying into the kitchen with a
steaming platter of fish.
"Erm, mister Abbot, sah?"
"Yes, what, Ferrie?"
"Can we leave tomorrow, sah, because I'm flippin' famished and I don't want to
miss out on Sam's fish!"
That night, Kira had a strange dream...
Chapter 3
Kira and Bluebell slept in an abandoned section of the abbey, Bluebell snoring
away. Kira had his cloak over his ears, partly to muffle the sound.
Ferrie was sent to check on the two. She opened the door partially, peering
through with her candle in front of her.
"Silly ole chap," she muttered upon seeing Kira. "'is pore ears'll suffercate
if 'e keeps that thingy on them! I had better move 'em!"
Quietly she crept forward, lifting the cloak. If Kira's ears had seven tails
Ferrie couldn't have been more shocked.
"We've a bloomin' fox among us!" she exclaimed, dropping the cloak over Kira's
entire face. "Ooh, mister Dennon...the jig is up! I'll report ya to th'abbot!
Hah hah hah!"
Of course she couldn't, because the Abbot wouldn't speak to Ferrie after she
had broken his deceased mother's tray.
"Miz Runa, marm, there must be some way I can talk to th'abbot!" she exclaimed
woefully as the badger was tending to their new addition, who called herself
Gettat.
"Perhaps he wants something of you," said Runa, placing a dish of candied
chestnuts and meadowcream in front of Gettat.
"P'raps," said Ferrie, wrinkling her nose. "Miz Runa, can I have some chestnuts
'n meadowcream, too?"
"No!" exclaimed Runa. "Neither I, nor the abbot, nor anybody in the abbey will
ever let you within ten steps of a bowl of candied chestnuts anymore!"
"But I said I was sorry! What's the bally matter, wot?" Ferrie's bushy tail
flicked, distressed.
"Excuse me for interfering," said Gettat, swallowing a chestnut, "but maybe
you should ask the Abbot what he wants of you."
"Good idea, Gettat!" said Runa. "Go now, Ferrie, before the Abbot can get
really irritated."
Ferrie gave a gentle knock on the door. "Mister Abbot, sah, can I enter?" she
said meekly.
"Oh, all right, as long as you don't have any trays," grumbled the abbot.
Ferrie entered, head down but eyes peering upwards. "Mister Abbot Grunn, sah,
miz Runa says that I should ask you wot I should do to replace your tray."
Grunn sighed. "You cannot replace that tray with another tray for starters,
Ferrie. My mother was a member of the Wandering Noonvale Troupe. Maybe if you
can find them and state your purpose, they will give you something to replace
it."
Ferrie's head nodded insanely. "Jolly good idea, mister Abbot, sah! But where
is the troupe?"
"Somewhere, they don't call it wandering for nothing," said the Abbot. He
took out the piece of parchment he had written upon and handed it to Ferrie.
"Maybe this will help you."
Ferrie examined it for a moment. "Hmmm. 'The one whose aim and heart are true'.
Didn't miz Runa 'elp you with this one?"
"Yes, she did, but she was stumped by the last two lines."
Ferrie searched for them in the text.
"'And the good-hearted enemy will see I
And will lead you to the cat that cries'."
Then Ferrie remembered why she had wanted to see the abbot. "Enemy! Mister
Abbot, did ya know about Dennon?!?!"
"Know what?" said the abbot, tense.
"'e's a fox! We've a fox within the bally abbey walls!"
"A fox! But...maybe he's the good-hearted enemy..."
"Yah, well, maybe this 'Gettat' figure is, too! How will we know?"
"Let's just figure out the first four for now," said the abbot soothingly. "Runa
said that the one whose aim and heart are true is you, Ferrie, because you are
our best archer. And you surely didn't break the tray with malicious intent."
The abbot sighed.
"Righto, so I'm going! And who's this lord then, huh?"
"Dunno, some lord or other. But you'll probably find him soon. Next line!"
"Find a hare with coloured fur. That's miz Bluebell, eh wot? How many hares
d'you know with coloured fur?"
"None at all, besides her," said the Abbot, "and I don't even know her well.
Next line?"
"And the mouse whose running makes him a blur. Hmmm, we've a lot of quick mice
in this abbey, this one'll be a bit hard..."
Suddenly Sam and Daniard burst in through the door bearing food, Sam holding
the tray and Daniard keeping the door open. "Sir!"
"Ah, some grub!" said Ferrie gleefully. "I haven't had a bite since breakfast!"
"Breakfast was but an hour ago," said Daniard. "And the Abbot was not there. I
know because I was the first there."
Ferrie thought about Daniard's last last sentence. "That's it!" she exclaimed.
"What's it?"
"You're the mouse!"
"I am?" said Daniard. "What's all this about?"
"I'm goin' t'Noonvale!" Ferrie beamed.
"To replace my tray," said the abbot grimly, sending the two mouse brothers
into giggles.
"T'ain't that funny!" said Ferrie, paws akimbo. "I bet you woulden laugh so
'ard if you knew I found a fox in the abbey!"
"You did?" said Sam, wheezing.
"Never mind that," said the Abbot. "Ferrie and Daniard, go get Bluebell please."
"You heard 'im, Dan...let's go!"
"Well twoddle my dear auntie's whiskers," said Bluebell, scratching her head,
"but I've never heard o' that before! I think your Abbot wasn't writing, 'twas
some other beast!"
"Like Martin the Warrior?" said Daniard.
"Nevah heard o' him before, sah, so I don't know."
Kira, in his cloak again, smiled. "Martin the Warrior was one of the greatest
Abbeybeasts who ever lived, Bluebell. Mind your manners."
"'Tis okay, sah," said Ferrie stiffly. "We're fine with outsidahs." She didn't
like this "Dennon" knowing more about Redwall Abbey than a Long Patrol captain.
"But I do agree with miss Bluebell, in that this journey serves a greater purpose
than just replacing a broken heirloom tray."
"Watch it," Ferrie growled, prodding Daniard.
"Sorry."
"Well, mister Dennon, I'm sorry t' leave ya, but I gotta go when th' bally
Warrior says so! Ta-ta!"
"Goodbye," said Kira. Ferrie, Daniard and Bluebell walked out.
Kira smiled to himself. He had heard that Ferrie was the best shot in the Abbey.
With her gone, he was almost safe to take the tapestry.
"Bluebell, marm," said Ferrie, tugging on the hare's coat sleeve urgently, "there's
something I must tell you."
"Wot's that, Ferrie, ya clumsy ole gel?" Daniard giggled again at Bluebell's
reply, only to be hit upon the ears by the squirrel.
"I said stop it, Daniard!" But before Ferrie could report her findings, they
reached the Abbot's chamber.
The Abbot was already outside the door, smiling. "Ah yes, miss Bluebell. I
hope you feel well."
Bluebell nodded and saluted. "Fightin' fit, sah!"
"Very good. Because we need all the help we can get! I trust you showed her the
parchment, Ferrie and Dan?"
"Yes, sir!"
"Excellent. So the lord I think you will meet on your journey, and the enemy
I do not know of."
"Who's this I, if ya don't mind me asking, sah?"
"Whoever made him write that," replied Daniard.
"And have you figgered that out yet?"
The abbot shook his head. "No."
Ferrie noticed Brother Sam, Daniard's brother, hurrying into the kitchen with a
steaming platter of fish.
"Erm, mister Abbot, sah?"
"Yes, what, Ferrie?"
"Can we leave tomorrow, sah, because I'm flippin' famished and I don't want to
miss out on Sam's fish!"
That night, Kira had a strange dream...