Chapter Sixteen
Nipfleet was enjoying his time in Redwall Abbey. He and Manei got along quite fine, and he often taught the otter a few more tricks on pinching food from the kitchens. However, the March hare was getting quite bored staying in the dormitories all day and wanted to go around the Abbey and look around. The otterbabe, however, refused, worried that someone would catch the mountain hare.
Bored out of his life, and a bit hungry too, Nipfleet lay sprawled on a bed in the dormitories, staring up at the ceilings. He had already counted the ceiling tiles once, and was on his second time through, when Manei bounced in, a large smile upon her face.
"Hullo, Nippy! Guess wot? The Nameday feast be today!"
At first, the March hare took no notice in the excited little ottermaid, and continued his counting.
"Twenty-eight, twenty-nine…"
Finally, Manei's words dawned on him, and Nipfleet sat up straight in excitement.
"A feast y'say, mah wee bairn? Well, that's jus' dandy, ain't it! Am I 'llowed t'go?"
Manei shook her head sternly as she took a slice of red current pie from behind her back and handed it to the March hare.
"No, mista Nippy, ye need stay here. Might get caught, an' that get both o' us in twubble! Now pwomise me ye won't go out. Pwomise?"
Nipfleet nodded obediently, keeping a mischievous smile from creeping onto his face. After making the March hare promise a couple more times, Manei nodded in satisfaction.
"Okay den, mista Nippy. You stay here, I bwing ye back some food fwom da feast. 'Kay?"
Nipfleet nodded yet again, and when Manei had left, he took his paws out from behind his back and looked at them, a glint of trouble in his eyes. He had crossed them.
Rambati was walking alongside young Brother Arenlor, strolling through the Abbey orchards, when Raiyon bounces up and greeted them with a cheery smile and an excited wave. The warrior mouse eyebrows shot up questionably at the bellringer's queer behavior.
"Well now, what's so important about today that's gotten you so excited, eh, Rai?"
Raiyon stared at Rambati in disbelief, as if that had been the daftest question she had ever been asked. Arenlor chuckled lightly at the bellringer's expression and answered the question for the mousemaid.
"The one thing that she's been waiting for, of course, Rambati. The Nameday feast is today, and Abbess Sencatina will finally tell us the name of the season. Can't really blame Raiyon for being excited today, eh?"
Rambati nodded slowly, a slight smile hovering about his face.
"Aye, but I'm just worried about trying to stop her bouncing around the orchard in her exhilaration. Look at her go, Brother!"
Following the Champion of Redwall's paw, Brother Arenlor burst out chuckling. Raiyon was bouncing around the orchard, batting Dibbun's ears and smiling perkily at the elders.
"This is going to be quite an interesting day, Rambati!"
Nipfleet crept down the staircases that led up to the dormitories. Peeking down them quietly, he waited for an elderly squirrel and a mousemaid to pass.
"I say, Abbess, is there any chance of getting to know the season right now? You've been hiding it from me..er, us for so long!"
"That's more the reason to tell it to everybody, not just you, Raiyon. You'll just have to wait. My, my, patience was never your strong point, was it?"
"No, my old pa used to say that never giving up was my strong point."
"Well, your old pa has a point there!"
After Abbess Sencatina and Raiyon the Bellringer had walked past the staircase, Nipfleet bounced down the last few steps and looked around. There was a large picture on the wall. Letting his curiosity get the better of him, the March hare bounced over the tapestry and examined it closely. There were many pictures on it, but the one that stood out the most was the picture of the mouse in armor, which stood in the middle of the tapestry. Nipfleet couldn't help but shake his head in admiration.
"Lookit hem! Yon mousie look like 'e ken defin'ly deal out soom guid blows t'thee vermin. Thee beastie prob'ly afeared an' scairt o' nothin', y'ken!"
At the sound of somebeasts approaching, Nipfleet pounced back onto the stairs, waiting for them to past. There were five otters, Midnight, Valor, Brisk, Thistle, and Thunder, and they jostled playfully and joked around as they strolled through Great Hall.
"Think y'ken give me all the bowls o'yore hotroot soup, eh, Midnight? I wouldn't fergive meself if I let some other beast get poisoned by that dreadful soup."
"Y'think I'm so bad, wait'll ye try some o' yore own, Brisk. Throw that so-called soup at the vermin an' ye could send them runnin' fer sure!"
"That so, Midnight? Well I'm sure that t'last time we 'ad Brisk's soup, ye were the one who scoffed the whole cauldron!"
"Y'can't really blame 'er, Thistle. We all know that Midnight's the greatest watershrimp and hotroot soup scoffer in all o' Mossflower, eh, mates?"
"Righto, Valor m'bucko. Save the soup fer Midnight, else she'll steal it from unner yore noses!"
"Speak fer yoreself, Thunder. Y'eat jus' as much as I do!"
The otters' voices faded, and Nipfleet couldn't help but chuckle lightly at the amusing creatures. Stepping, once again, off the staircase, the March hare gazed around the hall, looking for something interesting. As he was staring, his noise began to twitch. Clapping his paws together softly in excitement, Nipfleet chortled.
"Och, weel I'll be, I smell vittles!"
Nipfleet bounced to the other side of the hallway and peeked into the kitchen door, scanning the room. There were two mice, one a dormouse and the other a harvestmouse, chatting away as the dormouse of them cooked. The other had a quill pen at paw, and was written away in a large, journal-like book. The one who was writing looked up long enough to say to the dormouse, "Raiyon been here lately, Horvory?"
Horvory, the dormouse, chortled lightly as he dumped watershrimp into a large cauldron.
"Aye, twice actually. Would ye believe that the liddle mouseymaid actually asked to 'elp wid the preparations? Dearie me, the excitement of the feast has surely gotten her worked up, eh, Bebiune me ole friend?"
Brother Bebiune nodded as he scribbled some more on the page, grinning slightly. Finally, he closed the book and stood up, dusting flour off his habit.
"Aye, all the others too. Periwinkle, Pimpernel, and Primrose were skipping around Cavern Hole, gracing the table with flowers that Redwallers were named after. You know, Azalea, Primrose, Pimpernel, and Periwinkle. Oh, that reminds me, the squirrelmaid Azalea's up and about; says that she couldn't stay in the infirmary with all the anticipation of the feast going around. P'raps the excitement is for the better. Or for the worse, if you're Ttricino. Saw her three times this morning, twice chasing after Fackels, the third time trying to get Burno back into the tub. The little mole went running around Great Hall, soaked and covered with soup bubbles. Then I saw her again this afternoon, trying to find that rascal, Runey, along with his other mischievous Dibbuns. Not a surprise that he was playing 'Martin the Warrior' again. He was Gonff, Burno was Dinny, Fackels was Log-a-log Big Club, and Manei was Martin. Quite a sight, I tell you. Well, I'm on my way now, Friar. Got to put the record book back, then join the others in Cavern Hole for setting up."
Friar Horvory nodded absently as he stirred the soup in the caldron, not looking up as he called out to the Recorder, "Aye, get me Nightmid…er…Midnight, will yer? Need her 'elp agin. Go 'head on yore way, Brother, see ye la'er."
Brother Bebiune blinked in surprise once he was outside of the Abbey kitchens, then shrugged and took off his glasses, wiping them gently as he continued on his way.
I'm getting old, the kindly brother thought to himself. I know I didn't just see two ears sticking out of a meadowcream pie!"
Nipfleet let out a sigh of relief once Bebiune had gone. He had been busy admiring the food, and didn't get the time to duck as the Brother had passed. Lucky for the March hare that he was standing in front of a table, and he ducked under it swiftly. Still, he couldn't help but wonder if the old mouse had saw his long ears…
Popping back up onto his footpaws, the hungry hare looked around the table topped with vittles, basically ignoring the fat dormouse that was humming to himself as he went about his work. As Nipfleet was gazing longingly at a strawberry flan, Midnight stormed in, a frown upon her face as she rubbed her ear ruefully.
"Agh, jus' lemme get me paws on that Brisk; I'll show 'im t'mess wid me! Ah, m'dear ole Friar, wot ken I do fer ye today?"
The talkative otter blinked in surprise as she bumped into Nipfleet, who looked up at her from his staring. At the sound of Midnight's voice, the Friar turned around, and his eyes also rested upon the March hare. Midnight's eyes narrowed slightly as she demanded, "Don't think I've seen ye 'round t'Abbey afore. Who are ye, an' wot's yore business here?"
Nipfleet was enjoying his time in Redwall Abbey. He and Manei got along quite fine, and he often taught the otter a few more tricks on pinching food from the kitchens. However, the March hare was getting quite bored staying in the dormitories all day and wanted to go around the Abbey and look around. The otterbabe, however, refused, worried that someone would catch the mountain hare.
Bored out of his life, and a bit hungry too, Nipfleet lay sprawled on a bed in the dormitories, staring up at the ceilings. He had already counted the ceiling tiles once, and was on his second time through, when Manei bounced in, a large smile upon her face.
"Hullo, Nippy! Guess wot? The Nameday feast be today!"
At first, the March hare took no notice in the excited little ottermaid, and continued his counting.
"Twenty-eight, twenty-nine…"
Finally, Manei's words dawned on him, and Nipfleet sat up straight in excitement.
"A feast y'say, mah wee bairn? Well, that's jus' dandy, ain't it! Am I 'llowed t'go?"
Manei shook her head sternly as she took a slice of red current pie from behind her back and handed it to the March hare.
"No, mista Nippy, ye need stay here. Might get caught, an' that get both o' us in twubble! Now pwomise me ye won't go out. Pwomise?"
Nipfleet nodded obediently, keeping a mischievous smile from creeping onto his face. After making the March hare promise a couple more times, Manei nodded in satisfaction.
"Okay den, mista Nippy. You stay here, I bwing ye back some food fwom da feast. 'Kay?"
Nipfleet nodded yet again, and when Manei had left, he took his paws out from behind his back and looked at them, a glint of trouble in his eyes. He had crossed them.
Rambati was walking alongside young Brother Arenlor, strolling through the Abbey orchards, when Raiyon bounces up and greeted them with a cheery smile and an excited wave. The warrior mouse eyebrows shot up questionably at the bellringer's queer behavior.
"Well now, what's so important about today that's gotten you so excited, eh, Rai?"
Raiyon stared at Rambati in disbelief, as if that had been the daftest question she had ever been asked. Arenlor chuckled lightly at the bellringer's expression and answered the question for the mousemaid.
"The one thing that she's been waiting for, of course, Rambati. The Nameday feast is today, and Abbess Sencatina will finally tell us the name of the season. Can't really blame Raiyon for being excited today, eh?"
Rambati nodded slowly, a slight smile hovering about his face.
"Aye, but I'm just worried about trying to stop her bouncing around the orchard in her exhilaration. Look at her go, Brother!"
Following the Champion of Redwall's paw, Brother Arenlor burst out chuckling. Raiyon was bouncing around the orchard, batting Dibbun's ears and smiling perkily at the elders.
"This is going to be quite an interesting day, Rambati!"
Nipfleet crept down the staircases that led up to the dormitories. Peeking down them quietly, he waited for an elderly squirrel and a mousemaid to pass.
"I say, Abbess, is there any chance of getting to know the season right now? You've been hiding it from me..er, us for so long!"
"That's more the reason to tell it to everybody, not just you, Raiyon. You'll just have to wait. My, my, patience was never your strong point, was it?"
"No, my old pa used to say that never giving up was my strong point."
"Well, your old pa has a point there!"
After Abbess Sencatina and Raiyon the Bellringer had walked past the staircase, Nipfleet bounced down the last few steps and looked around. There was a large picture on the wall. Letting his curiosity get the better of him, the March hare bounced over the tapestry and examined it closely. There were many pictures on it, but the one that stood out the most was the picture of the mouse in armor, which stood in the middle of the tapestry. Nipfleet couldn't help but shake his head in admiration.
"Lookit hem! Yon mousie look like 'e ken defin'ly deal out soom guid blows t'thee vermin. Thee beastie prob'ly afeared an' scairt o' nothin', y'ken!"
At the sound of somebeasts approaching, Nipfleet pounced back onto the stairs, waiting for them to past. There were five otters, Midnight, Valor, Brisk, Thistle, and Thunder, and they jostled playfully and joked around as they strolled through Great Hall.
"Think y'ken give me all the bowls o'yore hotroot soup, eh, Midnight? I wouldn't fergive meself if I let some other beast get poisoned by that dreadful soup."
"Y'think I'm so bad, wait'll ye try some o' yore own, Brisk. Throw that so-called soup at the vermin an' ye could send them runnin' fer sure!"
"That so, Midnight? Well I'm sure that t'last time we 'ad Brisk's soup, ye were the one who scoffed the whole cauldron!"
"Y'can't really blame 'er, Thistle. We all know that Midnight's the greatest watershrimp and hotroot soup scoffer in all o' Mossflower, eh, mates?"
"Righto, Valor m'bucko. Save the soup fer Midnight, else she'll steal it from unner yore noses!"
"Speak fer yoreself, Thunder. Y'eat jus' as much as I do!"
The otters' voices faded, and Nipfleet couldn't help but chuckle lightly at the amusing creatures. Stepping, once again, off the staircase, the March hare gazed around the hall, looking for something interesting. As he was staring, his noise began to twitch. Clapping his paws together softly in excitement, Nipfleet chortled.
"Och, weel I'll be, I smell vittles!"
Nipfleet bounced to the other side of the hallway and peeked into the kitchen door, scanning the room. There were two mice, one a dormouse and the other a harvestmouse, chatting away as the dormouse of them cooked. The other had a quill pen at paw, and was written away in a large, journal-like book. The one who was writing looked up long enough to say to the dormouse, "Raiyon been here lately, Horvory?"
Horvory, the dormouse, chortled lightly as he dumped watershrimp into a large cauldron.
"Aye, twice actually. Would ye believe that the liddle mouseymaid actually asked to 'elp wid the preparations? Dearie me, the excitement of the feast has surely gotten her worked up, eh, Bebiune me ole friend?"
Brother Bebiune nodded as he scribbled some more on the page, grinning slightly. Finally, he closed the book and stood up, dusting flour off his habit.
"Aye, all the others too. Periwinkle, Pimpernel, and Primrose were skipping around Cavern Hole, gracing the table with flowers that Redwallers were named after. You know, Azalea, Primrose, Pimpernel, and Periwinkle. Oh, that reminds me, the squirrelmaid Azalea's up and about; says that she couldn't stay in the infirmary with all the anticipation of the feast going around. P'raps the excitement is for the better. Or for the worse, if you're Ttricino. Saw her three times this morning, twice chasing after Fackels, the third time trying to get Burno back into the tub. The little mole went running around Great Hall, soaked and covered with soup bubbles. Then I saw her again this afternoon, trying to find that rascal, Runey, along with his other mischievous Dibbuns. Not a surprise that he was playing 'Martin the Warrior' again. He was Gonff, Burno was Dinny, Fackels was Log-a-log Big Club, and Manei was Martin. Quite a sight, I tell you. Well, I'm on my way now, Friar. Got to put the record book back, then join the others in Cavern Hole for setting up."
Friar Horvory nodded absently as he stirred the soup in the caldron, not looking up as he called out to the Recorder, "Aye, get me Nightmid…er…Midnight, will yer? Need her 'elp agin. Go 'head on yore way, Brother, see ye la'er."
Brother Bebiune blinked in surprise once he was outside of the Abbey kitchens, then shrugged and took off his glasses, wiping them gently as he continued on his way.
I'm getting old, the kindly brother thought to himself. I know I didn't just see two ears sticking out of a meadowcream pie!"
Nipfleet let out a sigh of relief once Bebiune had gone. He had been busy admiring the food, and didn't get the time to duck as the Brother had passed. Lucky for the March hare that he was standing in front of a table, and he ducked under it swiftly. Still, he couldn't help but wonder if the old mouse had saw his long ears…
Popping back up onto his footpaws, the hungry hare looked around the table topped with vittles, basically ignoring the fat dormouse that was humming to himself as he went about his work. As Nipfleet was gazing longingly at a strawberry flan, Midnight stormed in, a frown upon her face as she rubbed her ear ruefully.
"Agh, jus' lemme get me paws on that Brisk; I'll show 'im t'mess wid me! Ah, m'dear ole Friar, wot ken I do fer ye today?"
The talkative otter blinked in surprise as she bumped into Nipfleet, who looked up at her from his staring. At the sound of Midnight's voice, the Friar turned around, and his eyes also rested upon the March hare. Midnight's eyes narrowed slightly as she demanded, "Don't think I've seen ye 'round t'Abbey afore. Who are ye, an' wot's yore business here?"