Abbess Ino, Brother Harwood, Skipper of the Otters, Redwick the squirrelmaid, and her best friend, Vunnel, a young molemaid, sat in the Recorder's room, puzzling over the strange poem.

Abbess Ino reached into the hole in the wall, only to come out empty pawed. "Well, I guess that's all."

Ino was an older mouse, and had been Abbess for a very long time, ever since she was young. She was a strict kind of creature and stood no trouble. However she was a great friend and the Abbey had prospered in her years. When Skipper informed her of what the Recorder had found, she immediately came to help, Redwick and Vunnel in tow. Vunnel peered closely at the poem, squinting until her beady eyes disappeared into her velvety face.

"Oi doan't knaow wot to make of it. It sure bee a funnee poem." She turned to look at Redwick. "Wot do 'ee think, Redwick?"

The squirrel seemed to be thinking deeply. "Well, it talks 'bout Redwall, see, um, 'the two in the Red', 'search in the Walls'." Suddenly she gasped. "Vunnel, ya 'spose the poem's talkin' 'bout

us? See, it says, 'red and dark velvet.'"

Ino frowned. "Redwick, I know how much you'd like to go out and prove yourself in Mossflower. Going out and searching for vermin and what not, but there are many squirrels and moles in Redwall. We don't even know if this poem is as old as Brother Harwood says." The

pair's eyes were downcast.

"Of course, marm." Harwood cleared his throat to break the tension. "Well, we've got to read on." Suddenly his eyes popped out of his head. "Hoo! Look the last line, the first words, and the first letters! They say hilt!"

Everybeast stared at him.

Skipper thumped his rudder on the floor. "What's that, matey?"

Harwood pointed to the last verse. "High on the wall, I see it true. Look to the symbol, Truth in the blue. This may be a big leap, but clues leading to who the duo is, may lie in the hilt of Martin the Warrior's sword."

Vunnel and Redwick practically bowled the Abbess over in their haste to get to the sword.

"Oi bee sory, marm. Beggin' 'ee pardon."

"Sorry Abbess, gotta check the sword!"

Ino frowned again at Harwood. "Why do you encourage them like that, Harwood? You of all beasts certainly can't find this plausible."

Harwood shrugged and stood up. "Ino, I'm not really sure, but I'm almost sure this is genuine."

The two friends hurried into the Great Hall. The Sword of Martin the Warrior hung on the wall, next to the marvelous tapestry of Martin himself. Martin lounged on his sword in the tapestry, as vermin fled out of the sides. Vunnel stopped and gazed longingly at it.

"Boi okey, weren't it bee wunerful if it deed spoke of usn's." She absentmindedly tugged her snout out of respect for the long dead mouse warrior. Redwick, however, didn't stop till she

reached the sword. Before plucking it off the wall though, she gazed at it as if in a trance. It gleamed even in the dim light, reflecting the ice blue, double-edged blade, with the deep blood channel in the center. The squirrelmaid grasped the black bound hilt, staring at the blood red pommel stone, above the hilt. Vunnel walked behind the squirrel and stood on tip-paw.

"Yoo ar the firs'beast to take 'e sord off'n 'e wall since Dann Rebabaguba."

Redwick nodded, silently chuckling at her mole friend's pronunciation of the ancient warrior's

name.

"Aye. The abbey hasn't had a Champion of Redwall since Dann Reguba. Mebbe that'll change soon." She finally glanced at the mole, who nodded. Ino and the rest had finally caught up.

"Careful now,"warned Ino. "Don't cut yourself."

At that moment Rupple and Grimmble came around the corner, followed by Sister Karenn. She grabbed the two moles and held them back.

"Careful m'dearies. Stay away from the sword." She looked up. "Out of curiosity, Vunnel, what are you doing?"

The young mole tugged her snout again. "Brother Harwood foun' a poem an' its tellin' us'ns we need to check 'e gurt sord, marm."

Grimmble jumped up and down excitedly. "Lookey at yon gurt sord, Ruppely! Oi'll chop off 'ee tail wid it!"

Rupple laughed, pretending to be frightened, by ducking behind Karenn. The Sister cuffed Grimmble gently. "I'll have nobeast choppin' off anybeast's tail, but I'll tan your fur, Grimmble, if you can't keep good manners."

"Twas only fullin'," growled Grimmble remorsefully. "I harv gudd mamers. Twas only fullin'."

Redwick, though, had a quick temper and was despairing. She tore at the hilt until her paw ached, but she was gaining no edge. "Hellsteeth and Darkgates, there's not even a cut in

the hi-"

Ino stiffened and Harwood cleared his throat uncomfortably, breaking the squirrel off. Even Skipper was shaking his head softly. Redwick looked around confused, not realizing her mistake. Vunnel grabbed the squirrels tail and tugged it slightly.

"'Ee said a gurt bad word, Redwick."

Rupple piped up in the silence that followed. He scratched his soft head and blinked. "Wot be Bellsteeth an' Darkdates?"

Sister Karenn grabbed the paws of the dibbuns and led them off, quietly whispering to the mole twins to forget the words.

Redwick looked horrible. "I'm sorry Mother Abbess, it's jus' this sword an' the poem and I can't figure out any of it an'- She broke off when nobeast said anything, let alone move. After what seemed like eternity, Ino spoke.

"Redwick, put the sword back on the wall. I've had enough of this Martin the Warrior poem rubbish. Yes, Redwick, hang it up and go to the dormitory. Stay there until called for. No

Vunnel, she goes by herself. You may go outside if you wish." Then the Abbess turned a severe eye to the group behind her. "As for the rest of you I never want to hear of this poem again. You're all acting like a bunch of dibbuns on Name Day." Even the grown beasts shuffled their paws in embarrassment.

Redwick looked through hot tears of anger at Ino, blinking as they coursed unchecked down her cheeks. She rubbed her snout with her paw and then ran up the steps. She stopped at the top and glared, sniffling, at the mouse.

"I hate you, do you understand me? I hate you and hope somebeast pushes you off the battlements!" She fled into the dormitory, slamming the door behind her. Then she flung herself onto her bed and sobbed into the pillow.

Back in the Great Hall, Vunnel picked up the discarded sword and carefully hung it back up. Then she tugged her snout and walked out to the pond, where she dangled her foot paws in the warm water. Several tears of her own, ran down silently.

Skipper followed her out, but Harwood stayed behind to try to reason with the angry Abbess.

"Ino, you must excuse Redwick. She was orphaned here and I suppose she still has a lot to learn about our Order. Don't be too hard on the poor child."

The Abbess didn't seem to be listening. "She just ought to be glad be don't have a badger

Guardian here."

Harwood sighed in resignation and left, picking up the poem and stuffing it in his habit's pocket. Ino stood undecided in the Great Hall, then turned to look at the tapestry. She sighed wearily.

"Oh, Martin. What is this? Is this some test for those two dear children or a test of my patience?"

The picture of the warrior just smiled jauntily back at her. A little voice in her head kept telling her she was young and adventurous once, but she brushed it away. The mouse then turned to the sword staring at the hilt. Then she chided herself for being dragged into this. She sighed again and left, shutting the door behind her quietly. The candles flickered out for several moments, and when they went back on, Martin's eyes seemed downcast