No, You Can't Chapter 3: Secrets
Martin sat at supper, pushing his stew and pastie around his plate, sometimes taking a mouthful when someone looked at him, but mostly he just stared at it. He avoided Cainwen's livid gaze. Neither of them had spoken since leaving the room, as Cainwen was still seething from their battle and Martin didn't want to release her fury in the middle of dinner.
Cainwen stared across at Martin. She ate automatically, not caring what was on her plate. What an idiot, she thought. Suddenly she tore her eyes from Martin to gape at her plate and drank her October Ale in one swallow. How did she get Hotroot soup on her plate?!
Slowly, Dibbuns started to drift away from the table with parents and siblings. Soon, only Cainwen and Martin were left at the table. It was very late when Cainwen finally rose and after shooting one last furious look at Martin headed towards the dormitory.
Martin remained at the table, musing and fiddling with a spoon that had been left on the table. Gradually his eyelids drooped and his head fell into his arms on the table.
A/N: And Cainwen had nothing to do with this, thank you!
Martin was still in Brockhall, and Boar stood before him again. But this time he looked enraged.
"How many times do I need to tell you Martin?! I've told you, Cainwen's told you. Do I have to come out of Dark Forest just to get you to listen?" shouted Boar.
Martin screamed. He got up and limped as quickly as he could towards Bella's study. "Bella! Bella, I need to talk to you!" Martin shouted as he pounded on the oak doors of Bella's study.
Bella appeared at the door, looking drowsy and startled. She rubbed sleep from her eyes as she opened the door wider.
"Martin, what's going on? What are you screaming for?"
"Bella, I need to tell you something. Is Cainwen still here? She knows more about it than I do," Martin said rapidly.
"Martin, I think you'd better come in. What's going on? You've been acting so oddly lately. Then you and Cainwen disappear for the whole afternoon and, well that's not so unusual for Cainwen, but what's the matter? You look like you've just seen a ghost."
"If I have anything to do with anything, he will pretty soon if he doesn't hurry up and start talking."
"Cainwen!"
Martin and Bella whirled around to see Cainwen standing in the doorway, arms crossed and starting accusingly at Martin.
Cainwen strode purposely forward, her nightgown billowing out behind her. Martin watched speechlessly as she walked forward and stood with her arms crossed facing Martin. Her footpaw tapped with exasperation against the carpeted floor of the study.
"I was wondering when my message would sink through that battle hardened skull of yours," Cainwen said, tapping none too gently on his head. She turned quickly to Bella. "Pardon my interruption, Miss Bella. I had a feeling this stubborn warrior would finally come to you tonight, so I decided to see if he had finally come round."
Bella looked from Martin to Cainwen in bewilderment. She shook her striped muzzle, baffled by this sudden change of character in each of the mice who stood before her.
"I think that you had better start over again, both of you. WHAT IS GOING ON?!" Bella had a hard keeping her voice down, so as not to waken all of Brockhall. She looked from on to the other slowly. "Martin? Cainwen?"
Martin looked at Cainwen meaningfully. Cainwen shook her head resolutely.
"Uh-uh. I didn't start this thing, you did. I only came into play today. Don't be looking at me."
Martin sighed wearily. "Alright then. This is what happened."
******** About an hour later, Martin and Cainwen finished their narrative and sat, waiting for Bella's decision. They did not have to wait long. The wise Badger had many season's sense on her head.
"Martin, I agree with Cainwen. You shouldn't have tried to hide a wound like that," she said pointing to the gash on his leg. " You should have gone straight to the Infirmary. We are completely safe at Brockhall, we can wait. We have supplies to last a long time. Tsarmina has an army to feed and not one among that load of rabble can forage or farm. Cainwen, I do not approve of you bullying Martin or anyone into doing anything they don't want to do, even if it is for their own good," she paused to look directly at Martin. "I realize that your feelings can override your judgement and I will assume that that is what happened, Cainwen. Martin, I think that you should go to the Infirmary. Cainwen, would you mind leading him there? I think that it's time we all were abed."
Bella gave a huge yawn as Cainwen rose from the ottoman that she had been sitting on and walked over to Martin. Offering her paw she began to pull Martin to his feet.
"Come on, Warrior, it's time that we got you to the Infirmary and bed," Cainwen said sounding playful and trying to stifle a yawn at the same time. "Goodnight, Miss Bella."
"Goodnight, Cainwen, Martin."
Martin leaned heavily on Cainwen as they left Bella's study. They walked at a sleepy pace down the dim, torch lit corridor toward the Infirmary. Both heads drooped with drowsiness. The firelight from the torches in their sconces flickered lazily, shinning off the duo pair of half closed eyes, one pair a slowly swirling blue-grey, the other, soft grey, hardened through pain.
Breaking the peaceful silence, a small squirrel ran out of the shadows, running circles around the weary pair, pointing at Cainwen and shouting," Dead beast, Dead beast!"
Suddenly the Dibbun shot off, causing Martin to stumble, pulling Cainwen's kerchief off in the act. For a split second he saw a flash of dark crimson before he was pulled swiftly into a small recess he stood leaning against the wall and panting. Through the darkness he saw Cainwen hurriedly trying to put her headscarf back on.
"Whoa, what was that?" gasped Martin.
"A little squirrel who needs a good lesson in manners."
"No, not that. What's on your head?"
"A headscarf, silly."
"Cainwen, you're avoiding answering. What was that?"
"That's my own business," Cainwen snapped bad-temperedly. " When I want you to know you'll know, which will be never!"
Martin starred hard at Cainwen. Through the dimness, it seemed to him that her face was pained, worried, and concealing.
"Cainwen, what was that?" Martin demanded to know in a hard voice. "You found out my secret, so I'm not going to rest until I know yours."
"Your secret could have killed you, left untold," Cainwen said touchily. "If my secret was revealed it would mean my life."
"Surely you exaggerate?" said Martin. "How could a red thing-gummy on your head mean your life?"
"It just does. Now, I'm taking you to the Infirmary before you can pry into my pas- er life any more!" exclaimed Cainwen as she grabbed Martin and ran down the passage, pulling Martin along in her wake until she skidded to a halt in front of the Infirmary. Yanking the door open, Cainwen jerked Martin inside. Muttering a hurried excuse to the Loamhedge mouse on duty, she dragged Martin to the farthest bed. Hastily she shoved him into it and thrust a nightshirt into his hands.
"Goodnight!" Cainwen said frostily before turning on her heel and storming out.
Martin took off his tunic and slipped on the nightshirt, thinking about what he had just witnessed. Cainwen had something on her head that her life depended on hiding. And she got very touchy when asked about it. Martin decided that he would let her be for a while, but he would find out eventually. Right now, he thought to himself as he snuggled down against the clean bed sheets, sleep was the best thing.
Martin sat at supper, pushing his stew and pastie around his plate, sometimes taking a mouthful when someone looked at him, but mostly he just stared at it. He avoided Cainwen's livid gaze. Neither of them had spoken since leaving the room, as Cainwen was still seething from their battle and Martin didn't want to release her fury in the middle of dinner.
Cainwen stared across at Martin. She ate automatically, not caring what was on her plate. What an idiot, she thought. Suddenly she tore her eyes from Martin to gape at her plate and drank her October Ale in one swallow. How did she get Hotroot soup on her plate?!
Slowly, Dibbuns started to drift away from the table with parents and siblings. Soon, only Cainwen and Martin were left at the table. It was very late when Cainwen finally rose and after shooting one last furious look at Martin headed towards the dormitory.
Martin remained at the table, musing and fiddling with a spoon that had been left on the table. Gradually his eyelids drooped and his head fell into his arms on the table.
A/N: And Cainwen had nothing to do with this, thank you!
Martin was still in Brockhall, and Boar stood before him again. But this time he looked enraged.
"How many times do I need to tell you Martin?! I've told you, Cainwen's told you. Do I have to come out of Dark Forest just to get you to listen?" shouted Boar.
Martin screamed. He got up and limped as quickly as he could towards Bella's study. "Bella! Bella, I need to talk to you!" Martin shouted as he pounded on the oak doors of Bella's study.
Bella appeared at the door, looking drowsy and startled. She rubbed sleep from her eyes as she opened the door wider.
"Martin, what's going on? What are you screaming for?"
"Bella, I need to tell you something. Is Cainwen still here? She knows more about it than I do," Martin said rapidly.
"Martin, I think you'd better come in. What's going on? You've been acting so oddly lately. Then you and Cainwen disappear for the whole afternoon and, well that's not so unusual for Cainwen, but what's the matter? You look like you've just seen a ghost."
"If I have anything to do with anything, he will pretty soon if he doesn't hurry up and start talking."
"Cainwen!"
Martin and Bella whirled around to see Cainwen standing in the doorway, arms crossed and starting accusingly at Martin.
Cainwen strode purposely forward, her nightgown billowing out behind her. Martin watched speechlessly as she walked forward and stood with her arms crossed facing Martin. Her footpaw tapped with exasperation against the carpeted floor of the study.
"I was wondering when my message would sink through that battle hardened skull of yours," Cainwen said, tapping none too gently on his head. She turned quickly to Bella. "Pardon my interruption, Miss Bella. I had a feeling this stubborn warrior would finally come to you tonight, so I decided to see if he had finally come round."
Bella looked from Martin to Cainwen in bewilderment. She shook her striped muzzle, baffled by this sudden change of character in each of the mice who stood before her.
"I think that you had better start over again, both of you. WHAT IS GOING ON?!" Bella had a hard keeping her voice down, so as not to waken all of Brockhall. She looked from on to the other slowly. "Martin? Cainwen?"
Martin looked at Cainwen meaningfully. Cainwen shook her head resolutely.
"Uh-uh. I didn't start this thing, you did. I only came into play today. Don't be looking at me."
Martin sighed wearily. "Alright then. This is what happened."
******** About an hour later, Martin and Cainwen finished their narrative and sat, waiting for Bella's decision. They did not have to wait long. The wise Badger had many season's sense on her head.
"Martin, I agree with Cainwen. You shouldn't have tried to hide a wound like that," she said pointing to the gash on his leg. " You should have gone straight to the Infirmary. We are completely safe at Brockhall, we can wait. We have supplies to last a long time. Tsarmina has an army to feed and not one among that load of rabble can forage or farm. Cainwen, I do not approve of you bullying Martin or anyone into doing anything they don't want to do, even if it is for their own good," she paused to look directly at Martin. "I realize that your feelings can override your judgement and I will assume that that is what happened, Cainwen. Martin, I think that you should go to the Infirmary. Cainwen, would you mind leading him there? I think that it's time we all were abed."
Bella gave a huge yawn as Cainwen rose from the ottoman that she had been sitting on and walked over to Martin. Offering her paw she began to pull Martin to his feet.
"Come on, Warrior, it's time that we got you to the Infirmary and bed," Cainwen said sounding playful and trying to stifle a yawn at the same time. "Goodnight, Miss Bella."
"Goodnight, Cainwen, Martin."
Martin leaned heavily on Cainwen as they left Bella's study. They walked at a sleepy pace down the dim, torch lit corridor toward the Infirmary. Both heads drooped with drowsiness. The firelight from the torches in their sconces flickered lazily, shinning off the duo pair of half closed eyes, one pair a slowly swirling blue-grey, the other, soft grey, hardened through pain.
Breaking the peaceful silence, a small squirrel ran out of the shadows, running circles around the weary pair, pointing at Cainwen and shouting," Dead beast, Dead beast!"
Suddenly the Dibbun shot off, causing Martin to stumble, pulling Cainwen's kerchief off in the act. For a split second he saw a flash of dark crimson before he was pulled swiftly into a small recess he stood leaning against the wall and panting. Through the darkness he saw Cainwen hurriedly trying to put her headscarf back on.
"Whoa, what was that?" gasped Martin.
"A little squirrel who needs a good lesson in manners."
"No, not that. What's on your head?"
"A headscarf, silly."
"Cainwen, you're avoiding answering. What was that?"
"That's my own business," Cainwen snapped bad-temperedly. " When I want you to know you'll know, which will be never!"
Martin starred hard at Cainwen. Through the dimness, it seemed to him that her face was pained, worried, and concealing.
"Cainwen, what was that?" Martin demanded to know in a hard voice. "You found out my secret, so I'm not going to rest until I know yours."
"Your secret could have killed you, left untold," Cainwen said touchily. "If my secret was revealed it would mean my life."
"Surely you exaggerate?" said Martin. "How could a red thing-gummy on your head mean your life?"
"It just does. Now, I'm taking you to the Infirmary before you can pry into my pas- er life any more!" exclaimed Cainwen as she grabbed Martin and ran down the passage, pulling Martin along in her wake until she skidded to a halt in front of the Infirmary. Yanking the door open, Cainwen jerked Martin inside. Muttering a hurried excuse to the Loamhedge mouse on duty, she dragged Martin to the farthest bed. Hastily she shoved him into it and thrust a nightshirt into his hands.
"Goodnight!" Cainwen said frostily before turning on her heel and storming out.
Martin took off his tunic and slipped on the nightshirt, thinking about what he had just witnessed. Cainwen had something on her head that her life depended on hiding. And she got very touchy when asked about it. Martin decided that he would let her be for a while, but he would find out eventually. Right now, he thought to himself as he snuggled down against the clean bed sheets, sleep was the best thing.