Breton's wife heard a weak knocking on the gate. She opened it cautiously. Tulia and Katzey stumbled in, carrying Tyra. After them came Tuthine and Kessa, then Hone, Boulonnais, Muddy and Vicy. Ignoring her questions, Tulia and Katzey began sprinting very carefully for the Abbey door, while the others tried to answer her questions as well as they could.
"Where have you--what have you--how have you--who are--WHAT THE HECK'S GOING ON?!"
"Mum, hush! We have to get to the Infirmiry!"
************************************************************
Once Katzey and Tulia had actually made it inside the bulding, they were stopped by Breton, his obvious displeasure at having a wildcat in the abbey obvious.
"Where the heck have you--wha--what happened to her?"
Tulia frowned.
"Look, we have to move. Either out of the way or get trampled."
Tyra stirred and her eyelids fluttered.
Tulia and Katzey took the steps two at a time, followed by a throng of curious Redwallers.
Tulia almost broke down the door before Sister Barb opened it and motioned them to the first empty bed.
"My, my, Tyra's gotten herself into trouble this time. What happened?" She eased gently on Predak's sword, and it slid out easily. Tulia, choked with tears, shook her head. Katzey wrapped an arm around Tulia's shoulders, not saying anything either. Tyra tensed as the sword came out, winced, but then relaxed.
"She's regaining conciousness. Ewuh, that hurt!"
Barb touched the still-open cut on the back of Tyra's shoulders.
"It's a whip-mark, if I'm not mistaken. Countinous blows, if I'm not mistaken."
Just then Tyra jolted up, eyes wide and breathing heavy. They wondered what they had put on that whip.
"What the--Is dinner ready yet?"
Tulia flung her arms around Tyra. Muddy and Vicy, standing in the door doing crowd control, grinned.
"TYRA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
"Tulia! Are you ok? Did she do anything to you? Where am I--hello, Katzey--what in the name of pete is going on?! Who touched it?"
"Tyra, what happened?" Katzey asked. Breton stepped past Muddy and Vicy.
"We all want to know that. GET BACK TO WORK, YOU HAVE BETTER THINGS TO DO THEN HANG AROUND ALL DAY!" The emmassed Redwallers frowned and went back to work.
Tyra began, in detail, to describe what had happened since they had left the Abbey. Everything, including Flatnose, being cornered on the burned-out ruins of Camp Tussock, and then the trailer incident.
As she progressed, the memories became vivid in her mind. Every whiplash, every word was said and described by Tyra. The memories, now bright and being relived, made her shudder even more. The thoughts of fear, the VRAE, everything.
Almost at the end the door was flung open and in strode the rements of the woodland slaves. Breton's wife followed them, making exscuses while she did.
"They insisted on coming up here to see Tyra, I don't know who they are or why they're here--"
Tyra held up a paw.
"Don't worry. Hello, again, old one."
The squirrel who she had spoke to earlier that day smiled.
"I am old one no more. We have again discovered our names. I am Treewind. My friends here lived with me, and we have been together since our home was taken by the vermin, only just before your own home was burned. We are returning there, only just south of Camp Tussock. May you always know where to find us in times of need. Here," he set something on the table beside Tyra's bed, "Take this. It is the emblem of our tribe. You are in our favor, Tyra. I am sorry that we did not try to help you before. We were again afraid that you were one of Predak's spys, playing on us to see if we were still obediant. You were not, and we knew that after Predak...well...after that one time. But by then it was to late. We are sorry about Katze and Nicole. We will meet again some day, Tyra."
They turned and left. A younger squirrel turned again before he went out the door.
"Good luck, Tyra, get well soon."
Treewind called him, saying "Son, come on, we have a long journey ahead of us."
************************************************************
Bre ton stared again at Katzey.
"What is she doing here? Is she part of them?"
Tyra tried to stand, but Sister Barba pushed her back down.
"Breton," Tyra said, her voice harsh and tired. Katzey and Tulia both stepped back. "She is not. You didn't listen to a flippen' word I said. Her name is Katzey Gingivere. If you don't like her, then we don't have to stay here. If I stay, she stays. If she goes, I go. You just don't like her because you're a vermin. You don't understand what she's really like, or what she's done for us."
"Tyra, you need to--"
She lit like she was on fire. The past few days hadn't been to good for her. But before she could say another thing, Kessa stepped in.
"Listen, dad." Everyone stared at her. "Katzey is one of the best friends you could have. If you don't like her, you don't have to. It doesn't matter. You can also leave. I'm with Tyra. If she goes, I go. Take it or leave it."
"Kessa--"
Tyra grinned at Kessa. Katzey blushed, her reddish fur turning redder.
"Listen, Breton, out! The rest of you, out! Tulia, Katzey, I guess you can stay with Tyra. The rest of you, go! Now! Head to dinner, and get three trays sent up here. If anything happens call me. Otherwise, keep it down!"
When everyone left, Tyra, Katzey and Tulia burst out laughing. It was a great sound after so many days of misery.
"Where have you--what have you--how have you--who are--WHAT THE HECK'S GOING ON?!"
"Mum, hush! We have to get to the Infirmiry!"
************************************************************
Once Katzey and Tulia had actually made it inside the bulding, they were stopped by Breton, his obvious displeasure at having a wildcat in the abbey obvious.
"Where the heck have you--wha--what happened to her?"
Tulia frowned.
"Look, we have to move. Either out of the way or get trampled."
Tyra stirred and her eyelids fluttered.
Tulia and Katzey took the steps two at a time, followed by a throng of curious Redwallers.
Tulia almost broke down the door before Sister Barb opened it and motioned them to the first empty bed.
"My, my, Tyra's gotten herself into trouble this time. What happened?" She eased gently on Predak's sword, and it slid out easily. Tulia, choked with tears, shook her head. Katzey wrapped an arm around Tulia's shoulders, not saying anything either. Tyra tensed as the sword came out, winced, but then relaxed.
"She's regaining conciousness. Ewuh, that hurt!"
Barb touched the still-open cut on the back of Tyra's shoulders.
"It's a whip-mark, if I'm not mistaken. Countinous blows, if I'm not mistaken."
Just then Tyra jolted up, eyes wide and breathing heavy. They wondered what they had put on that whip.
"What the--Is dinner ready yet?"
Tulia flung her arms around Tyra. Muddy and Vicy, standing in the door doing crowd control, grinned.
"TYRA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
"Tulia! Are you ok? Did she do anything to you? Where am I--hello, Katzey--what in the name of pete is going on?! Who touched it?"
"Tyra, what happened?" Katzey asked. Breton stepped past Muddy and Vicy.
"We all want to know that. GET BACK TO WORK, YOU HAVE BETTER THINGS TO DO THEN HANG AROUND ALL DAY!" The emmassed Redwallers frowned and went back to work.
Tyra began, in detail, to describe what had happened since they had left the Abbey. Everything, including Flatnose, being cornered on the burned-out ruins of Camp Tussock, and then the trailer incident.
As she progressed, the memories became vivid in her mind. Every whiplash, every word was said and described by Tyra. The memories, now bright and being relived, made her shudder even more. The thoughts of fear, the VRAE, everything.
Almost at the end the door was flung open and in strode the rements of the woodland slaves. Breton's wife followed them, making exscuses while she did.
"They insisted on coming up here to see Tyra, I don't know who they are or why they're here--"
Tyra held up a paw.
"Don't worry. Hello, again, old one."
The squirrel who she had spoke to earlier that day smiled.
"I am old one no more. We have again discovered our names. I am Treewind. My friends here lived with me, and we have been together since our home was taken by the vermin, only just before your own home was burned. We are returning there, only just south of Camp Tussock. May you always know where to find us in times of need. Here," he set something on the table beside Tyra's bed, "Take this. It is the emblem of our tribe. You are in our favor, Tyra. I am sorry that we did not try to help you before. We were again afraid that you were one of Predak's spys, playing on us to see if we were still obediant. You were not, and we knew that after Predak...well...after that one time. But by then it was to late. We are sorry about Katze and Nicole. We will meet again some day, Tyra."
They turned and left. A younger squirrel turned again before he went out the door.
"Good luck, Tyra, get well soon."
Treewind called him, saying "Son, come on, we have a long journey ahead of us."
************************************************************
Bre ton stared again at Katzey.
"What is she doing here? Is she part of them?"
Tyra tried to stand, but Sister Barba pushed her back down.
"Breton," Tyra said, her voice harsh and tired. Katzey and Tulia both stepped back. "She is not. You didn't listen to a flippen' word I said. Her name is Katzey Gingivere. If you don't like her, then we don't have to stay here. If I stay, she stays. If she goes, I go. You just don't like her because you're a vermin. You don't understand what she's really like, or what she's done for us."
"Tyra, you need to--"
She lit like she was on fire. The past few days hadn't been to good for her. But before she could say another thing, Kessa stepped in.
"Listen, dad." Everyone stared at her. "Katzey is one of the best friends you could have. If you don't like her, you don't have to. It doesn't matter. You can also leave. I'm with Tyra. If she goes, I go. Take it or leave it."
"Kessa--"
Tyra grinned at Kessa. Katzey blushed, her reddish fur turning redder.
"Listen, Breton, out! The rest of you, out! Tulia, Katzey, I guess you can stay with Tyra. The rest of you, go! Now! Head to dinner, and get three trays sent up here. If anything happens call me. Otherwise, keep it down!"
When everyone left, Tyra, Katzey and Tulia burst out laughing. It was a great sound after so many days of misery.
